Meaningful songs #3 - MUNGO JERRY

This is the third in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "In the Summertime", released in 1970, is by a group called MUNGO JERRY.

Mungo Jerry

Hear the song here

This is a whimsical song, and by todays standards its lyrics are sexist, suggesting you do things nowadays frowned upon; but such "banter" was the norm at the time, as was drink-driving. I've included it by reason of it being a story containing social comment, plus the tune is jolly.

IN THE SUMMERTIME

In the summertime, when the weather is high

You can stretch right up and touch the sky

When the weather's fine

You got women, you got women on your mind

Have a drink, have a drive

Go out and see what you can find

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal

If her daddy's poor, just do as you feel

Speed along the lane, do a ton or a ton and twenty-five

When the sun goes down

You can make it, make it good in a lay-by

We're not grey people, we're not dirty, we're not mean

We love everybody, but we do as we please

When the weather's fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea

We're always happy, life's for living

Yeah, that's our philosophy

CHORUS

Sing along with us

Dee-dee-dee, dee-dee

Dah-dah-dah, dah-dah

Yeah we're hap-happy

Dah dah-dah

Dee-dah-do, dee-dah-do, dah-do-dah

Yeah, dah-do, dah-dah-dah

Dah-dah-dah, do-dah-dah (alright, alright, alright)

Alright

When the winter's here, yeah it's party time

Bring you bottle, wear your bright clothes

It'l soon be summertime

And we'll sing again, we'll go driving

Or maybe we'll settle down

If she's rich, if she's nice, bring your friends

And we'll all go into town

In the summertime, when the weather is high

You can stretch right up and touch the sky

When the weather's fine

You got women, you got women on your mind

Have a drink, have a drive

Go out and see what you can find

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal

If her daddy's poor, just do as you feel

Speed along the lane, do a ton or a ton and twenty-five

When the sun goes down

You can make it, make it good in a lay-by

We're not grey people, we're not dirty, we're not mean

We love everybody, but we do as we please

When the weather's fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea

We're always happy, life's for living

Yeah, that's our philosophy

CHORUS  x1

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.