It’s the weekend! Hooray! Which means it’s time for me to go spelunking in the world of vintage internet videos (or new ones, I’m not picky) to find goofy delights to share with you.
Today: Summer Songs!
It’s the last day of July, which often felt like the midpoint of summer, depending on when school was starting. I’m fascinated by the different start dates of schools in the US. Some don’t start until September while some start in early or mid August. When we lived in New Jersey, the schools didn’t let out for the summer until June 30. I went into a Toys R Us (RIP) the first week of July when our summer had JUST STARTED and it was wall to wall back to school.
Did we need a Justin Bieber pink sparkly backpack? No, we wanted some summer toys. And there were hardly any. The store folks told me and another family that they follow a national schedule for merchandise turnover, and the fact that locally summer vacation had just begun was irrelevant.
I’ve been thinking about that shopping trip often because our summer is totally different again. Now that both my kids are in college, our “summer” starts early and ends early, too. They were both done the first week of May, and are starting back at school the first and second week of August. Summer break is a shifty, weird thing.
Because the timing seems to move, summer itself feels sometimes like a state of mind. There are specific songs that I used to hear all the time between June and August that instantly make me feel like, “Ok, it’s summer officially. You heard that song.” It’s like the opposite of Whamageddon because I don’t seek out these particular songs, but eventually they find me and I’m delighted.
For example – anyone remember The Underdog Project’s “Summer Jam” from 2000?
I heard this constantly every summer after it came out. Also the resolution of the vide is incredible.
And there’s the Gentlemen of “Summertime:”
Are the words to this song deeply embedded in my brain to the point that they will never ever leave?
Drums please!
Absolutely yes.
This isn’t exactly a summer-specific song, but when I would go to the boardwalk in either Wildwood or Ocean City, NJ, I’d hear “Runaround Sue” by Dion almost every time. Boardwalk playlists used to love doo-wop.
“People let me put you wise: Sue goes out with other guys.” So sexist and yet SO CATCHY. I am bopping at my desk right now.
But if the Beach Boys date lots of people, it’s fine. They’re a “real cool head, making real good bread,” per “I Get Around.”
(I love the Beach Boys. My favorite is “Wouldn’t it be Nice.”)
What about you? When is your summer? And what songs make your summer complete?
