Monkee Music ... So Long, Davy Jones

Editorial Note: this is a corrected copy of the original post, which originally reported that it was Mickey Dolenz, rather than Davy Jones, who had passed away. I should know better than to post late at night, after a few glasses of wine with dinner. Oy.

This past week it seems that everybody has been blogging about the death of Davy Jones of the 1960's group The Monkees ...

Why should I be any different?

I really enjoyed The Monkees and their music back then, and I still do today. Songs like "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "Look Out - Here Comes Tomorrow," "Sometime in the Morning," and "Don't Listen to Linda" were among my favorites when I was a teenager in the mid-60's, and are in my "The Very Best" mix on my iPod today.

Lately, though, I've been thinking about another song by The Monkees that is pretty timely today ... "Shades of Gray," from the album "More of the Monkees." Here are the lyrics:

When the world and I were young, just yesterday,
Life was such a simple game, a child could play.
It was easy then to tell right from wrong,
Easy then to tell weak from strong,
When a man should stand and fight or just go along.

But today there is no day or night,
Today there is no dark or light,
Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray.

I remember when the answers seemed so clear,
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.
It was easy then to tell truth from lies,
Selling out from compromise,
Who to love and who to hate, the foolish from the wise.

But today there is no day or night,
Today there is no dark or light,
Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray.

It was easy then to know what was fair,
When to keep and when to share,
How much to protect your heart and how much to care.

But today there is no day or night,
Today there is no dark or light,
Today there is no black or white, only shades of gray,
Only shades of gray.

Oh, and let's not forget another of my favorite songs: Joanne, by Michael Nesmith.

There was a lot of talent in that group. The Monkees may not have been the greatest group ever, but they were great enough for me.

So long, Davy. Wherever you are, they're enjoying great music.

Have a good evening. Cartoon Saturday will be up in a few hours...

Bilbo