Diva/Mensch pair for July 2, 2025

I was surprised to look at the winners for 2004 and see that Brian Wilson won a Grammy for a tune called "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." I was equally surprised to look at 2005 and see that Green Day won Record of the Year for a song called "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

I know "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" as a song from 1933 by Dubin, Warren, and Janis. I first heard it sung by Marianne Faithfull, whose voice really sounds like that boulevard, loose gravel and all.

I was hoping that the Green Day boys had done a new version of that song but no, they wrote a new song with the same title. Why not, right? By the way, check out the heavy guyliner on the lead singer. Jeez, girl, rein it in just a little. There's a shortage.

Diva: Green Day's 2005 song

Mensch: the 1933 original

If you're interested, did you know the original song was the first single that Tony Bennett made when he was signed by Mitch Miller? Oh Mitch, yer killin' me with that tango beat!