Once again, we have been living through one of the hottest summers on record. I have had this lyric running through my head:
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than
a match head.
Those lyrics were written by John Sebastian then of the Lovin’ Spoonful. The song began life as a poem written by his younger brother, Mark, a 14-year old student. Mark had written this poem entitled Summer in the City during what was the hottest summer ever in New York City. (1966 kept that record until 2010.)
John Sebastian read the poem and thought there was something to it. But he wanted something a bit different for the verses. So, he rewrote them, keeping the title and the chorus. And he added the music.
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking 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
That 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
Dressing so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
Till I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Running up the stairs, 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
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
------ instrumental break ------
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking 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
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
The writing credits for the song include John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, and Steve Boone. We know what the two Sebastian brothers did. What did Boone contribute? He wrote and arranged the instrumental break that has such sounds as car horns and a jack hammer. To this day all three share the royalties.
Lovin’ Spoonful grew out of the Greenwich Village music scene of the early 1960s. John Sebastian was part of the Mugwumps. Two of the members of this group went on to become half of The Mamas and the Papas – Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty.
Summer in the City was the Lovin’ Spoonful’s only number 1 hit. The group broke up after a few more years. John went on to a solo career. He wrote the music and lyrics for a Broadway show entitled: Jimmy Shine. It opened on Broadway in December of 1969, starred Dustin Hoffman, and ran for 150 shows. (Dustin Hoffman in a musical. My mind is boggled.)
He had one more number one hit with 1976’s Welcome Back, the theme song to the TV sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter. (The show that introduced John Travolta to the world.)
Do you have a favorite John Sebastian song? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be posting some songs by John Sebastian and the Lovin’ Spoonful on my Minnich Music Facebook page so be sure to check those out.
Until next time!
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than
a match head.
Those lyrics were written by John Sebastian then of the Lovin’ Spoonful. The song began life as a poem written by his younger brother, Mark, a 14-year old student. Mark had written this poem entitled Summer in the City during what was the hottest summer ever in New York City. (1966 kept that record until 2010.)
John Sebastian read the poem and thought there was something to it. But he wanted something a bit different for the verses. So, he rewrote them, keeping the title and the chorus. And he added the music.
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking 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
That 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
Dressing so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
Till I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Running up the stairs, 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
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
------ instrumental break ------
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking 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
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
The writing credits for the song include John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, and Steve Boone. We know what the two Sebastian brothers did. What did Boone contribute? He wrote and arranged the instrumental break that has such sounds as car horns and a jack hammer. To this day all three share the royalties.
Lovin’ Spoonful grew out of the Greenwich Village music scene of the early 1960s. John Sebastian was part of the Mugwumps. Two of the members of this group went on to become half of The Mamas and the Papas – Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty.
Summer in the City was the Lovin’ Spoonful’s only number 1 hit. The group broke up after a few more years. John went on to a solo career. He wrote the music and lyrics for a Broadway show entitled: Jimmy Shine. It opened on Broadway in December of 1969, starred Dustin Hoffman, and ran for 150 shows. (Dustin Hoffman in a musical. My mind is boggled.)
He had one more number one hit with 1976’s Welcome Back, the theme song to the TV sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter. (The show that introduced John Travolta to the world.)
Do you have a favorite John Sebastian song? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be posting some songs by John Sebastian and the Lovin’ Spoonful on my Minnich Music Facebook page so be sure to check those out.
Until next time!
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