In Old English it’s “Mōnandæg” (similar to the name used in other Germanic languages) and by the time we reach Middle English it’s more recognizable as ‘Monenday” …that’s right, “moon day” or as many love to grumble, “Monday” that goldmine of antipathy for generations of songwriters wishing to dive right in to the start of the work week, oft-noted for its melancholia, anxiety and (sigh) depression.
For example, there’s today’s selection, written in 1979 after Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (or just “Sir Bob” in light of the honorary knighthood for his later Band-Aid work), happened to read a telex report about a shooting spree involving 16-year-old, Brenda Ann Spencer in San Diego, California.
On the first school day after Christmas Vacation, Spencer took a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rifle, pushed open a window in her home and began shooting at the elementary schoolyard across the street. After firing thirty rounds, Spencer barricaded herself for nearly seven hours before finally surrendering to police. In the end the school’s principal and custodian were killed, and eight kids and a policeman were seriously wounded
When later asked why she showed no remorse, she replied, “I just did it for the fun of it. I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.”
Geldof, the lead singer of the Irish punk rock band, The Boomtown Rats, included the resulting song, “I Don’t Like Mondays” on the group’s third album, “The Fine Art of Surfacing” later in ’79 and it led the UK charts for four straight weeks. However, it only reached Number 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Perhaps a bit too close to home, or perhaps like the day itself, not everyone likes “I Don’t Like Mondays”
LISTEN TO TODAY’S SELECTION – Monday 7 May
I Don’t Like Mondays
The silicon chip inside her head gets switched to overload
And nobody’s gonna’ go to school today
She’s going to make them stay at home
And daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reasons, ’cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
I want to shoot the whole day down
The telex machine is kept so clean and it types to a waiting world
And mother feels so shocked
Father’s world is rocked
And their thoughts turn to their own little girl
Sweet 16 ain’t that peachy keen
No, it ain’t so neat to admit defeat
They can see no reasons ’cause there are no reasons
What reasons do you need
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
I want to shoot the whole day down, down, down, shoot it all down
And all the playing has stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with the toys of war
And school’s out early and soon we’ll be learning
That the lesson today is how to die
And then the bullhorn crackles
And the captain cackles with the problems and the hows and whys
And he can see no reasons ’cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die, die?
And the silicon chip inside her head gets switched to overload
And nobody’s gonna’ go to school today
She’s going to make them stay at home
Her daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reasons ’cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like, I don’t like, (Tell me why?) I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like, I don’t like, (Tell me why?) I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why?
I don’t like Mondays
I want to shoot the whole day down
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