Wednesday 6th March

There are some songs which I just love, not only for the music but the words, especially if they are clever and pick out a mood, a feeling, an essence of what it is to be alive.  Shared experience is all that Art really is; the attempt to discern beauty in the everyday, and make it memorable of course, that is the hard bit.

The Monkees were fun, they were stupid and happy boys romping around, often speeded up, an American attempt to emulate the Beatles, but they also sang.  And though their songs were written for them they were well chosen and the Monkees became huge.  One of their number was Mike Nesmith, who actually was a musician of merit, and when the band split, as they had to when the constant pressure for hits took its toll, went on to have a respectable if somewhat subdued career, releasing a series of brilliant and mostly country albums.

He had one big hit ‘Rio’, which hit a sweet spot with the public.  It had a lovely latin melody but also the most apposite and flippant words to express exactly how we all feel sometimes.

‘It’s only a whimsical notion, to fly down to Rio tonight.  I probably won’t fly down to Rio, but then again I just might.’

Sheer brilliance, and though I have hardly been out of Europe, let alone to Rio, every time I hear the song I think I just might too.

And you never know, the Olympics and the World Cup are both in Rio next, so its time has truly come.  For now I will just enjoy the thoughts of Rio , carnival, samba and all – I probably won’t fly down to Rio, but then again I just might.