In 1981 Bolland & Bolland establish their name internationally with the release of the album The Domino Theory. The album contains the single In The Army Now, which becomes a small hit. Together with Austrian singer Falco the Bolland brothers write and produce the single Rock Me Amadeus. Although it fails to enter the Dutch charts it does become a number one hit in both the UK and the US. The duo receives the Exportprijs ('Export Award').
See also http://www.last.fm/music/bolland
Summer of '71
Bolland & Bolland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it didn't matter anyhow 'cause the tea was old
Past the edge of my cup I looked through my window
But there's little to see, just the raindrops and me
Oho, it ain't easy, you see
In my room it's quite a mess
How I miss you, you'll never guess
I just let them talk
You always not to see them walking them past our door
You love the snowflakes in the winter and so much more
Oho, late that summer of '69
I remember the day
Or was it the night?
You went away
Now it always seems to rain
How right you are
Of nights what you're sayin'
Time strucks by, wait
Something's caught my eye
And just like in the movies
It seems so typically dream
Dream, sweet dreams
Dream, sweet dreams
Shall we go out in the rain?
No, that swell, it's to you the same
OK, I'll go on ahead
But you must come when I call your name
Now we laugh at christmas, the two of us
The sun shines on rainy days
To see you laugh in simple ways
Oho, late that summer of '71
Nanana...
The Bolland & Bolland song, Summer of '71 starts off describing a scene of loneliness and heartbreak. The singer is sitting alone drinking tea which has turned cold as they gaze out of the window watching the raindrops. The room is also described as a mess which emphasizes the theme of loneliness and depression. The second verse shares a few memories of the past with their loved one, including how the loved one would watch snowflakes in the winter, showing a romantic appreciation for the simple things.
The chorus hints towards a vague recollection of the past and how situations were different during the summer of '69. The bridge brings about an interesting tone shift with a hint of dreaming of a reunion with the loved one, and the possibility of going out in the rain together. The song ultimately ends on a hopeful note, symbolizing a newfound happiness with the mention of laughter and sunshine, ending with a humming "nana" to close the song.
Line by Line Meaning
On a rainy night without you my tea turned cold
My tea had turned cold because it wasn't worth drinking anyway while I was alone on a rainy night without you.
But it didn't matter anyhow 'cause the tea was old
Even if my tea would have been worth drinking, I couldn't have enjoyed it because it was old, and that's okay.
Past the edge of my cup I looked through my window
I looked out of the window while holding my cup of tea, but there wasn't much to see.
But there's little to see, just the raindrops and me
The only thing that I could see through the window was the raindrops and my own reflection, which made me feel lonely.
Oho, it ain't easy, you see
All of this loneliness and missing you is not easy for me, and it's taking a toll.
In my room it's quite a mess
My room is a mess because I just can't focus on anything except how much I miss you.
How I miss you, you'll never guess
I'm missing you so much that it's impossible for you to guess the extent of it.
And the people on the sidewalk
People walking on the sidewalk outside don't matter to me - I'm too consumed with missing you.
I just let them talk
I don't pay attention to what they are saying or doing, and I just let them be.
You always not to see them walking them past our door
You used to love watching people walk past our door, but now I can't imagine why.
You love the snowflakes in the winter and so much more
You loved so many things, including winter and snowflakes, and I wish you were here to share them with me.
Oho, late that summer of '69
I remember that summer of '69, when everything seemed perfect and we were both so happy.
I remember the day
I remember the day that you went away, and it's never been the same since.
Or was it the night?
I'm not sure whether you left during the day or at night, but it doesn't really matter because I miss you either way.
Now it always seems to rain
Ever since you left, it feels like it always rains, and the world seems colder and grayer.
How right you are
You were right all along - without you here, everything just feels dull and unimportant.
Of nights what you're sayin'
What you said about missing me on nights like this makes so much sense now that I'm experiencing it myself.
Time strucks by, wait
Time seems to go by so slowly without you here, and it's almost unbearable.
Something's caught my eye
I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, but it doesn't matter because it's not you.
And just like in the movies
As if following a script from a movie, something unexpected has caught my attention.
