In the Good Old Summertime
Chet Atkins Lyrics
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That we always hold dear
Good old summertime
With the birds and the trees'es
And sweet scented breezes
Good old summertime
When your day's work is over
Then you are in clover
No trouble annoying
Each one is enjoying
The good old summertime
In the good old summertime
In the good old summertime
Strolling through a shady lane
With your baby mine
You hold her hand and she holds yours
And that's a very good sign
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
In the good, old summertime
Oh, to swim in the pool
You'd play hooky from school
Good old summertime
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
With Jim, Kate and Josie
Good old summertime
Those days full of pleasure
We now fondly treasure
When we never thought it a crime
To go stealing cherries
With faces brown as berries
In good old summertime
In the good old summertime
In the good old summertime
Strolling through a shady lane
With your baby mine
You hold her hand and she holds yours
And that's a very good sign
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
In the good, old summertime
Chet Atkins's song "In the Good Old Summertime" is a nostalgic piece that reminisces about the joys and pleasures of summertime. The lyrics highlight how people in the olden days would take advantage of the warm weather to enjoy themselves without much anxiety or stress. The singer begins by observing that there is a time each year that they always hold dear, which is the good old summertime. He further notes how the birds and the trees contribute to the beauty of the season with their sweet scented breezes.
The second stanza talks about strolling through a shady lane with one's baby while holding her hand. It indicates that holding hands is a good sign that she is his "tootsey-wootsey." This phrase means a sweetheart or a loved one. The song also talks about the fun and pleasures of summertime, such as swimming in the pool, playing hooky from school, and playing games like "ring-a-rosie" with friends.
The third and final stanza highlights the innocence of childhood summers, where children would go cherry picking with their faces brown as berries. The overall message of the song is that the good old summertime is a time to enjoy life, cherish memories, and appreciate the beauty of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a time each year
There's a special time each year that we always cherish.
That we always hold dear
We hold this time dear to our hearts.
Good old summertime
This special time is the good old summertime.
With the birds and the trees'es
During summertime, there are birds and trees all around.
And sweet scented breezes
We enjoy the refreshing and sweet-smelling summer breezes.
Good old summertime
We love the good old summertime.
When your day's work is over
When we're done with our work for the day.
Then you are in clover
We feel relaxed and happy.
And life is one beautiful rhyme
We feel that life is beautiful and harmonious.
No trouble annoying
We don't have any troubles bothering us.
Each one is enjoying
Everyone is enjoying summertime.
The good old summertime
We can't get enough of the good old summertime.
In the good old summertime
The good old summertime is such a great time.
In the good old summertime
We can't stop talking about the good old summertime.
Strolling through a shady lane
We enjoy taking leisurely walks in the cool shade.
With your baby mine
With my significant other by my side.
You hold her hand and she holds yours
We hold hands together and feel each other's love.
And that's a very good sign
This is a clear sign that we love each other.
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
We have a cute and affectionate nickname for each other.
In the good, old summertime
We love to be together in the good old summertime.
Oh, to swim in the pool
There's nothing like swimming in the pool during summertime.
You'd play hooky from school
We would even skip school to enjoy summertime activities.
Good old summertime
Summertime is simply the best time of the year.
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
We love playing classic children's games during summertime.
With Jim, Kate and Josie
We love spending time with our friends during summertime.
Good old summertime
You just can't beat the good old summertime.
Those days full of pleasure
We enjoy days that are filled with nothing but pleasure.
We now fondly treasure
We treasure these memories fondly.
When we never thought it a crime
Back then, we thought nothing of taking a few cherries from the trees.
To go stealing cherries
We have fond memories of picking cherries in the summertime.
With faces brown as berries
Our faces would get tan from being out in the sun so much during summertime.
In good old summertime
There's just something about the good old summertime that we can't help but love.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE EVANS (DP), PHILIP PARENTI (ESTATE), REN SHIELDS (DP), TONY PARENTI
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