the monkees — hollywood
written by: michael nesmith
recorded may 29, 1968; rca studios, nashville.

the sun that’s falling from the southwestern sky
tells me that i must depart
so by sundown today
i’ll be on my way
but i’ll be leavin’ my heart

it’s not the countryside that appealed to my eyes
it’s the spirit; and it captured my mind
but the things i tried to be
made a wreck out of me
now a different road i must find

these things i think are new
i guess they’re really old
it seems i’ve done ‘em once before
now to go back to that fork in the road
takes all the strength of my soul and more

oh goodbye, goodbye, you cruel town
you’ve been a fairweather friend
now i will go to some places that i know
where things don’t start just to end

these things i think are new
i guess they’re really old
it seems that i’ve done ‘em once before
now to go back to that fork in the road
takes all the strength of my soul and more

oh goodbye, good-goodbye, you cruel town
you’ve been a fairweather friend
now i will go to some place that i know
where things don’t start just to end

the monkees — good clean fun
the monkees present, 1969

there’s a smile on the wind
as it touches my face
and starts to erase
all the gloom
and the sun with a kiss
begins to dismiss
the memory of my life without you

well it seems like yesterday
that my path took me away
although i know it’s been at least a year
but now my path heads home
and your patient time alone
has brough me even closer to you, dear

and this plane gets closer
every minute i look down
to a watch that keeps lookin’ back at me
and it says to me “be patient, son”
“you’ve waited this long”
but how can i be strong?

well the plane’s finally down
and the engine’s stop their sound
i look in the crowd and there you stand
and the gap that once was time
is forever closed behind
‘cause i told you i’d come back
and here i am
yes, i told you i’d come back
and here i am
i told you i’d come back
here i am

fuckyeahdavy:

the monkees — the girl i left behind me
recorded circa late 1967/early 1968

so, for about two days, the only cd in my car was the birds, the bees & the monkees, and i’ve really been jamming this one and belting it out. this particular track is a slightly different mix than the bonus track on the ’90s rhino reissue, but i like it, and it’s the same vocal. you should probably be belting it out too.

you told me not to try & tie you down
so i just took my place & hung around
you always said that you must be free
well, you couldn’t see
you were losin’ me
and messin’ up the one good thing we had

and now i’m goin’ out the same way i came in
the game is over now; i couldn’t win
my heart is all i have to pack
and this time, girl, i won’t be back
and years from now i’ll turn around & see
the girl i left behind me

i told myself that things would be okay
you’d come around to my way any day
as time went on, you just stayed the same
no, you couldn’t change
or be rearranged
i’m pickin’ up the pieces of my life

and now i’m goin’ out the same way i came in
the game is over now; i couldn’t win
my heart is all i have to pack
and this time, girl, i won’t be back
and years from now i’ll turn around & see
the girl i left behind me

as time went on, you just stayed the same
no, you—you couldn’t change
or be rearranged
i’m pickin’ up the pieces of my life

and now i’m goin’ out the same way i came in
the game is over now; i couldn’t win
my heart is all i have to pack
and this time, girl, i won’t be back
and years from now i’ll turn around & see
the girl i left behind me
behind me
behind me
behind me…

the monkees — early morning blues & greens
headquarters, 1967 (mono vinyl rip)

a distant night bird mocks the sun
i wake as i have always done
to freshly-scented sycamore
and cold bare feet on hard wood floor

my steaming coffee warms my face
i’m disappointed in the taste
but there’s a peace the early brings
the morning world of growing things

i feel the moments hurry on
it was today
it’s died away
and now it is forever gone

and i will drink my coffee slow
and i will watch my shadow grow
and disappear in fire light
and sleep alone again tonight