Daydream Believer
Encyclopedia
"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio. The song was originally recorded by The Monkees
, with Davy Jones
singing lead vocals. The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart
. It was The Monkees' last number one hit in the U.S. It was also recorded by Anne Murray
in 1979, whose version reached #3 on the U.S. country singles chart and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
introduced the Monkees to the song. It was recorded during the sessions for their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. but was ultimately included on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees
(it proved to be bandmember Peter Tork's only appearance on the album). All four Monkees appear on the track, with Michael Nesmith
on lead guitar, Peter Tork
on piano (he also came up with the arrangement), and Micky Dolenz
on backing vocals. Davy Jones wasn't sure of the song's potential at first, and admitted later that he'd recorded the vocal with a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes. His feelings changed when the song became a hit.
John Stewart's original lyrics in the second stanza were "You once thought of me as a white knight on a steed, Now you know how funky I can be". When the Monkees recorded the song, "funky" was changed to "happy."
The song is also known for its humorous opening:
In 1986, three of the four Monkees (Dolenz, Jones, and Tork) mounted a successful reunion tour and had a major hit with the newly recorded "That Was Then, This Is Now
." Arista Records
, who owned the Monkees' masters at the time, re-released "Daydream Believer" as a followup single, re-mixed with a heavier drum track by Michael Lloyd (who had produced "That Was Then, This Was Now"). The re-released single was a minor hit the second time out, garnering some brief airplay on Top 40 radio stations of the day.
included it on her 1979 album, I'll Always Love You. The following year her single peaked at number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary
chart, and number twelve on the pop chart. In addition the Anne Murray version peaked at number three on the country chart. She re-released the song as a duet with Nelly Furtado
on her 2008 album, Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends.
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, with Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
singing lead vocals. The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was The Monkees' last number one hit in the U.S. It was also recorded by Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
in 1979, whose version reached #3 on the U.S. country singles chart and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Monkees version
Producer Chip DouglasChip Douglas
Douglas Farthing Walter Hatlelid, better known as Chip Douglas, is a songwriter, musician , and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s...
introduced the Monkees to the song. It was recorded during the sessions for their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. but was ultimately included on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees
The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees is the fifth studio album by The Monkees released in April 1968. The first Monkees album not to reach Billboard's number one, instead charting at number three and eventually selling over a million copies.-History:...
(it proved to be bandmember Peter Tork's only appearance on the album). All four Monkees appear on the track, with Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
on lead guitar, Peter Tork
Peter Tork
Peter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
on piano (he also came up with the arrangement), and Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
on backing vocals. Davy Jones wasn't sure of the song's potential at first, and admitted later that he'd recorded the vocal with a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes. His feelings changed when the song became a hit.
John Stewart's original lyrics in the second stanza were "You once thought of me as a white knight on a steed, Now you know how funky I can be". When the Monkees recorded the song, "funky" was changed to "happy."
The song is also known for its humorous opening:
-
- Chip Douglas: "7A." (referring to the take of the song)
- Davy Jones: "What number is this, Chip?"
- Chip Douglas and others in unison (annoyed): "7A!"
- Davy Jones: "Okay. I mean, don't get excited, man. It's just 'cause I'm short, I know."
In 1986, three of the four Monkees (Dolenz, Jones, and Tork) mounted a successful reunion tour and had a major hit with the newly recorded "That Was Then, This Is Now
That Was Then, This Is Now (song)
"That Was Then, This Is Now" is a song written by Vance Brescia for his band The Mosquitos and recorded as the title track of their 1985 EP.Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork of The Monkees recorded the song for Arista Records, who released the song as a single and on the compilation album Then & Now......
." Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, who owned the Monkees' masters at the time, re-released "Daydream Believer" as a followup single, re-mixed with a heavier drum track by Michael Lloyd (who had produced "That Was Then, This Was Now"). The re-released single was a minor hit the second time out, garnering some brief airplay on Top 40 radio stations of the day.
