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)

Through the Looking Glass
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You call my name then you run for protection
I reach out to hold ya' but it's just a reflection
Throught the looking glass

Now you've been looking at your life through a mirror
It's time you started seeing things a little bit clearer than
Through the looking glass

Watch me break through, girl
I still love you, girl

I think you love me by the way you come on girl
Then I turn away for a minute, you're gone girl
Through the looking glass

Ahh...
You're looking through me
Like you never knew me

I've got some things that I'm tryin' to show ya

But you fade away how can I get to know 'ya
Through the looking glass

Overall Meaning

The Monkees's song "Through the Looking Glass" is a reflection on a relationship that has become distant and disconnected. The lyrics describe a situation where one person is trying to reach out to the other, but they can't seem to connect. The metaphor of looking through a glass refers to the idea that the two people are looking at each other, but they can't truly see each other because of the barriers that are in place.

The first verse describes a situation where one person is calling out to the other, but they are running away for protection. The other person tries to hold on, but all they can see is a reflection of themselves. The metaphor of the mirror suggests that the person is only seeing themselves and not the other person. This creates a sense of disconnection and confusion.

In the chorus, the lyrics suggest that it's time for the person to see things more clearly. They need to see beyond the reflection and break through the glass to truly connect with the other person. The bridge of the song suggests that the person is afraid of getting to know the other person, and they are fading away as a result.

Overall, "Through the Looking Glass" is a poignant reflection on the challenges of communication and connection in relationships. It highlights the importance of breaking down barriers and truly seeing and connecting with the people we care about.

Line by Line Meaning

You call my name then you run for protection
When you call me, you are afraid of something and you are running away from it

I reach out to hold ya' but it's just a reflection
Even though I try to reach out to you and hold you, all I can hold is an image of you; it's not real

Throught the looking glass
We are experiencing this distorted reality through a mirror like Alice did in the story of Alice in Wonderland

Now you've been looking at your life through a mirror
You have been evaluating your life through a distorted lens, which is not reflecting reality accurately

It's time you started seeing things a little bit clearer than
You need to start seeing the truth and the reality of your life and actions, rather than what the distorted reflection is showing you

Watch me break through, girl
I will try to break through the distorted reality to try and make you see the truth

I still love you, girl
Despite the distortions, I still love you as you are

I think you love me by the way you come on girl
I feel that you might love me based on how you present yourself to me

Then I turn away for a minute, you're gone girl
However, when I look away for even a minute, you disappear and become impossible to reach

Ahh...
An expression of frustration and helplessness

You're looking through me
You are looking at me, but you are not really seeing me as I am

Like you never knew me
It feels like you do not know or understand me, even though we have a relationship

I've got some things that I'm tryin' to show ya
I want to show you some things that are important to me

But you fade away how can I get to know 'ya
However, you keep disappearing and becoming unreachable, which makes it difficult for me to have a deeper relationship with you

Through the looking glass
We are still looking at this distorted reality

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RED BALDWIN, TOMMY BOYCE, BOBBY HART

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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