The smell released by damaged grass blades, a combination of methanol, acetaldehyde, ethanol, and acetone is akin to human tears.
The grass is sending out a distress call - “Help, I am being attacked and this makes me sad(the grass is sad). Woe is me, who will come to my assistance”?
Who, you may well ask.
Ladybirds are tuned to respond to this distress call and will come from all around to do their best to soothe the distressed grass. Any aphids around? Their days are numbered. 
There are no beetles large enough to attack and destroy the grasses number one predator - the Lawn Mower - Yet.
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A lot of the medicinal or recreational chemicals that we humans extract from plants, as well as aromatic components that we enjoy in our cuisine, are produced by them in order to discourage being eaten by predators.Plants are people too. 
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I watched a video recently, whereby a guy attached some sort of electrical nodes to the plants, and some speakers and the plants made music. Like actual songs. It was the most fascinating thing I have watched!
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And.
A study on Douglas-fir trees at England’s University of Reading, indicates that trees recognize the root tips of their relatives and favor them when sending carbon and nutrients through the fungal network.[1]
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Absolutely fascinating article, Smithy, thanks for this! I loved the bit about Giraffes eating the leaves according to wind direction, so the distress chemicals don’t pass onto other trees and toxify them to make them inedible.
@spitfire might want to read this…after his awning adventures! 
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Pix, you seem to think I am the root of all evil!!
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hehe! That’s quite good for this time in the morning! 
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Just another nail in the coffin 
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Dare l say… and l’m blushing profusely but someone once said to me that new mown grass always reminded her of the smell of semen!