Sunday December 12, 2021 “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” The Monkees

And then there was one…

 Michael Nesmith, famous mostly for being a Monkee passed away the other day at age 78 so it seemed appropriate to mark his passing with a musical  remembrance.

 An easy group to disparage because they were the focus of, in hindsight, a pretty frivolous TV show, but a show that was frequently one of the top ten shows on TV and that ran for 58 episodes over a short two year time frame.

Constantly derided as not being real musicians because the music on their recordings was done by studio musicians, the critics overlooked the fact that Peter Tork actually played twelve different musical instruments and Mike Nesmith, before the Monkees had already written a top ten hit with “Different Drum” recorded by the Stone Ponies (Linda Ronstadt) and a blues tune “Mary Mary” recorded by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

It should be noted that many other 60s groups had their studio recordings played by session musicians and that would include everyone from the Beach Boys to the Byrds.  It should also be noted that The Monkees sold more than 75 million records and in 1967 actually sold more records than the Beatles.

When the Monkees broke up and each of them headed their separate ways Mike Nesmith would form the First National Band and effectively introduce the world to what country rock would sound like.  He also produced the very weird but enjoyable classic cult movie Repo Man.

 Stay safe and well…and enjoy “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” a song written and sung by Michael Nesmith, way back when he was a Monkee.

You tell me that you've never been this way before

You tell me things I know that I've heard somewhere

You're standing in the places and you're staring down through faces

That bring to mind traces of a girl, a girl that I knew somewhere

 I just can't put my finger on what it is

That says to me, watch out, don't believe her

I can't give any reasons girl, my thoughts are bound down in a whirl

I just can't think who in the world was that girl, I know I met her somewhere

 Someway, somehow this same thing was done

Someone, somewhere did me this same wrong

 Well goodbye dear, I just can't take this chance again

My fingers are still burning from the last time

And if your love was not a game, I only have myself to blame

That's as maybe, I can't explain, just ask the girl that I knew somewhere

 And if your love was not a game, I only have myself to blame

That's as maybe, I can't explain, just ask the girl that I knew somewhere