Me & Magdalena


"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!.

Background

When asked about the track, songwriter Benjamin Gibbard said via an email to National Public Radio:

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. 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."

Release and reception

"Me & Magdalena" was released on May 20, 2016, 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". 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. 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. A live version of the track was included on the live album The Monkees Live: The Mike and Micky Show.

Credits and personnel

Adapted from the liner notes of Good Times!:
The Monkees
Other personnel