Pleasant Valley Sunday
by The Monkees

Album: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd (1967)
Charted: 11 3
Play Video
  • The local rock group down the street
    Is trying hard to learn their song
    They serenade the weekend squire
    Who just came out to mow his lawn
    Another pleasant valley Sunday
    Charcoal burning everywhere
    Rows of houses that are all the same
    And no one seems to care

    See Mrs. Gray, she's proud today
    Because her roses are in bloom
    And Mr. Green, he's so serene
    He's got a TV in every room
    Another pleasant valley Sunday
    Here in status symbol land
    Mothers complain about how hard life is
    And the kids just don't understand

    Creature comfort goals, they only numb my soul
    And make it hard for me to see
    (Ah ah ah) ah thoughts all seem to stray to places far away
    I need a change of scenery

    Ta ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta
    Ta ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta

    Another pleasant valley Sunday
    Charcoal burning everywhere
    Another pleasant valley Sunday
    Here in status symbol land
    Another pleasant valley Sunday (a pleasant valley Sunday)
    Another pleasant valley Sunday (a pleasant valley Sunday)
    Another pleasant valley Sunday (a pleasant valley Sunday)
    Another pleasant valley Sunday (a pleasant valley Sunday)
    Another pleasant valley Sunday (a pleasant valley Sunday) Writer/s: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 49

  • Dr John from HoustonMy opinion is the above lyrics leave out the real kicker in this song:

