Mary Mary by The Monkees

Album: More Of The Monkees (1967)

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Michael Nesmith wrote this song before he joined The Monkees. It was first recorded by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band on their East-West album on Elektra in 1966. In Glenn Baker's Monkeemania book, it states that the president of Elektra actually caught some flap once the Monkees' version came out because people couldn't believe that a Monkee actually wrote it.
Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz sang lead on "Mary Mary." He handled vocals on some of the group's biggest hits, including "I'm A Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."
In the song, Mary has left the guy, but he's not ready to give up. The dude comes off a bit creepy, telling her, "I'd rather die than to live without ya," and "it's not over." And he keeps asking, "Where you going to?" Probably best if he doesn't know.

According to Mike Nesmith, there was no personal connection. "That song was written to be a hit," he said. "I knew it would be a hit. I never once thought of me doing the lead on that one. Mickey was my choice for that."

Note that the song starts with both the title and the chorus, with "Mary Mary" repeating 16 times in the 2:15 run time. That's why it gets stuck in your head!
The group was formed to portray a band on the TV series The Monkees, which launched in 1966 and ran for two seasons. Their first two singles were both #1 hits: "Last Train To Clarksville" and "I'm A Believer," but they didn't play the instruments on either of those - session players did. The Monkees pushed for more creative control and eventually got it. "Mary, Mary" was their first song written by a member of the group. Who played on the track isn't clear, but according to historians from The Wrecking Crew film, the session took place on July 25, 1966 in Los Angeles, and Monkee Peter Tork was one of the guitarists. Other musicians at the session included studio pros James Burton, Glen Campbell, Larry Knechtel and Hal Blaine, but it's not clear whose contributions ended up on the final product.

We do know that The Monkees had more input moving forward. Another song written by Mike Nesmith, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," was released as a single early in 1967 and went to #39. Their song "Goin' Down," issues toward the end of the year, was credited to all four members of the group and made #104.
Grammar wonks have a hard time with the opening line of the chorus:

Mary, Mary, where you going to?

This ends the sentence with a preposition, when lopping off the "to" would be much more concise:

Mary, Mary, where you going?

But then it wouldn't rhyme with the next line:

Mary, Mary, can I go too?
"Mary" songs were big at this time. In addition to this 1967 entry, there was also "Along Comes Mary" in 1966, "The Wind Cries Mary" in 1967, and "Proud Mary" in 1969.

The name sings well, and Mary was the most popular girls' name from 1900-1960.
"Mary Mary" is one of the most popular Monkees' songs, but it wasn't released as a single, so it didn't chart. The song was used in five episodes from the show's first season, starting on November 28, 1966, and released in 1967 on their second album, More Of The Monkees.
Run-D.M.C. reworked "Mary Mary" in 1988 on their album Tougher Than Leather. They did a rap version with the chorus changed to "Mary Mary, why you buggin'?" (Thanks to the good people at Monkeeland, one of those great, very authoritative but now defunct fan sites of the early internet, for their help with this entry.)

Comments: 10

AnonymousYes, ken dee..and the Wrecking Crew belong in the Hall..NOT the monkees.
Ken Dee from CaliforniaYou know, I remember everybody having made (and still do to some extent) a big deal about The Monkees not playing their own instruments (at least at first), but The Wrecking Crew were the musicians who played the instruments (all or most of them) on MANY of the pop hits of the 60's, so I never saw what the big deal was.
Besides....what an insanely great group of musicians The Wrecking Crew was! Their groove, their sound, their excellence, their sheer outstanding MUSICIANSHIP has given us some of the best of songs of all time. What a sound they had! Aif they're the ones responsible for having "made" the sound of so many hits of the 60's, I saw we're all the better for it.
Sam Williams from Sherman Oaks, CaIt's an extremely common misconception amongst 60's Pop music enthusiasts that the Monkees were not allowed to have any creative control or were not allowed any input for their music besides providing lead vocals for "their" backing tracks that were per-recorded during per-production of the series, but what most people don't know was that Michael Nesmith was allowed to write AND produce two original songs for their first two albums (but these songs were regulated as album cuts and NOT released as singles, so they did not make the Top 40 for that reason. they even featured Peter Tork on guitar with the Wrecking Crew). it made sense as to why Don Kirshner insisted that the band didn't have any creative control over the music (because Michael Nesmith didn't know how to write hit songs, the one Top 40 hit he did compose for Linda Ronstadt had to be rearranged by producer Nick Venet for it to become a commercially successful song). Even when the Monkees fired Kirshner and championed to play on their own records, most of the hits they had during that period were songs written by outside Songwriters (the group was essentially dependent on other songwriters to have hit songs, and that was the only way to have a career in music back then was to have hit songs, if you weren't having hits, you weren't having a successful career, it was that simple).
Charles from Bronxville, NyThanks Chuck, but...
A friend of mine met Mike in Phoenix and asked him about this song as well as some others. He said Mike smiled and said "No, it is not about a stalker, just teenage love."

Oh well...
Chuck from Concord, NhCharles, Bronxville - NICE observation! I, too, have loved this song and enjoyed it for many many years - but you've helped me re-discover it's possible true meaning. Don't you just love Nesmith's sense of humor!
Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiI like Mary,Mary,too.Run DMC did a remake.
Fran from Dublin, IrelandRecorded and released in 1967 by Irish beat-group, The Strangers as the B-side of another Monkees song, '(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow'.

Pye 7N 17274 - (Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow / Mary Mary
Charles from Bronxville, NyI'll probably take some heat for this but I've been listening to this song since it was released. Always though it was about some boy with a crush. About 10 years ago I'm listening to it in my car fir the umpteenth time when it hits me - this song is about a stalker. Knowing Mike Nesmith's penchant for looking at things from a slightly different perspective and knowing his brilliant use of the language, it wouldn't surprise me at all. Read the lyrics and tell me you don't see it. There should be a follow up song about Mary getting a restraining order.
Krista from Sharon, PaOne of my all-time favorite Monkee songs! Great writing style by Michael!
James from Seattle, WaThis is the first Monkees recording to actually involve any of the band as musicians; Peter Tork played acoustic guitar on it, on Michael's insistence.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Candle In The WindElton John

Marilyn Monroe is the subject of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind," but the song is really a look at how we react to celebrities who die young.

Twilight ZoneGolden Earring

"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring was inspired by the Robert Ludlum novel The Bourne Identity, not by the TV show.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

"Livin' La Vida Loca" is a Latin pop landmark, but "la vida loca" are the only Spanish words in the lyric - "mocha" is English.

SummertimeDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

"Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince is built on a sample of a Kool & The Gang instrumental from 1974 called "Summer Madness," which gets a shout in the line, "This is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness."