Monday, Monday – The Mamas & the Papas

Monday, Monday by The Mamas & the Papas is one of those rare songs that feels both breezy and quietly heavy, capturing the strange emotional weight that can live inside an ordinary day. Released in February 1966, the song appeared on the group’s second album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, an album that helped define the sound of mid-60s folk-rock with its rich harmonies and sun-soaked melancholy.

Written by John Phillips, “Monday, Monday” reflects on how hope and disappointment can coexist, especially at the start of a new week. The lyrics don’t dramatize heartbreak, yet there’s a gentle ache in the way the song acknowledges that even promising beginnings can unravel. That emotional honesty is part of why the song still resonates decades later.

Commercially, the track was a major success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1966, making it the group’s only song to top the chart. It also earned a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, cementing its place in pop music history. More than just a hit, “Monday, Monday” remains a timeless reflection on life’s uncertainty – and the fragile optimism we carry into each new week.