Monkees – Randy Scouse Git

I thought I would feature one more Monkees song this weekend. This song was a huge hit in the UK where it peaked at #2 but in America, it was not released as a single. As a kid, I really liked this one because it is so catchy. Mickey Dolenz wrote this song while in England. They had just come from a party thrown for them by the Beatles.

It was on their album Headquarters with the Monkees playing and singing most of the music themselves. On this song… Nesmith is playing guitar, Tork is playing piano, Dolenz drums, Jones is singing backup vocals with Chip Douglas playing bass. The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100 in 1967.

When they were going to release it in England, the Monkees were told, ‘You have to change the title.’ The record company said ‘It’s dirty. You have to change it to an alternate title. It was released in England as Alternate Title. It was the title that was found offensive…nothing in the song. Mickey said translated it meant basically “horny, Liverpudlian jerk.”

Micky Dolenz: “Many years ago we had the pleasure of going over to the UK and meeting the royal family: The Beatles. And one night they threw us a party. I’m told I had a great time. After the party, I went back to my hotel room and I noodled around and I wrote a song that I called Randy Scouse Git.”

From Songfacts
So in England it became a big hit and it’s called, over in England, ‘Alternate Title.’ Here, it’s still called ‘Randy Scouse Git.’ And loosely translated it means a horny Liverpudlian putz.”

The TV show were Micky Dolenz heard the title phrase was Till Death Us Do Part, a sitcom that aired on the BBC. This program was the basis for the American show All in the Family.

The only offensive aspect of this song is the title, which doesn’t appear in the lyrics. The song itself is stream of observations pieced together by Dolenz during the group’s visit to England. Some of the references in the song:

The “Four Kings of EMI” were The Beatles, who recorded for EMI Records.

“She’s a wonderful lady, and she’s mine, all mine” relates to Micky’s girlfriend at the time, Samantha Juste, who he married in 1968. The couple met when The Monkees performed on the British TV show Top Of The Pops, where Juste was on-air talent.

The “a girl in a yellow dress” was Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas – she was also in England enjoying the scene.

The British slang words in the title, roughly translated, are as follows:

“Randy”: Horny, in search of sex.
“Scouse”: A person from the north of England.
“Git”: Sort of a jerk, or an idiot.

When The Monkees performed the song on their TV show, Micky Dolenz was out front singing lead behind a tympani, while Davy Jones manned the drums. It was used in the episode “The Picture Frame,” which aired on September 18, 1967.

Randy Scouse Git

She’s a wonderful lady and she’s mine, all mine
And there doesn’t seem a way that she won’t come and lose my mind
It’s too easy humming songs to a girl in a yellow dress
It’s been a long time since the party and the room is in a mess

The four kings of EMI are sitting stately on the floor
There are birds out on the sidewalk and a valet at the door
He reminds me of a penguin with few and plastered hair
There’s talcum powder on the letter and the birthday boy is there

Why don’t you cut your hair?
Why don’t you live up there?
Why don’t you do what I do, see what I feel when I care?

Now they’ve darkened all the windows and the seats are naugh-a-hyde
I’ve been waiting for an hour
I can’t find a place to hide
The being known as wonder girl
Is speaking, I believe
It’s not easy trying to tell her
That I shortly have to leave

Why don’t you be like me?
Why don’t you stop and see?
Why don’t you hate who I hate,
Kill who I kill to be free?

Why don’t you cut your hair?
Why don’t you live up there?
Why don’t you do what I do,
See what I feel when I care?

Why don’t you be like me? (she’s a wonderful lady)
Why don’t you stop and see? (and she’s mine, all mine)
Why don’t you hate who I hate, (and there doesn’t seem a way)
Kill who I kill to be free? (that she won’t come and lose my mind)
Why don’t you cut your hair? (it’s too easy humming songs)
Why don’t you live up there? (to a girl in a yellow dress)
Why don’t you do what I do, (it’s been a long time since the party)
See what I feel when I care? (and the room is in a mess)