Home » People » Radioontheshelf » "Mona Lisa Smiles"

Mona Lisa Smiles

uploaded: Sun, Dec 23, 2018 @ 3:52 AM last modified: Fri, Dec 28, 2018 @ 2:01 AM (add)

by	Radioontheshelf
Featuring	Bluemillenium
length	4:23
Recommends	Recommends (12)

One of the great wonders in life is the coming together of voices to join in a good old sing song. You do not need to be a virtuoso but just have the freedom of spirit to let it happen. One night in the seventies as we returned to Wales from a two day trip to Paris the coach we were travelling on burst into song led by the driver with a not inconsiderable voice. He opened with the great Nat King Coles Mona Lisa and proceeded to lead us through the night with a host of tunes from our past. At various points someone would throw in one of their favourites and like a well rehearsed but out of tune chorale we would join in convinced of the beauty of the song we sang.
It would be great if in the new year something could be worked out to allow vocalists to join together on a track to exploit the wonders of the human voice.

Big thank you to Bluemillenium and apologies for hijacking his mix so soon

I sat at the back of a grey omnibus with a girl who had come from my town
We had just left a city where all men loved rugby and football was always put down
The driver was singing some cool Nat King Cole and the girl who served drinks sang along
Pretty soon the whole bus was filled up with our voices as we joined in the beautiful song

Oh oh oh oh Mona Lisa where are you tonight
Sitting in the dark in a room in Paris hidden away from the light
We’re on a bus going over the mountains driving past the Parc and Dare
Thinking of Frank and the plays he gave us all the memories he shared

As the bus travelled north through the land of my fathers a man at the front stood and cried
He shouted this is gonna go down as one of the best days of my life
Well I knew what he meant but I wouldn’t go that far But it was really special thats for sure
And as we turned the corner into old Bute street the driver shouted out lets sing one more

Oh oh oh oh Mona Lisa where are you tonight
Sitting in the dark in a room in Paris hidden away from the light
We’re on a bus going over the mountains strangers but like old friends
Singing the songs our parents taught us wishing this would never end

At the top of the hill we gathered our coats and made our way to the front of the bus
We waved to the chorus as it kept on singing and they all waved back to us
And we watched as the bus disappeared round a corner but you could still hear the voices on board
And the drivers was the loudest as he shouted to the people to rise up and sing one more

Oh oh oh oh Mona Lisa where are you tonight
Sitting in the dark in a room in Paris hidden away from the light
Far away in a little welsh town a bus vibrates with the joy
Of the human voice the freedom of choice and songs that can endure