The FAQ

You might not believe it, but the crazy, adorable fuzzy-wuzzy who we all know and love is really one of the deceased. The Monkees' curly-top drummer, Micky Dolenz, died in the late 1960's as a result of a horrible accident involving a Lilt home perm. His death could not have come at a more inopportune time, the Monkees being at the height of their popularity. Rather than risk losing millions of fans, as well as their Neilson ratings (which had just begun to skyrocket), the Executives decided to keep his death a secret by replacing him with a look-alike.

But because Monkees is indeed ze craziest people, they thought they would put out little clues regarding Micky's status as a member of the non-living. However, because they had limited artistic control, they called upon their friends and fellow rock superstars the Beatles to help them put the word out on the quiet. Unfortunately the clues were somehow misinterpreted to read that Paul McCartney was dead. The plan continued to backfire when these so-called Paul is Dead clues actually increased the Beatles' popularity.

The Monkees put out about as many clues to Micky's demise as did the Beatles, but somehow all the Monkees' clues were completely overlooked. They are out there, if you know where to look for them.

THIS JUST IN
A new clue has surfaced, this one with a Michigan connection!
Stay tuned for further details....

EPISODES

Monkee See, Monkee Die

Here they came right out and said it. "Monkee Die" plain as day.

A Coffin too Frequent

Their way of telling us that any death is one death too many. Also, Micky's the one who hides in the coffin and impersonates the "voice from beyond," a clear reference to his status as one of the viably challenged.

Mijacogeo

The word is ancient Aramaic for "dead fuzzy-wuzzy" referring of course to Micky's trademark--and fatal--hairstyle.

The Monkees Blow Their Minds

Micky was stuck in a horrible traffic jam for hours one day, and decided to pass the time by giving himself a perm. This clue is cross-referenced with a Beatles clue, the line from A Day in the Life "He blew his mind out in a car" referring of course to where the fateful perm was done. This has been misread as Paul died in an automobile accident. Of course, this was not the case at all.

The Case of the Missing Monkee

The fact that the plot involves Peter being kidnapped is just a, shall we say, monkey wrench thrown in by the writers to throw us off track. Remember, they didn't want the word to get out. But of course if Micky's dead then by all means he's missing. Also, Micky is the one on the operating table wearing the oxygen mask. This refers to the heroic attempt to resuscitate him, which failed, unfortunately.

Alias Micky Dolenz

The double of Micky in the show tells us that he was replaced by a double in real life. Also, the title alludes to the fact that this double must now go about using Micky's name. He has acquired an alias: Micky Dolenz.

The Monkees Watch Their Feet

The double of Micky in the show tells us that he was replaced by a double in real life. The reason the aliens decided to use Micky as their "pattern" so to speak, is that since he was dead, any little discrepancies could be attributed to that fact and would therefore go unnoticed. They did, however, make a design error in putting the feet on backwards. Cross-reference with Alias Micky Dolenz

Fairy Tale

Micky plays Goldilocks and wears a curly wig, which refers to the perm. Also, it's Micky who answers the question "What...has a short life span?"

I Was a 99-Pound Weakling

The girl rejects Micky because he's dead. She doesn't want to go out with a corpse.

The Monkey's Paw

Micky loses his voice, and we all know dead men can't sing.

The Monstrous Monkee Mash

They tried hard to disguise this clue, but I think I finally decoded it. Micky is turned into a werewolf. The wolf is a member of the dog family, and so is the jackal. The ancient Egyptian god of death, Anubis, was represented as a jackal. The Beatles tried a different tack with this clue and tried to use the walrus, which is an ancient Eskimo symbol of death.

Dance Monkee Dance

Their huddle at the dance studio where they mutter to themselves can be played backwards to reveal the following phrase: "A perm, a perm, my stardom for a perm!" Also, during the second romp, we see Micky dancing with a dog. Dancing with dogs is an ancient Navajo symbol for courting death, which is what Micky did when he tried to give himself a home perm.

Monkee vs Machine

In the last segment where the computer is telling them what jobs they would be good for, we see them working at a rock quarry. This is alluding to the Quarrymen, which was the original name of the Beatles. This means that all the clues the Beatles put out are not about Paul, but about Micky.

