The line 'clicks clacks' is wrong. It should read 'cliques claques'. Cliques: an exclusive group of people who share a common interest, view, purpose, etc. Claques: a group of followers hired to applaud at a performance. (Source: the original sheet music. Plus the fact that in lyrics of such depth a throwaway line like 'clicks clacks' makes no sense.)
The song was written by Goffin & King specially for The Monkees. G&K collaborated with The Monkees in songwriting and production on many projects. The line about giraffes is indeed a reference to Micky Dolenz in Circus Boy.
The song, in my opinion, seems to be written on two levels. One level is about the Monkees themselves, how they were a manufactured group and subsequently rebelled against that to become a 'genuine' band. The other level is a broader look at life and society that can allow such a phenomena to occur (reasoning that if it occurred with The Monkees then it must also be occurring in many other facets of life and society), and how we as individuals are either controlled by it or responding to it.
Three points:
The line 'clicks clacks' is wrong. It should read 'cliques claques'. Cliques: an exclusive group of people who share a common interest, view, purpose, etc. Claques: a group of followers hired to applaud at a performance. (Source: the original sheet music. Plus the fact that in lyrics of such depth a throwaway line like 'clicks clacks' makes no sense.)
The song was written by Goffin & King specially for The Monkees. G&K collaborated with The Monkees in songwriting and production on many projects. The line about giraffes is indeed a reference to Micky Dolenz in Circus Boy.
The song, in my opinion, seems to be written on two levels. One level is about the Monkees themselves, how they were a manufactured group and subsequently rebelled against that to become a 'genuine' band. The other level is a broader look at life and society that can allow such a phenomena to occur (reasoning that if it occurred with The Monkees then it must also be occurring in many other facets of life and society), and how we as individuals are either controlled by it or responding to it.
I always thought "clicks clacks" was a reference to the sound of a porpoise's "song", its sonar.
I always thought "clicks clacks" was a reference to the sound of a porpoise's "song", its sonar.