“Summer Nights” is from the musical Grease. Briefly, Grease is a romcom about two high school students in 1958. They meet during the summer, have a short fling, and are set to go on with their lives. But they end up attending the same high school. Turns out that he (Danny) is a member of a small gang, and she (Sandy) is a goody-two-shoes. By the end of the movie, and presumably the play as well, each has changed to attract the other. He has lettered in track, and she is now a femme fatale/bad girl. The school year is over, and they live happily ever after. (Yeah, right.) The song “Summer Nights” is from the beginning of the musical when we are introduced to the characters and hear about their summer affair in the “He said/She said” format. The T-Birds are his friends, while the Pink Ladiesnare hers.
Summer lovin', had me a blast
Summer lovin', happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be
[Both]
Summer days drifting away
To, uh oh, those summer nights
[Chorus]
[T-Birds]
Well-a, well-a, well-a, uh!
Tell me more, tell me more
[Doody]
Did you get very far?
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Marty]
Like does he have a car?
[Verse 2: Danny + Sandy]
She swam by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off splashing around
[Both]
Summer sun, something's begun
But, uh oh, those summer nights
[Chorus]
[T-Birds and Pink Ladies]
Well-a, well-a, well-a, uh!
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Frenchy]
Was it love at first sight?
[T-Birds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Kenickie]
Did she put up a fight?
[Verse 3: Danny + Sandy]
Took her bowling in the arcade
We went strolling, drank lemonade
We made out under the dock
We stayed out till ten o’clock
[Both]
Summer fling don't mean a thing
But, uh oh, those summer nights
[Chorus]
[T-Birds and Pink Ladies]
Woah, woah, woah
[T-Birds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Sonny]
But you don't gotta brag
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Rizzo]
Cause he sounds like a drag
[All]
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Shooda-bop bop
Yeah
[Verse 4: Danny + Sandy]
He got friendly holding my hand
Well, she got friendly down in the sand
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
Well, she was good, you know what I mean
[Both]
Summer heat, boy and girl meet
But, uh oh, those summer nights
[Chorus]
[T-Birds and Pink Ladies]
Woah, woah, woah
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Jan]
How much dough did he spend?
[T-Birds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Sonny]
Could she get me a friend?
[Bridge: Danny + Sandy]
It turned colder, that's where it ends
So I told her we'd still be friends
Then we made our true love vow
Wonder what she's doin' now
[Both (T-Birds and Pink Ladies)]
Summer dreams ripped at the seams
But, oh, those summer nights
(Tell me more, tell me more)
Maybe it’s just me and my unexciting teen-aged years, but I never had a summer fling. The closest I came was on a trip to Virginia Beach, as I was riding the waves in on an inflatable raft, there was a guy doing the same thing nearby. By the end of the day we were side by side and having a lot of fun. Just the one day. I’m not sure we even exchanged names.
Problematic Themes
Grease is considered to be a fun movie. Almost a cult classic. And I enjoy watching it when it comes my way. But there are a few problems with the movie and with this song. First of all, since this takes place in 1958, when segregation was still a thing all over the US, the cast is extremely white. I’m trying to think of a single non-white person in the cast and am coming up empty. Oh, there is Cha Cha, a Latina who shows up in the dance scene. But her name is Cha Cha. Great character.
There was a sequel, because, of course there was, unimaginatively named Grease 2. it starred Michelle Pfeiffer and bombed. Sadly, there is now a prequel in the works. No cast yet. The title for this is taken from our song: Summer Nights. We kind of know how it’s going to end.
Anyway, let’s look at this song and why I think it has problems. Ok, it has one problem: there is one line that I really dislike. Kenickie, Danny’s best friend, sings: Did she put up a fight. That one line bothers me a lot. I know that this song is from another time, 1978, and is about another time, 1958, 20 years earlier. But we have a big problem with rape in this country, and I object to anything that romanticizes rape as I feel this line does. When Greasewas recorded live in 2015 there were lines from the song “Greased Lightning” that were changed. However, this line was allowed to stay.
Conspiracy Theories
There is a fan theory about the movie that begins with this song. At the end of the movie, Sandy and Danny drive/fly off in a red car that takes them over the heads of their friends into the sky. The theory starts with verse two of our song:
She swam by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off splashing around
When asked about this theory, John Travolta said in an interview with USA Today: "I love it; imaginations are awesome," he told the publication. "These things are bound to happen to something timeless like this. It's so fun." Travolta added that Danny was exaggerating when it came to telling the story of saving Sandy's life:
"[Sandy and Danny] have two different stories and somebody is lying. Most likely, it's Danny." (Hmm. . . even Travolta has a low opinion of Danny.)
The actor continued: "I could have fun with it. But I know the writers of Grease, and I was around in the original days. I can't take it too far."
Fall officially starts in a few days, so, go and have fun with those summer nights while they last.
Was I the only one who never had a summer fling? Tell me your summer lovin’ stories. Or commiserate with me. What is your favorite song from Grease? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be playing some of the songs from Greaseon my Minnich Music Facebook page, so check them out.
Until next time!