ALBUMS

More of the Monkees

They are all standing around, looking down into a grave. This can be cross-referenced with the Beatles album Rubber Soul which shows a similar pose. This has been misread as a Paul is Dead clue. Also, on the back of the album is a photograph of the Monkees buried in the sand up to their necks. Micky's head is leaning all the way back. This is a very daring clue, because they used his actual corpse in the photo. The reason his head is leaning back so far is because they couldn't prop it up.

Headquarters

Their joined hands form a square symbolizing the grave, and Peter's outstretched leg symbolized the barrier between living and dead.

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

The cover art is a drawing rather than a photo because they were all unavailable to pose for a picture--namely, they were at Micky's funeral. They are drawn faceless to signify the fact that they're in mourning. Micky is the only one wearing a ring, and it's a peace ring...he's at peace.

Missing Links II

They are wearing black clothing to show that they are in mourning for Micky. The title of the album is also a clue. Capitalizing on both their collective name and Micky's fuzzy-wuzzy appearence, they slyly refer to Micky as Link, ie Lance Link, Secret Chimp, because they do bear a slight resemblence to one another. Micky's dead, so he's Missing.

Micky Dolenz Puts You to Sleep (solo)

To put to sleep is a euphamism for death. Micky is dead, plain and simple.

SONGS

P.O.Box 9847

The initial letters P, O, and B are 7, 6, and 2 on a telephone, respectively. Dial the number 762-9847 to hear a message revealing the truth about Micky's death.

Randy Scouse Git

Contrary to popular belief, this title was deliberately chosen in reference to the horny Liverpudlian jerk who sold Micky the home perm kit, knowing full well it was defective.

Mary, Mary

The line "I'd rather die..." is taken out of context here. After the perm set in and proceeded to burn his scalp, he proclaimed "I'd rather die than to live" with so much pain.

No Time

Micky has no time remaining on this Earth because he is dead.

Take a Giant Step

This means that Micky has taken the biggest step any mortal can take, from the world of the living to the world of the dead.

Last Train to Clarksville

The line "And I don't know if I'm ever coming home" is rather prophetic because this is what he said before he got in his car, never to return alive. Cross-reference with The Monkees Blow Their Minds

Early Morning Blues and Greens

It was early in the morning when Micky gave himself the perm and his hair turned blue and green from the tainted solution. Cross-reference with Sometime in the Morning

Pleasant Valley Sunday

The line "I need a change of scenery" means that he should not be spending the rest of eternity pushing up daisies and staring at the sky. Also, observe these guitar chords:

           
                (F)       (C) 
....charcoal  burning  everywhere

*[D]*  *[E]*    *[A]*           *[D]*      
        rows of houses that are  all         

[A] [E]      [D]     [A]      [E]
the same and no  one seems to care....

the chords spell out 'dead'!

That Was Then, This Is Now

Then was when Micky was alive, now is when he's dead and replaced by a double.

Zilch

After Micky died, they held a look-alike contest to find a replacement for him. Peter was the judge who cast the winning vote for a man named Bob Dobolina. What we hear is Peter calling out his name to announce him as the winner after the votes have been tabulated.

Steam Engine

The line "I think I'm gonna die" were Micky's last words as he realized that the perm was fatal. Also, the traffic jam Micky was stuck in was caused by a train (steam engine) running past the street. "I think I'm gonna die when I hear that whistle whine" refers to the fact that just as the train whistled, Micky realized that he was a goner.

Star Collector

At the end of the song, Micky says "Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye..." as a farewell to all his fans.

Porpoise Song

Several times within this song, Micky announces "Goodbye, goodbye goodbye..." to all his fans, adieu.

Goin' Down

As a desperate attempt to wash off the perm, Micky jumped into a nearby river, hoping the strong current would help. Unfortunately, he got swept up in the rapids and drowned. Cross reference with the title scene of Head where we see Micky jumping into the water.

