Me & Magdalena
| "Me & Magdalena" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Monkees | ||||
| from the album Good Times! | ||||
| Released | May 20, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | February–March 2016[1] | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label | Rhino | |||
| Songwriter | Ben Gibbard | |||
| Producers | Adam Schlesinger, The Monkees, Jeff Barry | |||
| The Monkees singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Licensed audio | ||||
| "Me & Magdalena" on YouTube | ||||
"Me & Magdalena" is a song by the American rock band the Monkees, released as the third and final single from the band's 2016 album Good Times!.[2][3]
Background
When asked about the track, songwriter Benjamin Gibbard said via an email to National Public Radio:
Before The Beatles, before The Velvet Underground and before punk and/or indie rock, The Monkees were the first band I truly loved. Their albums were always on in our home when I was a kid, especially Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., and I learned to sing alongside them. I spent countless hours in front of the TV in the ’80s watching Monkees reruns, wishing I could climb through the screen and be in the show with them. They made being in a band seem so fun—and goddammit, it should be! For these reasons and a million others, I can say with absolutely zero hyperbole that contributing ‘Me & Magdalena’ to this album has been the greatest honor of my career.
— Benjamin Gibbard, via email to NPR[4]
Composition and lyrics
"Me & Magdalena" was written for the band by Ben Gibbard, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie.[4] The lyrics center around the singer's remembrance for a girl named Magdalena, who has seemingly passed away in the lyrics, as critic Jay McDowell wrote in an American Songwriter article: "I perceived it to be about a recently deceased woman and the song is being sung from the perspective of the surviving partner."[2]
Release and reception
"Me & Magdalena" was released on May 20, 2016,[5] and was released to positive reviews such as critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, wrote the song "taps into the burnished Americana of the group's late-'60s work".[6] Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, John Swanson wrote the song "features a world weary and slightly fragile lead vocal from Nesmith, which works to the song's benefit as Dolenz provides beautiful harmonies.[7] Despite not charting in any countries, it have become a fan favorite Monkees track, currently standing at number 3 on their Spotify artist page with a little over 51.2 million streams.[8] A live version of the track was included on the live album The Monkees Live: The Mike and Micky Show.[9]
Credits and personnel
Adapted from the liner notes of Good Times!:[1]
The Monkees
- Michael Nesmith – vocals
- Micky Dolenz – vocals
Other personnel
- Mike Viola – guitar, bass
- Jody Porter – guitar
- Adam Schlesinger – piano, drums
References
- ^ a b The Monkees (2016). Good Times! (CD liner notes). Rhino Records. R2 553592.
- ^ a b McDowell, Jay (May 31, 2024). "The Story Behind "Me & Magdalena" by The Monkees and Why Ben Gibbard Called Writing It "the Greatest Honor of My Career"". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Roberts, Christopher. "The Monkees Share "Me & Magdalena," Written by Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard". Under the Radar Magazine. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ a b Thompson, Stephen (May 19, 2016). "Song Premiere: The Monkees, 'Me & Magdalena'". NPR. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ "The Monkees - "Me & Magdalena" (Written By Ben Gibbard)". stereogum.com. May 20, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Good Times! at AllMusic
- ^ Swanson, John. "The Monkees, 'Good Times!': Album Review!". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ^ "The Monkees". Spotify. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "The Monkees Live: The Mike and Micky Show Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.