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)

Poll
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The Critic: Song was pretty white.
Mike: And I'll tell you somethin' else too... the same thing goes for Christmas!
(gasp)
(intro to Circle Sky)
Davy: He's crazy!
(laughing)
(gunshot)
Lord High 'n' Low: Boys, don't ever, but never, make fun of no cripples.

Man Being Interviewed #1: Somebody come up and giggle at you, that's a violation of your civil rights.
Man Being Interviewed #2: Skunk bait, that's what the world is full of. That's what it's based on. That's what this economy is based on.
Man Being Interviewed #3: Are you telling me that you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
Peter: Well, let me tell you one thing, son. Nobody lends money to a man with a sense of humour.
(evil laugh)

(heartbeat)
(door creaking)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Poll by The Monkees are a series of random statements and remarks that are meant to highlight the absurdity of the world we live in. The song is a commentary on the human condition and the state of society. The lines are delivered by different voices and characters, which adds to the surreal quality of the piece.

The song begins with a critic's comment that the "song was pretty white," referring to the lack of diversity in the music. Mike responds by drawing a parallel with Christmas, suggesting that both are lacking in color and richness. The song then follows with a series of disjointed statements from various characters, including a warning not to make fun of anyone who is disabled, a comment on civil rights violations, and a reflection on the cruel nature of the world. The final remark about lending money to someone with no sense of humor is delivered with an evil chuckle, followed by a heartbeat sound effect and a door creaking shut.

Overall, the lyrics of Poll are a reminder that the world we live in is full of contradictions, injustices, and absurdities. The song invites us to question our assumptions and beliefs and to recognize that we are all part of a complex and flawed system.

Line by Line Meaning

The Critic: Song was pretty white.
The music was unadventurous and unexciting according to the critic.

Mike: And I'll tell you somethin' else too... the same thing goes for Christmas!
Mike agrees with the criticism and thinks that Christmas is also overrated.

(gasp)
A sound expressing shock or surprise.

(intro to Circle Sky)
The start of another Monkees song called Circle Sky.

Davy: He's crazy!
Davy is commenting on Mike's statement about Christmas and how it confirms him as being eccentric.

(laughing)
The sound made during laughter.

(gunshot)
The sound of a gunshot, though it's unclear if it's real or not.

Lord High 'n' Low: Boys, don't ever, but never, make fun of no cripples.
Lord High 'n' Low is warning against the derogatory use of disability in mocking others' misfortunes.

Man Being Interviewed #1: Somebody come up and giggle at you, that's a violation of your civil rights.
The man is expressing how teasing and laughing at someone is a breach of one's basic human rights.

Man Being Interviewed #2: Skunk bait, that's what the world is full of. That's what it's based on. That's what this economy is based on.
The man believes that the world is full of unpleasant things like skunk bait, and that the economy is based off of these unpleasant things.

Man Being Interviewed #3: Are you telling me that you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
The man is questioning whether the government and derisive people are interconnected.

Peter: Well, let me tell you one thing, son. Nobody lends money to a man with a sense of humour.
Peter is suggesting that people who have a good sense of humor may not always be taken seriously and may have difficulty obtaining credit.

(evil laugh)
An evil or maniacal type of laughter.

(heartbeat)
The sound of a heartbeat, which could indicate tension or suspense.

(door creaking)
The sound of a door opening or closing, which adds to the suspenseful mood.

Contributed by Molly L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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