Davy is a great favorite with children. Whenever a crowd stops him to ask for autographs, you can bet there will be lots of children mixed in with his other fans. And Davy doesn’t mind a bit—he loves children. In fact, the Tiger Beat tape recorder caught him talking about them the other day and we thought you should be let in on this truly sincere and very groovy side of Davy Jones.
I love to talk to children. I think it’s because I was so happy when I was a kid and I know that they’re really happy and it’s good to share all that happiness. You can smile and laugh and talk without all the hang-ups of the adult world. Kids are honest maybe that’s why they’re so outasite.
They’re SO groovy, kids are. Adults should be like that—just like kids, they should say what they think and then sort it out afterwards. Otherwise, everything’s kept inside.
Children are honest Permalink
For example, a kid would take a bite of something and if he didn’t like it, he’d say, “I don’t like that. I don’t want anymore.” But an adult would probably eat it anyway and then complain about it all the way home or maybe never go back to that restaurant or those friends’ house or something.
I don’t mean that adults should be impolite or anything. I just gave this example to explain what I mean when I say that adults should say what they think and then sort it out. Most of the time, adults keep everything inside and get all hung up on their problems, when if they had just stopped and said, “Hey, this shouldn’t be that way… everything would have been stopped or straightened out when it began—and not months later. I think grown-ups can learn a lot from kids about honesty and all.
Why kids like me Permalink
I’ve often wondered why I’m so popular with children I mean, whenever I get stopped and asked for an autograph by a crowd, there are always more kids among my fans than for Mike or Peter or Micky.
I think it’s because I’m younger looking than the rest of the guys—or any pop singers, for that matter. In fact, there’s never been any pop singers that have been as successful as the Monkees and as young. There are lots of Bobby Vees and people like that but they aren’t as young as I am. I’m older agewise, of course, but I’m younger looking and that means a lot. It’s as if the kids know they can sit down and talk to me and I can talk on their level. They don’t immediately think, “He’s a lot older than I am…” because I don’t look a lot older. They think that wow! I’m one of them and they can talk to me like they would a just slightly older brother or friend.
Kids are a gas Permalink
I love to play with children because they laugh and smile and they’re so happy. I don’t really go in for communal games—you know, organized things like football or basketball or something that has to be planned, like Monopoly. I like to just fool around. Like when I go to Mike’s house I fight with Christian, wrestle with him and get on top of him and hold his hands down and things like that. He puts his feet on my chest and flips me over and all that kind of stuff and he always starts laughing. Kids like to fight and wrestle—I always do with Christian. I think he expects it. He always comes running to me whenever I walk in the door.
Looking at Christian, it makes me think ahead to when I get married. Straightaway I plan to adopt some kids and have some of my own. I’ll have lots of my own—four of my own and then I want to adopt at least four more so I’ll have eight kids—maybe more. I really dig large, close families!
My own children Permalink
I especially want to have three girls and one boy of my own. That’s because my dad had three girls and a boy and I watched how he brought us all up and I figure I can do the same thing.
I’ve got lots of ideas about how to raise my sons. When they’re 15, I want them to decide what they want to do with their lives—which way they want to go. And they’ve GOT to know what they want to do for a profession by the time they’re 21 years old. They can’t be still going to school. They’ve got to finish before that if it means taking all sorts of summer courses and things.
The reason I’m insisting on them getting an early start in a career is because I think it’s necessary today. The sooner you pick a career and start working on it, the higher up you’ll be by the time you’re 30.
Planning for future Permalink
For instance, I’ve already got a good start on an acting career—in fact, I’ve got more than a start. But I look at my friends that are just getting out of school—they’re 21 or 22—and they still don’t know what they’re going to do. It seems a waste because with all their schooling, chances are they’ll wind up having to buck for a job against someone’s son—and the son will get the job.
Is that clear? What I mean is that you have to rely on developing talents within yourself, lots of abilities, and then use education to push yourself even farther. I mean, you can’t learn everything from a book. I want my sons to do things, not just study about them. That’s a real education.
Policemen look younger Permalink
I suppose I’ve got to get older myself—everyone does, after all. But I don’t worry about what the younger generation will come to, as they always say about anyone under 25. And I don’t think I’ll ever feel old, either. That reminds me of something my mother used to say. She’d say that you can always tell when you’re getting older by looking at the policemen because they always seem to be getting younger.
It’s very weird, especially in England, because the police look very old when you’re young and then as you get older, they look younger. That’s when you know that finally you’re growing up!
Isn’t it too bad that adults can’t retain the best qualities of children? They look at each day like it’s a new adventure—they wake up every morning with a clear head. The things that bothered them the day before are gone after a good night’s sleep. That’s the way to be—grown up but in some ways, still like a kid.
(And that’s why Davy is so popular with children. In fact, we bet that somewhere in his own private pad, he probably has a coloring book and crayons hidden for those days when he just feels like having a good time!)