Chart positions
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Singles Chart |
4 |
| Norwegian VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... Singles Chart |
2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
| Japanese Oricon Singles Chart | 29 |
Anne Murray version
Anne MurrayAnne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
included it on her 1979 album, I'll Always Love You. The following year her single peaked at number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart, and number twelve on the pop chart. In addition the Anne Murray version peaked at number three on the country chart. She re-released the song as a duet with Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
on her 2008 album, Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends.
Chart positions
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 17 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
Other versions
Numerous other artists have covered the song:- John Stewart recorded the song on his solo albums The Lonesome Picker Rides AgainThe Lonesome Picker Rides AgainThe Lonesome Picker Rides Again is the fourth album by folk musician John Stewart, former member of the Kingston Trio, released in 1971. The album contains Stewart's own recording of "Daydream Believer", a song he wrote for The Monkees. Their version was released as a single and hit the number one...
1971 and Airdream Believer 1995. He also included it in live performances right up to his death. - The Four TopsFour TopsThe Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
covered the song on their 1968 album Yesterday's Dreams. - The Timers, a Japanese rock band led by singer-songwriter Kiyoshiro ImawanoKiyoshiro Imawano, born , was a Japanese rock musician, lyricist, composer, musical producer, and actor from Tokyo, Japan. He was dubbed "Japan's King of Rock". He formed and led an influential rock band RC Succession....
, covered the song in 1989. Their version sung in Japanese gained huge commercial success, reaching number two on that country's charts. - In 1998, all girl Japanese punk-rock band Shonen KnifeShonen KnifeShonen Knife, written in Japanese characters as 少年ナイフ, which transliterates as Shōnen Naifu, literally "Boy Knife," is an all-female Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka, Japan, in 1981...
performed the song in original lyrics on their album Happy HourHappy Hour (Shonen Knife album)Happy Hour is a 1998 album by the Japanese rock trio Shonen Knife. The cover artwork is by Yoshitomo Nara. It is the last album by the group with their original bass guitarist, Michie Nakatani.-Track listing:...
. - A version of the song performed by Mary Beth Maziarz can be found on the second Dawson's CreekDawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
soundtrack, Songs From Dawson's Creek Volume 2, as well as on Maziarz's album, A More Perfect World. This version of the song was played three times on the WB teen drama: in episodes #3-19 "Stolen Kisses," #4-23 "Coda," and #5-01 "The Bostonians." - Kevin RowlandKevin RowlandKevin Rowland is an English singer-songwriter and former frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, which had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen".-Career:...
of Dexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight RunnersDexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
released a cover of the song on his 1999 album My Beauty. - American art-rock trio Tears on Sunday released a cover version of the track, appearing on their 2000 debut, The Slamurai EP.
- U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
performed the song live on their PopMart TourPopmart TourThe PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 1997 album, Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks from 1997 through 1998...
. At the Los Angeles show on June 21, 1997, Davy JonesDavy Jones (actor)David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
made a guest appearance onstage to sing with the band. - British pop duo Robson and Jerome released this song in the 1990s.
- Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
featured a cover on the iTunes Deluxe Edition version of their album, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the licensed soundtrack based on the 2009 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel...
, as a bonus song. - Susan BoyleSusan BoyleSusan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
released a cover of the song on her 2009 albumI Dreamed a Dream (album)I Dreamed a Dream is the debut album from Scottish singer Susan Boyle. It was released on 23 November 2009 by Syco Music in the United Kingdom, and by Columbia Records in the United States one day later. In the standard edition, 11 out of the 12 songs that appear on the album are cover songs, plus...
.
Other uses
- The Monkees version of the song has been used in an advertising campaign for eBayEBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
which began in 2005. Alluding to a line from the song's chorus, "Oh, what can it mean ...", the campaign features the slogan, "Whatever it is, you can get it on eBay." http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2005/ebay-it/.
