Kicks

This song was covered by the Monkees in 1986 as one of three new songs for the compilation set "Then and Now...the Best of the Monkees." At the time, the only members of the group to perform on the song were Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork, and Tork was later quoted as having been miffed at being asked by the higher-ups to do a cover of another band's group. He compared it to a Beatles reunion where the Fab Four would be asked to play "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."

There is definitely a music similarity between "Satisfaction" and "Kicks", but a little trivia, Paul Revere and the Raiders also covered a version of "Satisfaction." I cannot see, however, "Kicks" being a reply/sequel to "Satisfaction." Can you explain why, or someone else?

While dabbling with drugs myself in the late sixties/early seventies, I could find ways to justify my behavior. But I remember that every time I heard "Kicks", a little voice in my head would always say, "You know this isn't the way to go." I honestly believed it may have help to keep my from getting in too deep!

This song could be a used to address any and every addiction of every type. Far too many are gaining fleshly wishes (some gaining much of this world) and on the way to losing their souls. When "Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find," trying to maintain half the same high as last time, they "ain't bringin' (you) piece of mind." They instead leave the subject feeling emptier than last time, and counting. This world needs a wake-up call: "Before you find out it's too late, you'd better get straight!" The Day of Reckoning is the ultimate "too late"! "Or what can you give in exchange for your soul?" (Matt. 16:26) Funny there are mentions of Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." To "I can't get no satisfaction," the Raiders' "Kicks" is the perfect reply (or sequel, in the case of Solomon). Like Solomon, the friend seeking the "kicks" has tried any and all fleshly venues and likewise "can't get no satisfaction." "Kicks" and the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn", in tandem, cover much of the message of Ecclesiastes.

my favorite band is the beatles, but my favorite song is kicks. weird

This song was written about Gerry Goffin, who was Carole King's husband at the time.

When I was a kid I thought this was about sex.

Any one have information about Billy Graham that played with PR&TR at beach parties along the Oregan coast in the early years?

Kicks is a great song... ranked #400 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It took great courage in 1966 to come out with an anti-drug message when most of the great musicians were ruining their lives and their music because of drug use. As the song says, "No, you don't need kicks
To help you face the world each day
That road goes nowhere
I'm gonna help you find yourself another way."

The beginning of the Raiders trying to sound like the Stones. The song's intro guitar and bass parts mirror "Satisfaction", and Lindsay does his best Jagger impression (which he continued for their next several singles).

This was the first song that I learned to play on guitar when I was 9 years old. And the only one I knew for about 6 months. It drove my parents nuts! But I still love it.

I really loved PR&TR in my teens back in the 60's. I was actually disappointed when I found out they were anti-drug use.

But I still love their music today.

Every time I hear this song I think, Wow, what great lyrics. I just love this song. The lyrics are way ahead of it's time.

"Don't you see no matter what you do
You'll never run away from you
And if you keep on runnin'
You'll have to pay the price"

What great lyrics.

Mark Lindsey now has a house in Marana Arizona, on a golf course. I have served him and his g-friend/wife dinner many many many times.
Strangest thing about him- he never takes his sunglasses off, even indoors.

I liked it alot at the time but the Paul Revere and the Raiders like the Turtles and The Buckinghams were IMO
second rate compared to the sounds coming out in 1966 and the "British invasion". Still all in all a pretty good tune.

One of the best recordings of the 60's. No collection of the great songs of the 60's would be complete without this song. Mark Lindsey did a great job singing this song.

An outstanding opening guitar intro.

I heard that Mann and Weil wrote this about a close male friend of theirs who was getting out of control with drugs at the time. They took the artistic license of making the subject a girl, for the song. Don't know who the friend actually was.

I'd never heard it was written about anyone in particular. But the song was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

In the SCTV skit/movie-of-the-week "South Sea Sinner" , a washed-up Paul Revere (played by Joe Flaherty) is playing this song in the background all the time.

Actually, I think this song was written about the Mark Lindsey's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend, as the case may be, actress Linda Gray. Apparently they were having problems and he wrote the song about it.

Bass player nicknamed "Fang" had his pseudonym written on the back of his guitar which he would flip over during a song, grin wildly, showing off his pearly-whites and mug for the audience and/or cameras.