Ever wondered who penned the timeless classic ‘Daydream Believer’? It’s a song that’s been covered, celebrated, and debated for decades, but its origins are as fascinating as the tune itself. Let’s dive into the story behind this 1960s gem and uncover the surprising twists that brought it to life.
But here’s where it gets controversial: While The Monkees are the faces behind the song’s massive success, the true mastermind was folk singer John Stewart. Yes, the same John Stewart who once thought, ‘What a wasted day, all I’ve done is daydream,’ only to turn that thought into a chart-topping hit. Stewart wrote ‘Daydream Believer’ as part of a ‘suburbia trilogy,’ a series of songs exploring the mundane yet poetic aspects of everyday life. Little did he know, this daydream would become a cultural phenomenon.
In 1967, The Monkees were riding high on their self-titled TV series, which catapulted them into pop superstardom in the United States. Their album Headquarters, released that May, marked a turning point—for the first time, the band played most of the instruments and contributed original compositions. This came after revelations that they hadn’t played on their first two albums, a fact that had sparked both criticism and curiosity. Following Headquarters, their sound evolved, embracing psychedelic influences evident in tracks like ‘Words’ and ‘Take a Giant Step.’
Their next album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, released in January 1968 in the UK, showcased their experimental side. While it was well-received, it also signaled a period of flux for the band. By 1968, their TV series was canceled, and their film Head flopped. Despite gaining creative control over their music, tensions in the studio began to surface. Each member started recording independently, with their own producers and styles—Davy Jones leaned into Broadway pop, Michael Nesmith blended country rock with psychedelia, and Micky Dolenz infused soul and rock. Peter Tork’s compositions, though submitted, were largely overlooked, except for his piano contribution to ‘Daydream Believer.’
And this is the part most people miss: The song was initially recorded during the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd sessions but was released as a single in October 1967, later finding its home on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees. Stewart’s original lyric, ‘Now, you know how funky I can be,’ was controversially changed to ‘Now, you know how happy I can be’ at the request of their label, RCA Records. While this alteration sparked debate, it didn’t stop the song from becoming The Monkees’ third and final number-one hit in the US.
Stewart’s journey with ‘Daydream Believer’ began after leaving The Kingston Trio in 1967. He offered the song to bands like We Five and Spanky and Our Gang, but it was only after a chance meeting with The Monkees’ producer Chip Douglas at a party in Laurel Canyon that the song found its destiny. Douglas’s immediate enthusiasm led to a cassette handoff, and the rest is history.
Stewart later recorded his own version in 1971, and Canadian singer Anne Murray’s 1979 cover reached number three on the US country charts. But here’s the question: Did The Monkees’ version overshadow Stewart’s original intent, or did it elevate the song to new heights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is one debate that’s far from over!