    "My thoughts all seem to stray, to a place that's far away

    I don't ever want to see another Pleasant Valley Sunday"
  • Michael A. from NycWith regard to David H. from From S. Arkansas's comment, As far as I can determine Micky Dolenz never did a military tour of duty in Vietnam and was not drafted. Unless David H. meant a musical tour of Vietnam? I doubt anyone was doing musical tours of Vietnam in the 1960's unless it was for the USO. But I couldn't find that he did that either.
  • Wade Werner from Chilliwack Bc CanadaDavy Jones is playing a Guild Jetstar bass in the Pleasant Valley Sunday video.. just so you know. Thanks
  • Paul Osman from Liverpool, EnglandThe Rembrandts "I'll Be There For You" borrows heavily from this song. But the Monkees get the gold medal for the ending.
  • David H. from From S. ArkansasI heard on a talk show years ago Micky Dolenze, after coming back from his tour in Viet Nam, wanted to record this song. This ode is full of happiness - as ironic as I have ever encountered. The rows of houses that are all the same, no one seems to care - the American dream. The Roses are in bloom, tv's in every room, mothers complaining how hard life is, the kids are not educated about hard life-they don't understand. His soul is numb from goals of Creature comforts, his thoughts All seem to stray to places far away (Nam). Mr. Dolenze had a hard time readjusting- I need a change of scenery... ( a vacation)? or a different kind of change? He seems to be a little tired of his surroundings and his flashbacks of war. Another Pleasant Valley Sunday in status symbol land with charcoal burning every way.
  • Marylka W from AustraliaDavy Jones sang backing vocals .. his voice is distinctive ..
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 7th 1967, the Monkees began a 29 date tour* in Hollywood, California...
    At the time the quartet did not have a record on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; but nine days later on July 16th, 1967 their "Pleasant Valley Sunday" would enter the Top 100 at position #51; a little under a month later on August 13th it would peak at #3 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 10 weeks...
    The record's B-side, "Words", also did quite well on the Top 100 and just miss making the Top 10; it peaked at #11 {for 1 week} on August 27th, 1967...
    * The next day on July 8th Jimi Hendrix joined the tour as an opening act, but was dropped on July 16th when he was told that his music was not suitable for a young ‘bubble gum’ audience.
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxA wry but fun poke at Suburbia. And what the CD's liner notes called the "reverb-drenched" ending is unique among all songs. Hank Cicalo was the one who made it sound like that.
  • Tom from Freiburg, GermanyListen to "I Want To Tell You" on the Beatles' "Revolver" album and you'll find that the riffs are almost identical, if with a different time signature. "I Want To Tell You" was recorded around June 1966, so it was a year ahead of PVS. Seems like at least one copy of "Revolver" must have found its way into the California music scene. In "The Monkees Live Summer Tour" video Peter Tork plays the opening riff on his Fender Stratocaster flawlessly, so he obviously had done his homework. The original however is pure Gretsch tone in all its twangy-metal-boxy glory.
  • Willie from Scottsdale, AzCan you imagine hearing this after hearing Jimi Hendrix play "Foxy Lady" for the opening act? That must have been strange.
  • Jake from East Brunswick, NjThe Monkees exclusively used Gretsch guitars. As a high school musician back then I loved those Gretsch guitars. Mike Nesmith played a Gretsch White Falcon (both in 6-string ands 12-string versions) and, as a bass player, I loved that Peter Tork Gretsch model 6073 bass. A few years ago I saw this bass in a Sam Ash music shop in Springfield, NJ and it was love at first sight. I tried and tried to talk myself into buying it, but it just didn't feel right for me. It was selling for $1300 and now goes for more than $2700.
  • Don Hertel from Dover, NjBlake, don't know why you would say that Carole King lacked character. Gerry Goffin wrote the lyrics, Carole wrote the melody. Carole and Gerry lived in a tract house in West Orange, if they stayed in an apartment in your building it was only for a short time. They had 2 daughters long before moving to NJ, so maybe you knew a different Carole King.
  • Greg from New Haven, CtYes, definitely similar to "Paperback Writer. But to me the most glaring sound similarity is the opening riff - Grand Funk's opening riff from "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home" clearly inspired by the Pleasant Valley Sunday's opening riff
  • Blake from West Orange, NjWrong wrong wrong! Carole King, her husband and daughter lived in my apartment complex at 1480 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, where I grew up -otherwise known as Northfield Gardens. Her daughter was very young at the time and used to play with my sister. My mother vaguely knew her, since at that time people were much more connected than they are now. We were all a bit surprised that she had such a low opinion of everyone - we put it down to lack of character.
  • George from Belleville, NjThis song is a 60's masterpiece.Carole King is one of the all time greatest songwriters and the Monkees do a great job with the song.
  • Don Hertel from Dover, NjThe song was about Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, NJ. Not an insane Asylum, not New York, and not California. Don Kirchner had moved from NY and was living in a mansion in South Orange, NJ and he talked Gerry & Carole into moving out of Brooklyn and to NJ. They bought a tract house off of Pleasant Valley Way, which was very different than a mansion in South Orange. Gerry even apologized many years later on an A&E documentary, to the people of suburban NJ as he felt the lyrics were a bit too sardonic. If you go to their old house in West Orange, the doorbell plays their first hit, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". The song was written while they lived in NJ, and their daughter Sherry even talked about how exciting it was when the Monkees visted their house, it was then that she realized how influencial her parents were. I'm not sure that Carole and Gerry even lived together in California, I think they both went there independently. Another fact about the song, the opening line "The local rock group down the street is trying hard to learn there song" is allegedly about The Myddle Class, a garage band from nearby Union County, NJ that recorded several Goffin/King songs, including "I Happen To Love You". The band contained David Palmer, who wrote the lyrics for Carole King's Wrap Around Joy Album, and Charles Larkey who was Carole's 2nd husband, The City bandmate, and father of her 2 kids, Molly and Levi.
    As for Peter, he was an established musician. One of the producers of the Monkees TV show went to Stephen Stills who had just started with the Buffalo Springfield and asked if he would consider joining the fab feaux, and Stephen recommended his friend Peter Tork.
  • Brian from Boston, MaThis song has a great rifff.Once again taken from the Beatles but none the less a really good song.It's amazing to think that middle America considered the Monkees edgy and dangerous.
  • Brian from Boston, MaI think it sounds a lot like Paperback writer
  • Larry from Wayne, PaAm I the only one who thinks that this song bears a resemblance to "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles, not just to "I Want to Tell You"?
  • Anthony from Overland Park, KsAccording to Carole King (one of the co-writers) this song was about the San Fernando Valley, where she and Gerry Goffin lived.

    In the "music video," Davy is playing a Gretsch 3/4 sized bass. All of the instruments for the television series were supplied by Gretsch.

    Mike Nesmith plays a "blonde" Gretsch 12-string. He and George Harrison both had one.