- The song has become widely used by British footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
fans, who substitute their own lyrics—for instance, "Cheer Up Peter ReidPeter ReidPeter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
" during SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
's 1996 promotion season, which peaked at #41 in the UK charts. It may also be used in a derogatory manner against opposition teams. In Northern Ireland the song is used by GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
and LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
fans both with derogatory lyrics. It is also used by Swansea City fans towards their rivals Cardiff CityCardiff cityCardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...
. The Swans' current version is ironically directed towards the Cardiff manager "Davey Jones". The fans of GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
clubs RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and CelticCeltic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
also use the song on each other.
- The first verse of the song was used as a chant on the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyThe Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy often shortened as Billy and Mandy is an American animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It is also the spin-off of Grim & Evil. Having originally aired as part of Grim & Evil The show began in 2001, And went on to become one of Cartoon...
to summon a "giant" snake to destroy gym class.
- Daydream Believer was played in an episode of the animated television programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The OblongsThe OblongsThe Oblongs is an American animated television program aimed at teenagers and adults. It is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in creator Angus Oblong's picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children...
, episode Disfigured Debbie.
- It was also used in an episode of Dawson's CreekDawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
.
- An episode of Nickelodeon'sNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
My Life as a Teenage RobotMy Life as a Teenage RobotMy Life as a Teenage Robot is an American animated television series, created by Rob Renzetti for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of XJ-9, better known as Jenny Wakeman, a female robot designed to protect Earth, who is excessively addicted to teen-related activities, which are almost...
is named after this song.
- The song was also featured in the 2008 music simulation game Wii MusicWii Musicis a free form music game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in Japan and North America in October 2008, and in Europe and Australia in the following month...
.
- The song can briefly be heard in the SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
special, "SpongeBob vs. The Big OneSpongeBob vs. The Big OneSpongeBob vs. The Big One also known as SpongeBob and the Big Wave, and SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One, is the eighth TV special and 111th episode from the Nickelodeon animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on April 17, 2009 on Nickelodeon, with the DVD title released...
," when Davy Jones makes an appearance as the owner of a locker (a pun on Davy Jones' LockerDavy Jones' LockerDavy Jones's Locker is an idiom for the bottom of the sea: the state of death among drowned sailors. It is used as an euphemism for death at sea ....
). The song is also used on the end credits for this episode.
- The song is sung by Alvin in the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks: The SqueakquelAlvin and the Chipmunks: The SqueakquelAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Betty Thomas. The film stars Zachary Levi, David Cross, Jason Lee, and the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Matthew Gray Gubler, Christina Applegate, Amy Poehler, and Anna Faris...
when he is accidentally injected with a sleeping shot.
- The song was also briefly featured on the Fox NetworkFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. It was sung by Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
’ character Bryan Ryan during a flashback scene in the episode "Dream OnDream On (Glee)"Dream On" is the 19th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 18, 2010. It was directed by Joss Whedon and written by series creator Brad Falchuk. Neil Patrick Harris guest-stars as former glee club star Bryan Ryan...
". Harris received an Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 2010 for his role in the episode.
- The Hamish & Andy Show featured this tune as the opening to two segments. The first was a short-lived attempt to convince Andy LeeAndy LeeAndy Lee is the name of:* Andy Lee , Australian comedian* Andy Lee , American football player* Andy Lee , Irish boxer* Andy Lee , South Korean singer and actor...
of the existence of psychic powers. Thus, the song declared that they would "Make Andy Lee / into a Psychic Believer / and a Homecoming Queen / (Homecoming Queen is optional!)" The second was for their regular game "Tell Them They're Dreaming."
- In 2011, the song was parodied by The FringemunksThe FringemunksThe Fringemunks are a music group created by Seattle musician David Wu in 2008 consisting of three "cloned" anthropomorphic chipmunks: Feebo, Notchy and Pie. They are known mostly for recapping all episodes of Fox television series Fringe with song parodies...
as part of a medley that recapped FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode 3.16, "Os."
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1967 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles of 1968 (Ireland)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1980 (U.S.)