Songful Style Link Party #35: “Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees

It is time for some song and style with Marsha choosing the tune. When Marsha was a kid, NBC was airing a weekly television sitcom called The Monkees. Luckily for Marsha, her Grandma Rose had given her a small television for her bedroom because her parents wouldn’t let her watch it on the big color television. And that is kind of tragic because The Monkees really do need to be watched in color to capture the truly vibrant essence of this adorable boy band from the 1960s.

I remember watching reruns of The Monkees on Nick at Nite when I was a kid in the 1980s and it was one of my favorite shows. Those boys were so silly and I always loved Davy Jones’s accent!

For this round of Songful Style, Marsha chose The Monkees‘s 1967 song “Pleasant Valley Sunday” which happens to be one of my favorite Monkees songs along with their other tunes “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m a Believer”, “Daydream Believer”, “Valeri”, and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”.

But let’s check out our song inspiration for this particular style challenge.

The Lyrics

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)

About the Band and the Song

The Monkees were formed in mid-1960s Los Angeles as a fictional band that was created for the NBC sitcom of the same name. Due to the success of the show which only aired from 1966 to 1968, the Monkees became one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s with band members Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter York, and Michael Nesmith becoming global stars garnering multiple international hits, four chart-topping albums, and three chart-topping songs.

Early in the production of the show, the cast members’ musical contributions were limited to lead vocals and occasional compositions. Studio musicians and professional songwriters were responsible for creating all of the other music which did earn the band multiple hits. However, the band wanted full control over their recording process. A brief power struggle ensued with the Monkees taking full control in 1967. They released two albums as a group but within a year of gaining recording control, all four band members were pursuing individual interests under the Monkees name while no longer performing together as a group. Following allegations that they band members were not playing their own instruments as well as the cancellation of the television show, the Monkees had their final recording session before breaking up permanently in 1970.

It really is a very interesting back story. However, for the sake of time constraints, you can probably just go read what Wikipedia knows. Or better yet, check out Marsha’s post. She’s got it covered!

Next let me share a few tidbits about the song. “Pleasant Valley Sunday” was written by Carole King (one of my favorites) and her first husband Gerry Goffin. The lyrics were inspired by their move to West Orange, New Jersey, in the late 1960s and is named for one of the city’s major roadways called Pleasant Valley Way. The song, which describes their dissatisfaction with suburban life, is a social commentary on the status, conformity, and pretentious competition among the suburban classes.

For the Monkees recording, the tempo was sped up from King’s original demo and some of the lyrics were changed against her will. However, the changes made to the Monkees recording helped the song to become one of the band’s most successful hits, peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Top 100 and leading to a string of subsequent hit songs.

As long as I have known and loved this song, this is the very first time I reading about its history. And now I know why I love it so much! Back in the very early 2000s, I moved to West Orange, New Jersey. The house I lived in is exactly 2.5 miles from the house that Carole King and Gerry Goffin lived in. And I, like them, found myself very dissatisfied with New Jersey suburban life. Actually, it was more of a complete disgust than it was dissatisfaction. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a real thing that happens in certain places and when you see it up close and personal you realize how truly gross and absurd it all is. Eventually, I got my change of scenery and I am enjoying my pleasant Watertown Sundays.

About My Outfit

My pleasant Watertown Sundays are actually not that pleasant in the wintertime. There is so much snow outside. I believe we have gotten more than 9 feet of snowfall this season already. And much of the lake effect snow has been missing us. There are towns just a few miles south of here who have received over 20 feet of snow this year. It is hard to imagine it so I will just clarify for you…it is a lot of freaking snow.

Because of all the snow, I photographed my outfit indoors which I always hate doing. There is not enough space, the light is terrible, and my maximalist home decor proves to be a distracting backdrop. But I had the fire blazing in the fireplace which seemed suitable for the lyric “Another pleasant valley Sunday,
Charcoal burning everywhere.” I am burning firewood instead of charcoal but let’s not caught up in the details.

For my outfit, I took inspiration from what the band members are wearing in the video as well as the song title. Because I knew I was restricted to indoor photos, I wanted to create a casual outfit that I would wear around the house on any pleasant Watertown Sunday. This teal and gold thrifted tunic resembles the style of Davy’s tunic but it has the colors of Peter’s shirt and vest. Taking another cue from Davy, I paired black pants (leggings, in my case) with my white platform boots. Then I layered on lots of chunky necklaces like Micky is wearing over his striped turtleneck, which inspired me to add a black turtleneck underneath my tunic. I completed my outfit with some teal beaded hoop earrings and topped it off with a handmade teal beanie simply because I like to wear hats.

After I finished photographing, I took off my boots, shed all the necklaces and the hat, and curled up in front of my fireplace for the rest of the day.

About Songful Style

Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Marsha of Marsha in the Middle, and Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette (formerly The Grey Brunette).

Each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit. 

It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.

Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing! 

We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post. You are welcome to style your own song inspired outfit and add it to the link party or link anything that you want to share even if it has nothing to do with the song. 

I hope you will check out how my fashionable friends have styled their outfits inspired by the Monkees and “Pleasant Valley Sunday”.

• Marsha of Marsha in the Middle
• Suzy of Suzy Turner, The Grey Brunette

Featured Favorite from Songful Style Link Party #34: “Follow the Sun” by Xavier Rudd

If you enjoyed our musically inspired outfits for this round, please come back on March 31, 2025, to see how we style my next song choice, “Wish I Knew You” by The Revivalists. You are welcome to join us if you are feeling a bit style stagnant. It is a great way to view your wardrobe from a totally different perspective!

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Link Parties to Join!