Shadow of a Man

"Shadow" is just another word for ghost, spectre, spirit....Micky is dead and so now he's just a "shadow of a man"

Teardrop City

This means that everyone is crying over Micky's untimely death.

Masking Tape

The Monkees were contracted to put out a certain number of episodes by a certain date, and they still had some episodes to film before they had a chance to find a replacement. So they masked the film, or tape, to make it look like Micky was in the show.

Gonna Buy Me a Dog

If you play this song backwards, you can hear Mike say "I ain't working with no dead guy no more" and Micky say "Come on, I don't belong here" meaning that the dead don't belong among the living. -- (this one is for real!)

Your Auntie Grizelda

If you play this song backwards, you can hear Davy say "I don't care if you ARE dead, that's MY part!" and Peter say "Micky's dead man, miss him, miss him."

Laugh

The line "...keeping a secret, and it seems to be known by the rest of the world" means that they know a secret--namely that Micky's dead--but the rest of the world has mistakenly interpreted the secret as Paul McCartney's death.

Tapioca Tundra

This is where Micky is buried.

Can You Dig It?

Here they dare the adventurous to exhume Micky's corpse.

Only Dreaming

This is a Shakespearian-esque reference, from Hamlet's soliloquy: "To die, to sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream." Cross-reference with Love is Only Sleeping and an earlier Micky song To Be or Not To Be in which he both professes a love of Shakespeare and admits to having something in common with Hamlet himself, or was that Yorick?

I Remember the Feelin'

The other Monkees' tribute to Micky. They are reminiscing about the good old days when he was alive.

Since You Went Away

The intended meaning of this song was inverted, but this is their way of saying that things haven't been the same since Micky died.

Lookin' for the Good Times

Good times are hard to find now that the life of the party, Micky Dolenz, has passed away.

Forget That Girl

Like the Beatles, who often switch-er-oo'ed the gender of the subjects of their songs, the message here is to forget Micky, he's gone, may he rest in peace, but let's get on with our lives.

Listen to the Band

This tells us that yes, we are on the right track! Just keep listening to discover more clues!

Ladies' Aid Society

The line "...and we just want to tell (sell?) you the truth..." means that if it were up to them, Micky's death would have been revealed in a straightforward manner, not relegated to secrecy.

MISC.

Head

Micky's dead body falls out of the closet

The Dandruff? scene alludes to the dry scalp the perm gave him

The New York Times Crossword Puzzle from 12/26/93: 60 across "_______ Believer (Monkee hit)" intersects with: 56 down "Not live" -- (this one is for real!)

Micky wears the same outfits over and over again because dead men don't have wardrobes.

Micky never wears plaid because dead men don't wear plaid.

There is a Monkees poster called Around the Park in 80 Days which depicts them in a hot air balloon flanked by angels. This means they're escorting Micky to Heaven.

In a clip from the opening titles, Davy Peter and Mike are all lying down on the beach while Micky is running back and forth with surfboard. He is different from all the others because he is dead.

Mike's famous Save the Texas Prairie Chicken can be cross-referenced with Card Carrying Red Shoe in which Micky, who is dead, dresses up as a chicken. Mike wants to prevent more senseless deaths, so he created the campaign and called it that in honor of Micky's stint as a chicken.

In Paul McCartney's movie Give My Regards to Broad Street there is a scene where he's visiting this one guy up in his flat. The guy has this li'l pet monkey (cutest thing!) to whom Paul says as he's leaving at the end of the scene, "Good night, sweet prince." This is another Shakespearian quote (cross-reference with Micky's To Be or Not To Be) hinting at Micky's death.

In another scene from Give My Regards to Broad Street we see Paul McCartney narrowly avoiding a car accident. This is his way of telling us that he did not die in a car accident so many years ago, and so how could all these death clues be about him?

Micky's would-be name with Netcom, according to Nez. It was supposed to be spelled Mick3y which would indicate that since he's dead, there are only three Monkees left.

Micky had worked with Monty Python while in England. After his death, John Cleese wrote a sketch in memorium: The Dead Monkee Sketch. It was changed to The Dead Parrot Sketch when it was discovered that Micky's corpse would not fit in the cage.

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