Tom Jones has found a new fan in Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, who admitted he is a big fan of the Welsh singer’s hit ‘Green Green Grass of Home’. During the Sao Paolo Grand Prix in Brazil, Verstappen had the song piped over his headset when he took his victory lap and even joined in reluctantly. Verstappen, who is currently leading the Formula 1 world championship, had heard the song many times before with his father, who would play it on their car journeys across Europe to karting meetings.
Verstappen’s next appearance is at the F1 street circuit in Las Vegas, where Tom Jones performed at residencies for many years, most famously at the MGM Grand Hotel. The song, released by Jones in 1966, was originally written by American songwriter Claude “Curly” Putnum. Many people assume that the song is eulogising getting back to the green, grassy countryside in Pontypridd, where Tom Jones was born, hence its appeal to nostalgia. However, it takes a darker turn, telling the story of a man dreaming about returning home before waking up to the reality of a prison cell on the day of his execution.
Jones has previously said that although many people probably do not realise the full story that the song is telling, the idea of the “green grass of home” has a universal appeal to people’s nostalgia. Max Verstappen can certainly attest to this, perhaps reliving the memories of listening to the song with his father while embarking on their journeys across Europe
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