Thursday August 27, 2020 “Suddenly Last Summer” Martha Davis and the Motels

Another Martha (as in Reeves) this time accompanied by Motels not dream demons but with a song that somewhat mysteriously references the Tennessee Williams play Suddenly Last Summer, for some reason. 

Martha Davis, the songwriter and lead singer of the Motels said this song is about ice cream trucks (noted in the video) signalling the end of summer and the melancholy of not being able to go home again.  The Motels were among the very first groups to put together videos for their songs at the beginnings of MtV back when it was a music video channel.  Does it show that this is a first video effort?

This particular song was a top ten, gold certified tune for Martha & the Motels and they would have a couple other similar sounding tunes that did well on the charts before they would follow that ice cream truck into the darkness.

Just as a literary reference, the Tennessee Williams play Suddenly Last Summer doesn’t end well either.

Stay safe and well...and listen for the ice cream truck, it is so symbolic.

It happened one summer, it happened one time

It happened forever, for a short time

A place for a moment, an end to dream

Forever I loved you, forever it seemed

[Chorus: x2]

One summer never ends, one summer never began

It keeps me standing still, it takes all my will

And then suddenly last summer

Sometimes I never leave, but sometimes I would

Sometimes I stay too long, sometimes I would

Sometimes it frightens me, sometimes it would

Sometimes I'm all alone and wish that I could

And then suddenly last summer

[Chorus]

And then suddenly last summer

Until suddenly last summer

And then suddenly last summer

Until suddenly last summer