Micky Dolenz Once Penned a Monkees Song Deemed ‘Too Controversial’
Historically, The Monkees were not known for controversial songs and lyrics. However, in the latter part of their career, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Davy Jones were a trio. As a group, they became way more experimental than the bubblegum pop tunes attached to their NBC series of two years. Dolenz wrote one song, in particular, that he deemed “too controversial” to be a pop staple. But that didn’t stop him from tackling some heavy subjects in its lyrics.
Micky Dolenz once called this little-known Monkees song one ‘my best’
The album The Monkees Present contained plenty of gems. However, it came at a time when interest in the band began to wane. The Monkees Present only reached No. 100 on the Billboard Chart.
Dolenz wrote a then-controversial song titled “Mommy and Daddy,” a commentary on a dialogue between parents and teens about social injustice. The entertainer believes the song is one of “my best.”
“I love that song. I wrote it on my mom’s old piano at my little house up in Laurel Canyon,” Dolenz said in an interview with Medium.
“I don’t remember what exactly inspired me. I am part Native American Indian on my mom’s side. I was supporting their cause in the late ’60s, which might have had something to do with it. It’s kind of a musical cousin to ‘Randy Scouse Git’ in terms of the protest angle,” he continued.
“Besides my vocals, I played drums and piano on the song and intended to include it on Instant Replay, our first album released after Peter left the band. However, Screen Gems music coordinator Lester Sill deemed my lyrics [e.g. “Ask your mommy and daddy who really killed J.F.K. / Ask your mommy if she really gets off on all her pills”] too controversial for our teenage audience. These days it’s not so shocking,” Dolenz continued.
Micky Dolenz said Mike Nesmith encouraged him not to abandon the controversial song
The Monkees drummer explained that he was encouraged to let go of the song due to the controversial lyrics. However, bandmate Mike Nesmith encouraged him not to abandon his work.
“I’m eternally grateful that Mike encouraged me not to abandon the song, so I eventually rewrote it. The record label decided that it was acceptable. It was finally released on our penultimate Colgems album, The Monkees Present [October 1969], in addition to being the B-side of Mike’s ‘Good Clean Fun,'” Dolenz explained.
He continued, “The original, unedited version appeared decades later on the reissue of The Monkees Present. I’ve sung it a few times in concert, but that would have been a long, long time ago. I haven’t performed it recently. But never say never [laughs]. I always thought ‘Mommy and Daddy’ was one of my best.”
The Monkees drummer says he usually writes ‘based on experience’
Regarding songwriting, Micky Dolenz finds that writing “based on experience” has historically worked for him. The Monkees drummer finds this songwriting method creates the most authentic, heartfelt, and best-understood lyrics.
Dolenz told Medium he usually writes “based on an immediate experience.” He claims inspiration can hit anytime, and “before you know it, you’ve got a song.”
He said that “a lot of my songs over the years are related to relationships, which is true with most writers.” However, he admits he is not a “prolific writer.”
Dolenz admits he wishes he could be “the kind of writer that sits down at 10 o’clock in the morning and starts writing. But I’ve just never been that kind of writer.”
Micky Dolenz continues to tour as the sole surviving member of The Monkees. He recently did a series of dates where he performed the band’s album Headquarters in its entirety.
