30 Days of Summer - Post #11 - Summer Songs

In thinking about summer, I started wondering how many songs there are with the word "summer" in the title or lyrics. I still don't have a definitive answer, but, from what I can gather, there are over 300 songs just with the word "summer" in the title. Wow! That's a lot! 😲 

My dad was a musician (he played in a band and had a couple of records out back in the 50's) and he enjoyed almost every kind of music there was...country (old country...REAL country...Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Earnest Tubb, Hank Locklin, Eddie Arnold) and western (cowboy music), old rock n' roll, gospel, blues...you name it...he liked it! His mother (my grandmother, Maudie) knew practically every song ever written up until her time (at least that's what my dad always claimed and I believe it). She lived with us and I know that she loved music. She knew the words to every song that anyone could name up until the day she passed away. Therefore, I was exposed to all kinds of music and although Celtic music is my absolute favorite, I do like and enjoy something in nearly every genre...within reason, of course! 😳

Now...out of the 300+ songs found that were listed as having the word "summer" in the title, I have to admit that I had never heard of most of them, but there were a few summer titles that came to mind before I even started looking, so I will share those with you. 

Being a child of the 60's, how about The Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City? I was five when it came out, but I had two teenage aunts who lived right next-door and they were into all the latest music of the time. In fact, I can remember my aunts reading teen-type magazines back in the day with the Beatles on the front cover! 😲

Summer in the City (1966) The Lovin' Spoonful

In 1967 Franki Valli and the Four Seasons came out with See You In September. Now, the word "summer" is not in the title, but it's all over the place in the lyrics. I often think of this song. I really liked it until we had to sing it for state one year in glee club and, after that...well...I didn't like it so much anymore. 😞

See You In September (1967) Franki Valli and the Four Seasons

Moving up through the years, how about a little '70's 'feel good' music like Seals and Crofts' Summer Breeze? Can anyone from back in the day relate to "that jasmine blowing through" your "mi-hi-hind"? 😆

Summer Breeze (1972) Seals and Crofts

And going waaaaay back...

In The Good Old Summertime (1902) Billy Murray

My grandmother, Maudie, used to sing this song to me when I was little and, I'm not sure if it's the same guy or not, but we used to play it on the old Victrola that my grandfather gave her before my dad was born. My dad cut his baby teeth on the foot of the Victrola. I've still got it and it still plays. I'll have to go through the records sometime (these are the old 78 rpms) and see if I can find out who sang In The Good Old Summertime on Grandma's recording of it.

Grandma's Victrola

There were a couple of other "summer" song titles that I thought of, but nothing that I'd want to put videos up of. 😊 (Do the words "summer" and "songs" conjure up the "summer songs"  of Olivia Newton John and John Travolta and Alice Cooper in anyone else's mind? Wow! It's getting scary in here! 😱)

Moving right along...

But, of course, I can't end this post without mentioning one of my favorite albums (not now, but as a teenager). It was 1978 and, even though my main genre back then was disco (BACK THEN??? 😲...I STILL listen to disco...absolutely love the Bee Gees 💗)...anyway...I had a candy apple red 1969 Mustang and, on my days off, there was nothing I loved more, than driving around Lake Jacomo with The Beach Boys' Endless Summer blasting! 

Endless Summer (1963) The Beach Boys

So...what's your favorite "summer" song?

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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