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)

Writing Wrongs
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Did you know the waters turning yellow?
Have you heard the sky was falling down?
Did you see that guy fall out the window?
Did you know the circus was in town?

Have you heard about Bill Chambers mother?
She said a woman's work is never done.
And oh yes, about that yellow water,

Have you noticed the color of the sun?

You have a way of making everything you say seem unreal
Are you aware that the people who care are mostly stainless steel?

Well I heard you finally got my letter.
It should have come about this time last year.
And I hope Bill Chamber's mother's better.
Oh did the moon just disappear?

You have a way of making everything you say seem unreal
Are you aware that the people who care are mostly stainless steel?

Overall Meaning

The Monkees's song Writing Wrongs is a satirical take on the news media and its tendency to sensationalize and twist stories for ratings. The song is riddled with absurd imagery, starting with the first verse where the singer asks if we've heard about the water turning yellow and the sky falling down, both of which are obviously impossible. The next line hints at a suicide but again in an absurd way, with a man falling out of a window.

The second verse takes a dig at the gender roles of the time, as Bill Chambers' mother laments how a woman's work is never done. The yellow water from the first verse is brought back as a reminder of how everything can be made into a news story, even something as mundane as a change in water color. The final line of the verse brings up the color of the sun, another impossible event that highlights the absurdity of the media.

The chorus is a biting commentary on the media's detachment from reality, as the singer accuses the media of making everything seem unreal and the people who care of being "mostly stainless steel". This suggests that people who can empathize and truly care are few and far between, and that the media is responsible for reducing people to emotionless robots.

Line by Line Meaning

Did you know the waters turning yellow?
Have you noticed the gradual pollution of our waters?

Have you heard the sky was falling down?
Have you heard the rumor of a possible imminent disaster?

Did you see that guy fall out the window?
Were you a witness to the unfortunate incident of the guy falling out of the window?

Did you know the circus was in town?
Have you heard the joyous news of the arrival of the circus?

Have you heard about Bill Chambers mother?
Have you been informed of the news about Bill Chambers' mother?

She said a woman's work is never done.
She emphasized the fact that a woman's work is always endless.

And oh yes, about that yellow water,
By the way, I'd like to draw your attention to the previous point about the yellow water.

Have you noticed the color of the sun?
Have you observed the unusual color of the sun?

You have a way of making everything you say seem unreal
Your way of talking often makes it difficult for people to believe you.

Are you aware that the people who care are mostly stainless steel?
The individuals who show genuine concern are not easily affected by others' opinions or emotions.

Well I heard you finally got my letter.
I've been informed that you eventually received my letter.

It should have come about this time last year.
Ideally, the letter should have reached you by this time last year.

And I hope Bill Chamber's mother's better.
Also, I hope that Bill Chambers' mother has now recovered from her illness.

Oh did the moon just disappear?
Is it just me or did you also notice the sudden disappearance of the moon?

You have a way of making everything you say seem unreal
I can't help but feel that your statements lack credibility.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL NESMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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