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Summer in the City
The Lovin' Spoonful Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Overall Meaning

The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City" portrays the joys and sorrows of summertime in the urban city. The song's opening line, "Hot town, summer in the city," sets the scene for a hot and sticky environment. The singer comments on the dirt and grime that stick to his skin as he navigates the city streets. Despite the unpleasant heat, the nighttime presents a different world, and the singer explores the lively nightlife, looking for a girl to dance with. The song contrasts the daytime and nighttime experiences in the city, implying that the nighttime atmosphere is more conducive to fun and excitement, while the daytime is oppressive and a hindrance to enjoyment.


The song portrays the bustling and vibrant city ambiance, attracting people into its energy. Despite the discomfort and busyness that the city brings, people still long to explore and experience all its offerings fully. The song reminds us to embrace the chaos of city living and find pleasure in the long and hot summer days and nights.


Line by Line Meaning

Hot town, summer in the city
The temperature is high and it's summertime in the urban area


Back of my neck gettin' dirty and gritty
Due to the hot and humid climate, the back of the person's neck is getting dirty and sweaty


Been down, isn't it a pity?
The person is feeling low and it's unfortunate


Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
There aren't enough trees or buildings to provide shade in the city


All around, people lookin' half dead
The heat is taking a toll on the people, making them look exhausted and lethargic


Walkin' on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
The pavement is so heated up that it feels as hot as a match head


But at night, it's a different world
The nighttime has a different environment than the daytime


Go out and find a girl
Find a girl to spend time with


Come on, come on, and dance all night
Dancing throughout the night is encouraged


Despite the heat, it'll be alright
Even though the temperature is high, things will be fine


And babe, don't you know it's a pity
It's a shame that the days can't be as good as the nights


The days can't be like the nights
It's not possible to have the same level of enjoyment during the daytime as it is at nighttime


Cool town, evening in the city
The temperature has cooled down, and it's nighttime in the city


Dressed so fine and lookin' so pretty
People are dressed nicely and appear attractive


Cool cat lookin' for a kitty
A cool person searching for a romantic partner


Gonna look in every corner of the city
Will search thoroughly for the right person


'Til I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Will continue searching until out of breath


Runnin' upstairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop
Will run up to the rooftop to meet the person being searched for




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Steve Boone, John Benson Sebastian, Mark Douglas Sebastian

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@francislynne478

Why was the phone busy? Who are you calling?

The psychic hotline.

I’d advice you to take this more seriously.

Look, this is a public phone, what do you want me to say?

You could simply say that there was a fat women on it and it took you a minute to get her off.



@reddrs424

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
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



All comments from YouTube:

@TheRWS

I don't think I could ever explain how much I love this song

@enigma2845

This brings back childhood memories for me, growing up in Chicago, and summers that seemed to be endless🌞, the good old day wouldn't trade them for the world.💖

@MIKECNW

Glad you enjoyed but remember what was going on that summer? Race riots. Though my understanding 10 other cities were going through the same thing.

@RayonConmar

@@MIKECNW Hey do you know what's really cool? Letting people reminisce on fond memories without shoehorning your agenda in.

@richardmartinez2428

@@MIKECNW The only thing was for a kid growing up during those times, besides cartoons music was all we had. Summer times at the beach listening to this song and many others on the radio was the escape during those times. The adults had to deal with the real world at those times.

@JoeNormal

Love Chicago!! Here's a new summer anthem for ya! "SUMMER JOBS" https://youtu.be/SpAC4DDz628

@josephcostello695

grew up in nyc when this song was big I think I was 7 or 8 at the time. but goid times they were. you have great taste in music.

6 More Replies...

@brettkoeshall2325

This is actually one of favorite Lovin' Spoonful.

@RickRox75

This was one of the songs that defined the summer of 1966, in fact it was one of the songs of 1966. Summer In The City is a classic done brilliantly by John Sebastian and The Lovin' Spoonful, an American No.1 in August 1966, it peaked at No.8 in the UK that same month. America's No.11 of 1966 was the UK's 85th best seller of 1966.

@mikal0457

why does it have so little views

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