A Day In My (Summer) Life

Thus far, summer in the Mid-Atlantic has been a weird affair.

Summer arrived with a start: there was little-to-no transition from a very pleasant and long spring to the dreaded “triple-H” weather (hazy, hot and humid). Since then, it’s settled into a bit of a pattern: warm and humid, with afternoon and evening showers. This has been the case more often than not, and our drought has lifted thanks to the steady influx of precipitation.

As such, this list follows, more or less, the progression of a day here in my neck of the woods - with a little poetic license thrown in for good measure.

1. “Summer In The City” - The Lovin’ Spoonful
   “Duh-dum - bang!” So opens this classic from John Sebastian’s 60s wonder group. The Lovin’ Spoonful sum up the classic image of a sticky summer day in the city - something with which I’ve become very familiar.
2. “Weekends & Bleak Days (Hot Summer)” - The Young Knives
   One thing I failed to mention in my intro is that a lot of the rain this summer has fallen over the weekend. It’s been over a month since the greater DC area has seen a completely dry weekend. And it’s still amazingly hot, even with the rain.
3. “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
   In this area, summer clothes are broken out by Easter, and stay in the fashion lexicon until October - it’s a warm place. And Bruce paints the image of all the girls and young women in their summer best - alas, passing him by.
4. “The Heat Is On” - Glen Frey
   While this is a song that’s forever tied to Miami Vice and summer images, it’s a song I most closely identify with watching World Cup ski races in Park City, Utah. I vividly recall watching slalom races in the 1980s as this song wafted up the hill from the PA system in the finish area. So this is the cooling elixir before….
5. “Like A Summer Rain” - Jan & Dean
   ….the rains move in. Jan & Dean do a lovely cover of a tune written by their old friend, Brian Wilson. And summer rain can be some of the best rain: cooling, yet not cold - perfect for a carefree dance in the grass!
6. “Rainy Day Sun” - Spinal Tap
   And the sun peeks through between storms, bringing out the rainbows (Mandel has that subject covered in his entry, though). And sometimes the sun can seem entirely absurd in the midst of waves of rain - much like the psychedelic lyrics to this song make the listener question his sanity. Such was the case with many late-60s songs - and the loving nod to that style by Spinal Tap is no exception.
7. “Stormy Weather” - Ringo Starr
   The Beatles’ eldest member was also the one most fond of jazz crooners, and soon after the breakup of the Fab Four, he recorded an entire album of old jazz standards - some better than others. And this ode to stormy weather - both real and emotional - somehow fits the voice of Mr. Starkey to a T.
8. “Emotional Weather Report” - Tom Waits
   I close this set with the blues stylings of Tom Waits, who sums up his psyche in this lovely, offbeat romp through his apartment and his emotions. And he also name checks a few Los Angeles landmarks along the way - how many of ‘em still exist, Mandel?

Enjoy the weather!

Download: “Summer In The City” - The Lovin’ Spoonful (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Weekends & Bleak Days” - The Young Knives (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Heat Is On” - Glen Frey (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Like A Summer Rain” - Jan & Dean (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Rainy Day Sun” - Spinal Tap (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Stormy Weather” - Ringo Starr (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Emotional Weather Report” - Tom Waits (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)