The Monkees
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that good, rehearsing a new song; a woman “proud. . . that her roses are in
bloom,” a comment which hints that she’s involved in a dilettante’s gardening
project; a man quite literally mesmerized by the televisions he has set up in
every single room of his home. Finally, we find that the speaker, in the process
of making his observations, comes into a new form of consciousness where he
can see the darkness, or nothingness, behind the facade; and that his words seem
to bubble up from his unconscious—and crystallize the effect Pleasant Valley
living has had on his sense of Self. It then becomes clear that he has learned to
question the meaning of his existence: “Creature comforts, goals, they only
numb my soul, they make it hard for me to see. / My thoughts all seem to stray
to places far away; / 1 need a change of scenery!”
Other songs performed on the air or used as background music also
questioned the need to conform, especially when it came to supporting the
Vietnam War. “Randy Scouse Git,” for example, parodied the official lines of
American politicians and military apologists: “Why don’t you hate who I hate,
kill who I kill to be free?” Another Monkee ballad and one of their most
poignant songs, “Zor and Zam,” is about two kings who pledge to do battle
against each other, only to find themselves alone on the battlefield when the
time comes to fight; it answered the question that was a popular catchphrase
during the 60s: suppose they gave a war and nobody came? Besides the obvious,
which was that some of the lyrics were inaccessible to their target audience, but
not to their parents, it should be said that the Monkees and their writers did
respond to the rising tide of activism, although it was an uncontroversial, safe
response—a response which spoke generally about the risks of adherence to
conformity rather than addressing specific racial or gender issues.
The Monkees was a completely different kind of show, and a comedy to
boot. They sent powerful messages about friendship, cooperation, and
compromise to their young audience. Their songs sometimes carried a
progressive, soul-affirming message. More importantly, the characters were
similar to the actors who played them, so their realness brought a decent
grounding to an otherwise outrageous show.
That was the promise.
On the other hand, the limitations were stringent. While the Monkees
themselves cited a number of multicultural musical influences—and toured with
Jimi Hendrix as an opening act—and later an R&B horn and rhythm section—
the television show itself remained devoid of Black or Latino characters or
on