    There were a number of different endings to this song. The mono and stereo releases were just two of many. There is a different cut on "The Monkees' Golden Hits," which is different from some of the other greatest hits packages.
  • Sam from Hipsville, CaMelissa,NY-----Leary was a great spokesperson for lysergic acid, but Albert Hoffmann actually invented it..or rather stumbled upon it during a scientific experiment. Other than that, hey, this is one of my all-time faves!...i'm with ya on that.
  • Jeffrey Bossak from Brooklyn, NyHi, I was searching for some info on this song and came across your website. I have a 10 inch demo of this record that says Regent sound studios with the address 25 W. 56th st, NY 19, NY phone # Circle 5 2630. Said A says Pleasant Valley Sunday, the Monkees and Screen Mems-Columbia music, also 45RPM, side b says the same, except the song is Words. All info is typed on except for Regents label which was printed. Any idea of a value to this item? Thanks
  • Linc from Beaumont, TxThis song is about breaking away from the status-quo - the 1950s suburbia and embracing non-traditional roles and view points lest you fall into the proverbial bane of the American Dream. It might have been written while the Monkees' experiented with LSD but it is not about "doing" drugs (even if they were traveling through Pleasant Valley), - they didn't write this one.
  • Melissa from Pleasant Valley, NyIm from Pleasant Valley, NY. And this song was ACTUALLY written about The Monkees weekly travel to Millbrook, NY (a town right outside of PLeasant Valley. There they went to Timothy Leary's estate where at the time, he had huge parties, full of hippies. (He was the inventor of LSD.) Thats how the song was written.
  • Littlebittybobby from Paris Springs, MoHi, everyone; I am a Newbie, here. I just happened upon thissite doing a search on something RE: Popular Music. FWIW, though--I have read that it was "Chip Taylor" who co-wrote "Angel In The Morning" . Taylor's real name is James Voight, and he is Angelina Jolie's Uncle. He also wrote "Wild Thing", which was performed by the Troggs.
  • Jeff from Austin, TxNot sure what kind of bass Davy is playing, but I can tell you one thing for sure....it wasn't plugged in!
  • Pmcountry from Small Town, PaI would like to know where you found that quote by Nesmith? I have always thought it was about being better than the guy next door so to speak, money and materialism.
  • Jeanette from Blaine, WaExcellent song by an excellent band! My husband and I use "Pleasant Valley Sunday" as a term for housing developments that pop up in the suburbs. The lyrics are SO applicable, even 40 years later....
  • Bender from East West Virginia, VaWhen the wife was pregnant, I used to sing "another sexless day like Monday" to her. She would laugh, but we wouldn't do anything. ahhhh the memories.
  • Ken from Louisville, KyKing and Goffin has a completely different arraingment on the demo for this song. However in her concerts, Carole King used the Monkees' arraingment, including the guitar riff that Mike Nesmith played.
  • Paul from Scranton, PaDoes anyone know what kind of bass davy is playing in here im trying to find one like that any guesses? or ways i can find out
  • Doug from Oakland, CaThis song is a scathing indictment of consumerism and materialism.
    The Monkees were in tune with the Sixties Revolution.
  • Richard from Lansing, MiThe single mono mix of Pleasant Valley Sunday has much tighter vocals, and a better resolve.
  • George from New Albany, InPleasant Valley Sunday suffers from being recorded by the Monkees, a group often dismissed as artificial and incapable of producing anything of substance. However, knowing that Goffin and King wrote it would allow people to judge this song more fairly. It is a fine piece of commentary, without being vitriolic or too self righteous. To Wes in Springfield -- the New Left is why women are allowed to work and buses in Montgomery are integrated. Give 'em credit. You are right to suspect, however, that the members of the Monkees probably do have a few creature comforts these days.
  • Lance from Pittsburgh, PaThis may be the best song of all time to play on sunday afternoons in the summer while cooking out and/or driving in your convertible. Fantastic opening riff, and the song still holds up quite well today. Very underated and deserved more airtime. My favorite Monkees song easily.
  • David from Youngstown, OhMy favorite Monkees song. This is the only Top 10 song by the Monkees that has musical contributions from all four members. Nearly all of their early stuff that went Top 10 or Top 40 was Micky Dolenz singing with Boyce, Hart and studio musicians with Micky making a contribution here and there to songs such by Davy Jones. It's also on of the best songs written by the legendary King-Goffin duo.
  • Chris from Boston, MaMichael Nesmith: "I hate to burst your bubble, but Pleasant valley Sunday is about an insane asylum". It's nice to attribute it to an indictment of the middle class condition, but that's not what it is about. The singer is delusional.
