Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He made his debut in 1966 with the hit single Tell It Like It Is, a Number One hit on the Billboard R&B charts. From 1977 he performed as part of The Neville Brothers with his siblings, Art Neville, Charles Neville, Cyril Neville & Ivan Neville.

Neville charted again, in 1989, when he collaborated with Linda Ronstadt on three consecutive duets: Don't Know Much, All My Life, and When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, the first two reached Number One on the Adult Contemporary charts. Neville has released more than 20 singles, including three Number Ones on the Adult Contemporary format, and a fourth on the R&B format.

His other hits have included Everybody Plays the Fool, his successful 1991 cover of the 1972 Main Ingredient song, that reached #8 on the Hot 100; Don't Take Away My Heaven, Hercules and Can't Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song). Neville's biggest solo successes have been on the Adult Contemporary chart, where "Don't Know Much," "All My Life," and "Everybody Plays the Fool" all reached Number One.

Aaron signed to SonyBMG's new Burgundy Records label in late 2005 and recorded an album of songs by Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and others for Bring It On Home...The Soul Classics, released on September 19, 2006. The album, produced by Stewart Levine, features collaborations between Neville and Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Chris Botti, David Sanborn, Art Neville, and others. The album's first single was a remake of The Impressions' 1963 classic It's All Right.

On October 27, 2006, Neville made a guest appearance on an episode of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He sang Stand By Me" and Ain't No Sunshine, from his album, Bring It on Home … The Soul Classics. In 2008 he released Gold, which includes a double album of his hits.

http://www.aaronneville.com

Summertime
Aaron Neville Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin', I know they are jumpin' and the cotton is so high
Your Daddy's rich and your Mama is good lookin'
So hush little baby, don't you cry
No need to cryin'

One of these mornings
One of these mornings

You're gonna rise up singing
You will spread your wings
Spread your wings

Then you'll take to the sky
But till that morning
There is nothin' gonna harm you
With your Daddy and your Mama keep on standin' by
They're standin' by

But till that morning
Until that morning
There is nothin' gonna harm you
With your Daddy and your Mama keep on standin' by

With your Daddy and your Mama keep on standin' by
Summertime, summertime, summertime, summertime

Overall Meaning

Aaron Neville's version of "Summertime" has a soothing effect on the listeners due to the softness of his voice, mellow production, and the beautiful description of summertime. The song has a relaxed vibe and represents the idyllic summer season, where the weather is beautiful, and there is nothing to worry about. The opening line, "Summertime and the livin' is easy," sets a tone of relaxation one feels during the summer. The "fish are jumpin'," and everything is beautiful in nature. Neville then describes the cotton, which is metaphorically high, representing abundance and prosperity. He sings about how the baby's daddy is rich and mama is good looking, signifying good fortune and beauty. Neville calms the baby and tells it, "hush little baby, don't you cry," showing that there is nothing to worry about during the summertime.

Neville then moves into the second verse, speaking of optimism about the future. He tells the baby that "one of these mornings," it will rise and "spread its wings." This lyric represents moving forward and breaking free to embrace new beginnings. The line "take to the sky" symbolizes achieving greatness and success. The idea that nothing will harm the baby is prevalent in the lyrics, and Neville reinforces it by saying that the parents will always be standing by to protect their child. The repetition of "till that morning" reinforces the optimism about the future, and nothing will go wrong till that morning. The final repetition of "summertime" rounds out the song, bringing it full circle to a relaxing, peaceful vibe.

Line by Line Meaning

Summertime and the livin' is easy
During summer the living is relaxed and free from difficulties.

Fish are jumpin', I know they are jumpin' and the cotton is so high
Nature is at its best with fish hopping around and cotton crops grown to towering heights.

Your Daddy's rich and your Mama is good lookin'
Your parents are blessed with money and physical beauty.

So hush little baby, don't you cry
Be quiet, baby, and don't shed any tears.

No need to cryin'
There is no need to cry.

One of these mornings
At some point in the future.

You're gonna rise up singing
You will triumphantly overcome challenges and find your voice.

You will spread your wings
You will be able to explore your potential and soar.

Then you'll take to the sky
Then you will fly and achieve your goals.

But till that morning
Until that time comes.

There is nothin' gonna harm you
There is no danger or difficulty that will hurt you.

With your Daddy and your Mama keep on standin' by
With your parents providing support and guidance.

They're standin' by
They are ready to assist and offer protection.

Summertime, summertime, summertime, summertime
Repeating the main theme of the song for emphasis.

Lyrics © ACUM Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Heyward, Du Bose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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