Cruising by Nesmith

R.I.P. Mike Nesmith

1942 - 2021

Mike Nesmith, one of the Monkees, has died at age 78. 

Let's go back in time to the Summer of 1979, when Nesmith was a solo artist, and we heard his single 'Cruising' on the local FM radio station, WAAL. 

The song never charted in the US but it had a great video clip that perfectly captured how it was in 1979, as well as a quirky sensibility that made it stand out from the New Wave rock ('My Sharona', by The Knack), disco ('Bad Girls', Donna Summer), and folk ( 'On the Roof', James Taylor), then in heavy rotation on the radio.

Lucy and Ramona, cruisin' through the jungles of L.A

Hopin' to promote a dream somewhere along the way

Rollin' through the streets, lookin' for a disco

Passin' up the treats from a kid named Cisco

Trying to make connections

With their blemish-free complexions

And just as fate would have it

They ended up with Sunset Sam

Sam was sellin' watches from a suitcase on a TV tray

And Lucy and Ramona were tryin' to figure out if he was gay

The three of them were standing, staring at each other

When the light behind their eyes blew each other's cover

The ancient code was branded

And each of them was handed

A ticket to their kingdom

'Cause they saw their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy was from Compton and she met Ramona at the zoo

Ramona was from Brooklyn, but she left when she was twenty-two

Sam was a native of the Arizona desert

But he split when he was slated for some governmental make-work

Their differences subsided when the common bond was sighted

They were all from the same place

That made the famous Sunset Sam

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

Yes it's Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets just lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam