secretly subversive Monkees invent Zoo TV

 It wasn't quite Zoo TV/Pop, but not many realize how prophetic and subversive the Monkees were.
Dylan got it:

Bob Dylan, who said of The Monkees' hit "Last Train to Clarksville" -- about a serviceman going off to war and not knowing if he would return -- "I've always believed that the first rule of being subversive is not to let anybody know you're being subversive."  link

This excellent observation is, of course, why not many got it.
Is that inebitable with true prophecy and pure subversion at its best?

  The Pre-Fab foursome were indeed secretly subversive, just as they were innocent rebels who could both rattle and charm as they fought with their producers behind the scenes to make and play their own music while spoofing their own mythical creation through playful displays of their lunacy and lovability. link

Maybe "Ditty?Diego/War Chant" ...the song is credited to Jack Nicholson  (yes, that jack Nicholson) and Robert Rafelson ....and the enire "Head" movie/album, was their Zoo TV/Pop  donsctruction/irony/subversion  moment of "mock the devil [and manufactaured rock star image] and he will flee from thee"..

....but no one got it!

Check out the video below..you even have TV screens. Look familiar?

You may know the U2/Monkees connection (one of the Monkees actually particpated in a 1990s U2 gig..on the largest TV screen ever), but was all this 1968 craziness part of the inspiration for U2 1990s?


Ditty Diego/War Chant:
Hey, hey, we are the Monkees
  You know we love to please 
 A manufactured image 
 With no philosophies
 
We hope you like our story
  Although there isn't one 
That is to say there's many
  That way there is more fun
You told us you like action
  And games of many kinds
  You like to dance, we like to sing 
 So let's all lose our minds
 
We know it doesn't matter
  'Cause what you came to see 
 Is what we'd love to give you  
And give it one, two, three
 
But there may come three, two, one, two 
 Or jump from nine to five 
And when you see the end in sight
  The beginning may arrive
 
For those who look for meaning 
And form as they do facts 
 We might tell you one thing 
But we'd only take it back
 
Not back like in a box back 
 Not back like in a race 
Not back so we can keep it 
 But back in time and space
 
You say we're manufactured 
To that we all agree 
So make you choice and we'll rejoice
  In never being free
 
Hey, hey, we are the Monkees  
We've said it all before 
The money's in we're made of tin
  We're here to give you more
The money's in we're made of tin
  We're here to give you.....{.segue into "War Chant"}

=link

They even took this song, and the TVs on the road in 2011.  (The bank of TVs actually looks more like that of the Matrix's Architect..hmm)