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The warm days of summer are upon us and with the sweltering heat come vacations, relaxations, and, of course, parties. Now that final exams are finished, vacationers want nothing more than to take their mind off their stressful situations through food and music. The current summer playlist is practically mundane at this point: Old Town Road, Hot Girl Summer, etc. So, here are some older summer jams for your next barbecue party or celebration:
Summer Jam (2000): This single by The Underdog Project literally expresses the joys of summer in the title: “This ain’t nothing but a summer jam”. Lyrics such as “brown skins and cinnamon tans” along with a lifeguard whistle in the instrumental is more than enough to encourage us to hit the beach and almost worth the brutal heat. Enjoy the summer jam while it last!
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Summer of ’69 (1984): Bryan Adam’s guitar riff is almost as recognizable as the song itself. The song is a perfect blend of pop and rock-and-roll and the lyrics give off a burst of summer nostalgia especially the main chorus: “Those were the best days of my life”. Even Adams himself provides some context on the song, “I love the song ‘Night Moves’ by Bob Seger and I wanted an answer to that. That’s why the song is about summer love, sexual pleasures, and my overall life as a musician”. The song is not only autobiographical but enjoyable for your next summer gathering
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Vacation (1982): After months of school, college courses, or arduously making money, the GoGo’s depict the summer feeling to a T. “Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away. Vacation meant to be spent alone”, says the chorus. The last verse hits especially true as, sometimes, we just need time to ourselves. We can choose our vacation destinations by ourselves and do whatever we want. Even the music video depicts the women enjoying their summer through water skiing and simply living in the moment. Whether listening to the song, watching the video, or both, “Vacation” certainly reminds us of “all we ever wanted”.
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Steal My Sunshine (1999): Aside from mentioning the bright sun, Len’s 1999 single describes the warmth of summer along with romance in that nobody will “Steal my sunshine”. “I was frying on the bench side in the park across the street, L-A-T-E-R that week”, says the song. Similar to Summer of ’69, this single evokes other nostalgic memores such as burning our behinds at the playground whether sitting on a bench or on those transparent slides (anyone remember pouring sprinkler water on it for a water slide?!). Another nostalgic lyric includes, “Sticky paws on fat slurpy treats”, which may induce memories of melting ice cream or those ice pop straws.
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California Girls (2010): If there’s any area for partying in the summer, it’s the state of California. Katy Perry’s hit song of 2010 captures the energy of summer through an upbeat tune with beach-themed lyrics such as “daisy dukes, bikinis on top”. The title, again, depicts summertime romance, specifically for men, by hooking up with California Girls. Another feel-good song to lighten up any summertime festivity.
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Soak Up the Sun (2001): With a mellow rhythm and reflective lyrics, Sheryl Crow’s 2001 single lets listeners thoroughly “soak up” the joys of summer while appreciating the warm weather. In fact, according to Crow herself, she had wrote this single “while on a plane flight discussing the changing weather with a passenger”. Aling with the chorus explaining she will “tell people to lighten up”, another incredible lyrics that is often overlooked is: “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you got”. Nobody understands the value of something until its gone so, this summer, Crow invites listeners to be thankful for their life, knowing we may never get it again.
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While modern day songs may be a bop, it is always refreshing to reminisce about older summertime songs such as these and to reflect to them as an adult. Doing so will provide new meaning towards one’s summer and one’s lives, for better or for worse.
