The Monkees assembled to be the stars of an American television series of t… Read Full Bio ↴The Monkees assembled to be the stars of an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. The original lineup was: Micky Dolenz (drums, vocals), Michael Nesmith (guitar, vocals), Davy Jones (percussion, vocals) and Peter Tork (bass, keyboards, vocals) . The Monkees were formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California and initially disbanded in 1970 at the conclusion of their recording contract. At their peak they were competing with The Beatles for the top spot on album charts.

In the years since their original disbanding, the group has reunited in various incarnations, mostly involving Dolenz, Tork and Jones, but not Nesmith. The first reunion began in 1986 and at first featured only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. Davy Jones joined the others and a new album was released before they split again in 1989.

The next regrouping took place between 1993 and 1997 and featured a new album that included the particpation of all four members. A further reunion between 2001 and 2002, was followed by another reunion in 2011 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television show. This reunion was cut short before 2011 had ended due to scheduling problems with the anniversary tour.

The unexpected death of Davy Jones at the beginning of 2012 prompted the most recent reunion tour, this time featuring Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith.

Created by producers of a TV series to be an American Beatles, the antics of the Monkees band members on the television series were very reminscent of Beatles' antics in films like 'Help' and 'Hard Day's Night'. Indeed, in songs like 'Forget that Girl...', the band and even the lead singer could sound just like the Beatles. With songs provided by Don Kirshner from such writers as Neil Diamond and Carole King, among others, the Monkees were assured of pop success. However, in the beginning, the four group members were hired only as actors to front the band and to provide the vocals whilst studio musicians recorded the backing music. These recordings were provided by Kirshner. Things changed though after the success of the single Last Train to Clarksville, the first hit, leading to demands that the band play live gigs. Having learned to play the music, the band became angry when the second LP was recorded (by Kirshner) by studio musicians, without their knowledge or musical input. They therefore demanded and obtained control of the music.

Nesmith who revealed that the band did not perform on their records was also instrumental in getting Don Kirshner sacked. the next album Headquarters was recorded by The Monkees alone, using hand picked producer Chip Douglas. While not as successful as their first two albums it made it to number one, only to be replaced a week later by The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album. The Monkees eventually settled on a formula of using their own talents as well as those of studio musicians. After two seasons the network and the group could not reach agreement on the format of a third season and the show was canceled even though the ratings were still high. A feature film named Head co-written by The Monkees, Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson) followed.

Peter Tork was the first to leave the band, in 1968, during 1969 The TV show went into Saturday morning reruns and the three remaining Monkees recorded two more albums. in 1969 Nesmith departed and began a serious foray into merging country and rock music. He also eventually developed a format that became MTV. By the way his mother invented a product called Liquid Paper, sold it to the Gillette Company for $47 million dollars then died a year later leaving the money to her only son. The remaining two Monkees Dolenz and Jones recorded one last album named Changes in late 1969.

There has, however, been a resurgent interest in The Monkees' music Rhino Records has been instrumental in restoring all their albums, adding bonus tracks, and equipping them with complementary liner notes and stories.

Davy Jones died on February 29, 2012 in Indiantown, Florida.

Peter Tork died on February 21, 2019, at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut.

Michael Nesmith died on December 10, 2021, in Carmel Valley, California.

DISCOGRAPHY (from www.themonkees.net):

The Monkees (1966)
More of The Monkees (1967)
Headquarters (1967)
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (1967)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
Head (1968)
Instant Replay (1969)
The Monkees Present (1969)
Changes (1970)
Then & Now...The Best of the Monkees (1986)
Pool It! (1987)
Live 1967 (1987)
Justus (1996)
Good Times! (2016)

Oklahoma Backroom Dancer
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's always appearing with a band of renown
You want to go and see her when you're feeling down
She's a breathtaking spectacle, with guaranteed hope
She'll make you feel good, 'cause she's the best thing since soap
She'll greet you in the alley with a .45 smile [or fortified smile]
She's the original sideshow and she's got her own style.

Pardon my baby, she got to have her fun

Yes, I say, pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
'Cause she's a Oklahoma backroom dancer, watch her run.

Now, she dances on air just like Superman's child
Like a ? she's wild but she's mild
She's more fun than Colorado, and more far-out than Maine
She comes on like thunder and she's more right than rain
She's the mother of earth, and the goddess of [???]
She's the chicken and the egg and whichever came first.

Pardon my baby, she got to have her chance
Oh, I say pardon my baby, she got to have her chance.
'Cause she's a Oklahoma backroom dancer, watch her dance.

Yeah, I say pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
Yeah, I say pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
Yes, she's a Oklahoma backroom dancer, watch her run.

Woooo! My, My!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Monkees's song Oklahoma Backroom Dancer describe a woman who is a spectacle, with guaranteed hope that will make you feel good. The singer talks about her being the best thing since soap, and greets people in the alley with a .45 smile. She is an original sideshow, and has her unique style. The chorus of the song is a request to pardon his baby and let her have her fun. The fun is in reference to her dancing, which is described as being wild but also mild. She dances on air just like Superman's child and is more fun than Colorado and more far-out than Maine.

The woman is depicted as being the mother of earth and the goddess of something that is not clear. She is also the chicken and the egg and whichever came first, which is likely a reference to the classic philosophical problem of what was there first- the chicken or the egg. The song is filled with descriptions that seem to emphasize the uniqueness of the Oklahoma backroom dancer, who is a sight to behold and someone who can make you feel better even when you are down. The lyrics appear to be a tribute to a woman who is confident, unique, and unapologetically herself.

Line by Line Meaning

She's always appearing with a band of renown
She is often seen in the company of popular people or musicians.

You want to go and see her when you're feeling down
When feeling low or upset, seeing her can lift your spirits.

She's a breathtaking spectacle, with guaranteed hope
Seeing her dance is amazing and will give you hope for the future.

She'll make you feel good, 'cause she's the best thing since soap
She will bring happiness and is as wonderful as soap, which is known for its cleansing properties.

She'll greet you in the alley with a .45 smile [or fortified smile]
She has a welcoming and friendly smile, and is bold enough to meet you anywhere, even in a potentially dangerous place.

She's the original sideshow and she's got her own style.
She is unique and original, having her own way of doing things that makes her stand out.

Pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
Please excuse her for having a good time, it's important for her to enjoy herself.

Yes, I say, pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
I am emphasizing again that she should not be judged for enjoying herself.

'Cause she's a Oklahoma backroom dancer, watch her run.
She takes pride in being an Oklahoma backroom dancer, and enjoys showing off her abilities, which include running.

Now, she dances on air just like Superman's child
Her moves are intense and she seems to be defying gravity like Superman's offspring.

Like a ? she's wild but she's mild
Her behavior can be seen as crazy, but she has a gentle side too.

She's more fun than Colorado, and more far-out than Maine
She is more entertaining than Colorado, and more unique than Maine.

She comes on like thunder and she's more right than rain
She has a powerful presence and her actions are justified, like how rainfall can be seen as necessary.

She's the mother of earth, and the goddess of [???]
She is the essence of the earth, and has divine qualities that cannot be explained.

She's the chicken and the egg and whichever came first.
She is a mystery, like the age-old question of which came first - the chicken or the egg.

Yeah, I say pardon my baby, she got to have her fun
Once again, please excuse her for enjoying herself.

Yes, she's a Oklahoma backroom dancer, watch her run.
Watch her do her thing as an Oklahoma backroom dancer and be in awe of her speed.

Woooo! My, My!
An exclamation of amazement at how incredible she is.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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