It seems so typically dream
What I'm seeing now seems like it could only happen in a dream - it's too surreal to be real.
Dream, sweet dreams
I wish for sweet dreams to take me away from this cold and lonely reality.
Shall we go out in the rain?
Would you like to go out and walk in the rain with me?
No, that swell, it's to you the same
No, it's okay - I understand that you feel the same way I do and should stay home.
OK, I'll go on ahead
Alright, I'll go for a walk in the rain by myself then.
But you must come when I call your name
But please come to me when I call your name, because I need you here with me.
Now we laugh at christmas, the two of us
Now that we're together, we can laugh and enjoy Christmas as a couple.
The sun shines on rainy days
Even on the rainy days, when everything seems to be going wrong, the sun still shines and there is hope.
To see you laugh in simple ways
It's hard to describe how much joy it brings to me to see you happy, especially in small and simple ways.
Oho, late that summer of '71
As we look back on the summer of '71, we appreciate all the good times we've shared and how far we've come as a couple.
Contributed by Sarah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marcellino van Vliet
Bolland & Bolland: Summer Of '71
On a rainy night without you my tea turned cold
But it didn't matter anyhow 'cause the tea was old
Past the edge of my cup I looked through the window
But there's little to see, just the raindrops and me
Oho, it ain't easy, you see
In my room it's quite a mess
How I miss you, you'll never guess
And the people on the sidewalk
I just let them talk
You always not to see them walking them past our door
You love the snowflakes in the winter and so much more
Oho, late that summer of '69
I remember the day
Or was it the night?
You went away
Now it always seems to rain
How right you are
Of nights what you're sayin'
Time strucks by, wait
Something's caught my eye
And just like in the movies
It seems so typically dream
Dream, sweet dreams
Dream, sweet dreams
Shall we go out in the rain?
No, that swell, it's to you the same
OK, I'll go on ahead
But you must come when I call your name
Now we laugh at christmas, the two of us
The sun shines on rainy days
To see you laugh in simple ways
Oho, late that summer of '71
Nanana
Harry Versteege
Wat kan muziek toch mooi zijn, gewoonweg een prachtig nummer
Vallerie Edmonds
I was an American girl living in the Netherlands in 1972 . My 13 year self loved this song. It popped in my mind a few days ago and it was so cool to find it on YouTube.
Marcellino van Vliet
Bolland & Bolland: Summer Of '71
On a rainy night without you my tea turned cold
But it didn't matter anyhow 'cause the tea was old
Past the edge of my cup I looked through the window
But there's little to see, just the raindrops and me
Oho, it ain't easy, you see
In my room it's quite a mess
How I miss you, you'll never guess
And the people on the sidewalk
I just let them talk
You always not to see them walking them past our door
You love the snowflakes in the winter and so much more
Oho, late that summer of '69
I remember the day
Or was it the night?
You went away
Now it always seems to rain
How right you are
Of nights what you're sayin'
Time strucks by, wait
Something's caught my eye
And just like in the movies
It seems so typically dream
Dream, sweet dreams
Dream, sweet dreams
Shall we go out in the rain?
No, that swell, it's to you the same
OK, I'll go on ahead
But you must come when I call your name
Now we laugh at christmas, the two of us
The sun shines on rainy days
To see you laugh in simple ways
Oho, late that summer of '71
Nanana
Jean Louis Artiste Chanteur
Absolutely beautiful , really...
delpotman
Jammer dat dit nooit meer hoort op de radio! Is echt heel mooi!
Guy Nys
Absolute en tijdloze klasse, dit pareltje. Ik ben nochtans een fan van hardrock, maar voor topkwaliteit als dit hou ik altijd plaats in mijn muzikaal hart.
Evert de Kruyff
Wat een emotie in deze muziek, superr
NCokkie
Vroeger werd muziek geschreven en uitgevoerd door kunstenaars. Tegenwoordig wordt geluid gefabriceerd door techneuten.
Shane Smith
True, mooi gezegd...
Evert de Kruyff
prachtig nummer, zo hoor je ze niet meer.