"Love Is Only Sleeping"

Day 20 of 31 Days of The Monkees:

Today is absolutely beautiful! It is 85°F at 3 p.m., and it's only the first day of Spring!!

We've had a couple of dry days in a row, so I've been able to get outside to do some yard work. We're supposed to get more showers later this week, but hopefully they won't hang around for long. Clean up is still going on for tornado victims in the area, and now I read that there has been a bad earthquake in Mexico -- 7.9 I think. I guess we'll get more info on deaths and destruction as the day goes on.

My allergies have really been bad this year so far, so I know it will be bad as the season goes on. Need to stock up on Claritin D!

Today's song is "Love Is Only Sleeping", written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with Mike singing lead. This song was supposed to have been issued as a single, but there was a manufacturing error, so they issued "Daydream Believer" with "Goin' Down" on the B side instead. So the song came out on the fourth album. It's a good song, strong vocals from Mike, nice back up from the other boys, and the lyrics and melody are good.

P.S. I'm going back and adding the lyrics to all my previous posts.

Lyrics:

She looked at me
And the emptiness in her eyes was cruel to see
Then she turned away and said,
"Once I loved, but love is dead."
And I whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping."

She said, "I cannot cry
And I cannot give or feel or even try."
And her voice was hard and cold
Then her sweet young face looked old
And I whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping."

Through the endless days and nights
Could not help but wrap herself in sorrow (sorrow)
Through the endless days and nights
She waited for a shiny new tomorrow
Love was sleeping (sleeping) sleeping

She looked at me
And her smiling tears were warm and sweet and free
And the moonlight kissed her eyes
As it mingled with our sighs
And she whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping."
And she whispered, "Sometimes love is only sleeping."

Only sleeping
Only sleeping
Only sleeping
Only sleeping

"The Door Into Summer"

"When Love Comes Knocking At Your Door"

"Mary, Mary"

"No Time"

"Randy Scouse Git"

"Zor and Zam"

"Valleri"

"Mr. Webster"

"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"

"Zilch"

"Shades of Gray"

"She"

"Your Aunty Grizelda"

"Pleasant Valley Sunday"

"Last Train To Clarksville"

"Papa Gene's Blues"

"This Just Doesn't Seem to be my Day"

"I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog"

"Early Morning Blues and Greens"

"Shades of Gray"

Day 8 of 31 Days of The Monkees:

"Shades of Gray" is a beautiful song, beautifully written and beautifully performed. It is from The Monkees' third album, "Headquarters", released May 22, 1967 (I was 13 months old!). This was the first album that had significant songwriting and instrumental performances by the members of the band instead of session musicians. The only instruments in this song not played by members of the bed were the French horn and the cello.

"Shades of Gray" was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with Davy and Peter sharing lead. Hope you enjoy:

Lyrics

When the world and I were young, just yesterday,
Life was such a simple game, a child could play.
It was easier then to tell right from wrong,
Easier 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 answer seemed so clear,
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.
It was easier 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.

SOLO

It was easier 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.

"She"

"Your Aunty Grizelda"

"Last Train To Clarksville"

"Papa Gene's Blues"

"This Just Doesn't Seem to be my Day"

"I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog"

"Early Morning Blues and Greens"