Thursday July 1, 2021 “Summer in the City” Lovin’ Spoonful

We continue summer songs today walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head.

You may recall from “Creeque Alley”, a story song by the Mamas and Papas, that John Sebastian, the songwriter and primary lead singer for the Lovin Spoonful, had been in a group called the Mugwumps which also included future Papa, Denny Doherty and future Mama, Cass Elliott.  Cass would introduce Sebastian to guitarist Zal Yanovsky who along with Sebastian would then form the basis for the Lovin Spoonful.

Between the middle of 1965 and the end of 1967, the Lovin Spoonful were remarkably successful, issuing one classic genre bending, good time music, hit single after another, including "Do You Believe in Magic?," "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," "Daydream,"  "Rain on the Roof," "Nashville Cats," and "Six O'Clock" along with today’s “Summer in the City” plus a number of popular albums/CDs.

Urban legend suggests that this string of top hits and concert popularity for the Lovin Spoonful came to a crashing end because of a marijuana drug bust of bass player Steve Boone and Yanovsky that lead to them naming the source of their purchase and then a call for boycotting the Spoonful’s records and concerts by the ‘counterculture’ to punish this betrayal.  

More likely it had to do with multi-instrumentalist, main songwriter and primary singer Sebastian leaving the group to begin a solo career. 

Stay safe and well...and, not to argue with the song lyrics, but the days can be like the nights when it’s summer in the city and the country.

Hot town, summer in the city

Back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty

Been down, isn't it a pity?

Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people lookin' half dead

Walkin' on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

 But at night, it's a different world

Go out and find a girl

Come on, come on, and dance all night

Despite the heat, it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity

The days can't be like the nights

In the summer in the city

In the summer in the city

 Cool town, evening in the city

Dressed so fine and lookin' so pretty

Cool cat lookin' for a kitty

Gonna look in every corner of the city

'Til I'm wheezing like a bus stop

Runnin' upstairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop

 But at night, it's a different world

Go out and find a girl

Come on, come on, and dance all night

Despite the heat, it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity

The days can't be like the nights

In the summer in the city

In the summer in the city

 Hot town, summer in the city

Back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty

Been down, isn't it a pity?

Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people lookin' half dead

Walkin' on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

 But at night, it's a different world

Go out and find a girl

Come on, come on, and dance all night

Despite the heat, it'll be alright

And babe, don't you know it's a pity

The days can't be like the nights

In the summer in the city

In the summer in the city