  • Jennifer from Kyle, TxPeter Tork (And Mike Nesmith) were musicians in their own right before being cast for the show. Peter was a folk musician in Greenwich Village (that's New York, not L.A.)long before auditioning for the show. Peter plays (not "plays") piano, bass, guitar, organ, and drums. Which you would know if you did any research on the band. And don't say they it isn't worth your time because it very clearly *is* worth your time.
    So the answer to your question is, yes, Peter played the actual piano part that was actually recorded and actually mixed as the actual piano part for this song; the one being discussed here, Pleasant Valley Sunday.
  • Dirk from Nashville, TnI meant "played" in the sense of perhaps he sat at the piano and assisted the guy who actually played it on the record. Or maybe Peter "played" it in the sense that he recorded the piano part, and then the engineers tossed that jewel into the waste basket and invited a real musician into to record the actual version. Or maybe they had two pianos in the studio at the same time--one being "played" by Peter, and the other one being played by a nameless studio musician whose piano was actually plugged into the recording system. I guess that's what I meant by my question. These four lads were actors in the LA area (not so much Nesmith, although he too knew that he was signing onto an acting gig that would require him to pretend to be a musician). They were not hired for their musical skills. They were cast for their photogenic qualities and their ability to convince young TV viewers that they were a quartet living in a zany world of Monkee-mania.... Were you under the impression that they were really musicians?
  • Richard from Lansing, MiActually I don't know about Chip Douglas being the brother of Jon Voight. However, I do know that Chip Taylor, not Chip Douglas wrote Angel of the Morning as recorded by Merilee Rush.
    Peter did in fact play piano and arranged the bridge for Pleasanst Valley Sunday. As he did for Daydream Believer as well. Peter is accomplished on many instruments, including banjo, guitar, bass, and keyboards. The only Monkee that didn't play an insturment in the beginning was Davy.
  • Garrett from Nashville, TnChip Douglas, who produced this, was the brother of actor Jon Voigt (Angelina's dad, and an Oscar winner in his own right.)
    Chip wrote the song "Angel of the Morning."
  • Jennifer from Kyle, TxDirk: I'm not sure why you put quotes on "played," But yes, Peter Tork did play piano on this and a couple of other records for the Monkees :)
  • John from Woburn, Magreat song, love the fade out when Mike Nesmith takes the lead vocal and Micky Dolenz' echoing voice in the background. priceless.
  • Dirk from Nashville, TnOne of you Monkees experts out there--tell me: Is that really Peter Tork's piano work I'm hearing on the record? Or did the producers simply mean that Peter "played" the piano while the record was being made?
  • Johnnie from Bayville, NjThe Monkees really shine on this one. Probably the best song they ever did.
  • Craig from Chicago, IlI heard that this song was written about a convalescent home named " Pleasant Valley". Whereby an individual is inside looking out on a Sunday. The writer's state of mind in reality is of such that he can't function normally, yet see's the fun & happiness ( barbequing)with people on the outside.
  • Wes from Springfield, VaAh, yes, another cultural relic of the Sixties. "Creature comfort goals/They only numb my soul and make it hard for me to see." See what? Certainly not all the trash left behind after Woodstock, for instance (which I take as a metaphor for the New Left rhetoric of the time - all the beautiful people gathering for three days of peach and love, and befouling farmland). While is much to condemn middle-class ways, there is also much to recommend it. In fact, I like this song; I just disagree with the stance behind the lyrics. Or are the former Monkees all idealistically living in communes in their later years? No charcoal burning in their backyards?
  • Annabeth from Kutztown, PaThis song is the best satirical commentary on middle-class society ever. I love it! just think about it: "Another Pleasant Valley Sunday here in status symbol land."
  • Ted from Loveland, Co(Carole King/Gerry Goffin)

    Also issued as Colgems Single #1007, July 10, 1967
    Highest Chart Position: #3

    Lead Vocals: Micky Dolenz
    Backing Vocals & Lead Guitar: Michael Nesmith
    Backing Vocals & Percussion: Davy Jones
    Piano: Peter Tork
    Rhythm Guitar: Bill Chadwick
    Bass: Chip Douglas
    Drums: Eddie Hoh
    Recorded At: RCA Studios, Hollywood
    Date: June 10 & 11, 1967
    "Pleasant Valley Sunday", written by Goffin/King, became The Monkees' fourth single. This excellent song was sung by Micky and featured a guitar riff written by Douglas (influenced by The Beatles' "I Want To Tell You") and played by Nesmith. The mono and stereo mixes of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" differ considerably. Peter would cut the song twice as a solo artist (as a single with the New Monks in 1981 and with James Lee Stanley on Two Man Band in 1996) and the Monkees would recut the song in 1997 as part of a medley for their TV special.

    On CD:
    Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, LTD. (1995), Rhino Records R2 71793 (LP mix)
    The Monkees Music Box (2001), Rhino Records R2 76706 (single mix)

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