Question for this week, the seed being planted by my son, is:
What's your favorite summer song?
Mine is "Summer in the City," by the Lovin' Spoonful. When it came out, I think when I was six or seven, I thought it was a song about Chicago. What other city was there? It's still such an evocative tune.
I also like, "Ride Captain Ride," and "Close to You," because they remind me of summer. Before we had central AC, I used to sleep on the floor in my older brothers' room (they had a good fan). They'd fall asleep with their FM (woo-hoo, eh?) stereo radio on, and those were two songs I always looked forward to hearing each night. Now, if I hear them and it's not summer, they seem so out of place.
15 Shared Thoughts:
Still the One by Orleans. Whenever I hear it I can't help but be in a good, summer mood.
Also, American Woman by Lenny Kravitz. It reminds me of a time when my sister was visiting and we went for a ride in my Mustang convertible - her first ride in my car.
Pam C.
First of all, what a nice memory, Ellen! My favorite summer song is "All Summer Long" by the Beach Boys. I love the rather childlike musical arrangement of the xylophone and the kazoos--I think most of us who love summer love it because it reminds us of our childhoods when the days were endless, and mom was always close at hand. My friends and I were big Beach Boys fans in high school, so it also reminds me of a time when summer pleasures were getting somewhat more adult and independent. (Going to Great America or the Dunes without your parents--that was HUGE!) Finally, I do believe that "T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs, / We've been having fun all summer long" is one of the greatest rhyming couplets in the English language. I always tell my kids that's what I want on my gravestone, rather than something boring and typical like "Beloved Wife and Mother"!
Great memories, El! I used to sleep in my sister's room on the floor because she had the good fan! My favorite songs are from the summer of 1970--Carole King's "Tapestry" album came out that summer, as well as James Taylor's "Mud Slide Slim". I worked as a corn detassler and we heard a lot of those albums, including "You've Got a Friend". The other song that was played every 5 minutes was "Spill the Wine." Yeah, dig that girl, come on, come on,...
Judy
i've always loved 'somewhere over the rainbow' by israel kamakawiwoole. it's got a island spin and just puts me in that tropical weather all the time!
wait... i think i totally was thinking of just anything tropic and didn't really answer your question! LOL!
the song 'simple times' from babyface always puts me in a summer mood. it talks about the good old days when things are simple. it always reminds me of those innocent childhood summer lazy days....
I don't know that one Agnes, but I'm going to find it. Today it's meant to be 100 degees here, so tropical is okay~~quite fitting!
Dear Ellie,
This one took awhile to come up with. I have 2 songs. One from
the 70's-"Play that Funky Music White Boy". The second one from
the 80's (?)- "Love Shack". They
both remind me of summer. I
know the second one brings back fond memories of Mac man when he was little.
Brenda
I was waiting for a blog about this. My "Summer Song" that will always remind me of summer -- always -- will be "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and KiKi Dee. That song was playing the summer I figured out that I got my first period. Can't get the trip to Osco for the big Stayfree pads with my mom out of my mind when that song comes on.
Ahhh, Shannon, that song was on the radio one of my last days of school, and it was such a sudden, pleasant surprise. I always think of the time Valerie Bertinelli dressed up like Elton and lip-synched it. It was such a PURE pop song.
Yep, Brenda, "Love Shack". Mac sang and danced to it as a toddle (in public) and we danced to it at my wedding. Seemed like the longest song ever! "Wearin' next to nothin', it was hot as an oven, the whole shack shimmied..."
I can't think of the correct title, but my favorite is by James Taylor; and the memorable words for me are: Summer's here. I'm for that. I've got my rubber sandals and my straw hat. It's my favorite time of the year, and I'm glad that it's here. I saw him live here in Des Moines in about 1983 or '84. It was so amazing. He came out on the stage, sat on his stool, pushed the buttons to get his reel-to-reel going, and just sang it out. It was so simple and beautiful. I've always liked him a bunch. My runner-up would be Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic. It just brings back many memories of listening to her music in the summer, and I liked her funky lyrics and different music.
Saturday in the Park by Chicago. always makes me think SUMMER!!
Hot Fun in the Summertime(I think that's the title) by Sly and the Family Stone
Groovin' by the Rascals
--Harry
I don't know if I have a summer song. I don't listen to the radio; except for talk news 780 AM. I listen to song we do at church when I'm rehearsing. If I had to pick a song it would be unwritten. I like the walking bass and vocals on the pre chorus...
"Staring at the blank page be-
fore you. Open up the dirty
window. Let the sun illumi-
nate the words tha you can not find.
Reaching for something in the
distance so close you can almost
taste it! Release your
Feel the rain on your skin..."
Very nice.
I don't remember Valerie Bertinelli "doing" Elton John...I was so jealous of her, I couldn't watch her all the time. Wait. I liked watching her when she was chubby.
Oh Shannon, you crack me up.
I think Julie impersonated Kiki, and Barbara pretended to be Elton.
I loved Valerie, it was the mom, Bonnie Franklin, who drove me nuts. And how frightening is it that I remember all that without having to google it?
Eek.
Oh, GAWD! Now I remember that episode. It was Julie doing the KiKi that made me remember. As far as Bonnie Franklin went, she drove me nuts! My mother couldn't stand her and my dad would mumble ethnic slurs at the TV whenever she was in a scene.
Post a Comment