“Goin’ Down (live)”

Micky: Sock it to me!

Floatin’ down the river
With a saturated liver
And I wish I could forgive her
But I do believe she meant it
When she told me to forget it
And I bet she will regret it
When they find me in the morning
Wet and drowned
And the word gets ’round
Goin’ down
I’m goin’ down

A-comin’ up for air
It’s pretty stuffy under there
I’d like to say I didn’t care
But I forgot to leave a note
And it’s so hard to stay afloat
I’m soakin’ wet without a boat
And I knew I should have taken off my shoes
It’s front page news
Goin’ down
A-goin’ down
Let’s go on down!
Hep hep
Hep, hep
Hep hep
Hep hep, hep hep, hep, hep hep, hep hep
Goin’ down
Goin’ down

I wish I had another drink
It wouldn’t be so hard to sink
I should have taken time to think
Besides I got the picture straight
She must have had another date
I didn’t need this extra weight
I wish that I could see the way to shore
Don’t want no more
Goin’ down
I’m goin’ down

And now I see the life I led
I slept it all away in bed
I should’ve learned to swim instead
And now it’s really got me stumped
I can’t believe a-why I jumped
I’d like to get my tummy pumped
I can’t believe they drink this stuff in town
This dirty brown
Ah, goin’ down
A-goin’ down
Let’s go on down
Hep hep
Oh hey
Back home
Goin’ down
Goin’ down
Back down
Ah

I wish I looked before I leaped
I didn’t know it was so deep
Been down so far I can’t get wet
I haven’t touched the bottom yet
This river scene is a-gettin’ old
Hungry, sleepy, wet, and cold
Told me to forget it nice
Should’ve taken her advice
Only want to go on home
I’d gladly leave that girl at home
What a way to spend the night
If I don’t drown, I’ll die of fright
Pappy taught me how to float
Can’t swim a single note
Threw me in to teach me how
I stayed there floatin’ like a mama cow
Now I’ve floated way downstream
I know this has to be a dream
Find my way to shore
I’d never, never do this any more
Give you three, I been down nine
One more time, goin’ down
Back to my friends
Back to the one
Back to the truth

Now the sky is gettin’ light
Everything will be alright
Think I finally got the knack
Floatin’ and lazy on my back
Never really liked that town
Think I’ll ride the river down
Just movin’ slow and floatin’ free
River swingin’ under me
Wavin’ back to the folks on shore
I should’ve thought of this before
I’m floatin’ on down to New Orleans
Gonna pick up on some swingin’ scenes
Find me a better day
But I’m goin’ down groovin’ all the way
Goin’ down
Down
Down
Down
Back, back, back, back home
Back, back, back, back home
Back, back, back, back home
Back, back, back
Goin’ down

Micky: Ah-woooo!
Peter and Davy: Micky, Micky, Micky, Micky.
Davy: There’s one more.
Peter: Micky, Mick, Mick, Micky, Micky…
Micky: What?
Peter: Micky, we’re not done yet! We forgot the last chord…
Micky: Oh. Ah geez. Wait. Wait a minute, I forgot. Hold it, there’s another chord… Quiet! You wanna hear it or what? Heh heh heh.


  1. 20th Anniversary Tour 1986 (1987) (Record).
  2. The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the ’60s TV Pop Sensation (2005), Andrew Sandoval, p. 290.