This standard classic is from the 1971 American "coming-of-age" motion-picture, "Summer of '42", a dramatization based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher, which tells the story of the author as a boy in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island, off the coast of New England, who embarked on a one-sided romance with a woman whose husband had gone off to fight in World War II.
The film's soundtrack consists almost entirely of compositions by Legrand, many of which are variants of "The Summer Knows", the movie's main theme.
The Summer Knows
Barbra Streisand Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And unashamed she sheds her clothes,
The summer smoothes the restless sky
And lovingly she warms the sand
On which you lie
The summer knows, the summer's wise,
She sees the doubts within your eyes
Tells the moon to wait and the sun to linger
Twists the world round her summer finger
Lets you see the wonder of it all
And if you've learned your lesson well
There's little more for her to tell
One last caress
It's time to dress
For Fall
And if you've learned your lesson well
There's little more for her to tell
One last caress
It's time to dress
For Fall
The Summer Knows is a beautiful song that describes the essence of summertime, its beauty and significance in the hearts of people. The main idea is to depict summer as a wise and warm being that understands the doubts and fears that come with the human mind. The first line, "The summer smiles, the summer knows," is a way of introducing the character of summer as someone who is aware of everything around her. Moreover, the line "And unashamed she sheds her clothes" refers to how summer unabashedly lets go of its warmth and love, inspiring us to do the same.
Barbra Streisand beautifully captures the power of summer in the lyrics, "The summer smoothes the restless sky, and lovingly she warms the sand on which you lie." Summer is personified in these lines and shows how it can calm our restless minds and bring us joy. In the second verse, the lyrics describe summer as wise and capable of understanding the doubts and fears that people might have. By taking control of the season, the summer tells the other forces of nature to wait and lets us witness the beautiful world it has created.
In conclusion, The Summer Knows is a beautiful song that weaves together the essence of summer and human emotions perfectly. The personification of summer as a wise being that can teach us valuable lessons about life adds to the charm of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer smiles, the summer knows
Summer brings happiness and knowledge.
And unashamed she sheds her clothes
Summer is unafraid and strips away its barriers.
The summer smoothes the restless sky
Summer calms the chaotic sky.
And lovingly she warms the sand
Summer heats the sand with love and care for those who lie on it.
The summer knows, the summer's wise
Summer is knowledgeable and wise.
She sees the doubts within your eyes
Summer understands the uncertainties in people's minds.
And so she takes her summertime
Summer takes control of her time.
Tells the moon to wait and the sun to linger
Summer controls the nature around her, making the moon wait and sun stay longer.
Twists the world round her summer finger
Summer manipulates the world around her under her control.
Lets you see the wonder of it all
Summer lets people appreciate the beauty of everything that surrounds them.
And if you've learned your lesson well
If you have learned enough from summer,
There's little more for her to tell
Summer has nothing more to teach you.
One last caress
A final touch from summer.
It's time to dress
Time for new season.
For Fall
Summer is over and it's time for autumn.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michel Jean Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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