Prophet released his solo debut Brother Aldo in 1990 on Fire records,(later reissued in the late 1990's on Walter Yetnikoff's Velvel imprint. His immediate career path took him through mostly European touring markets and his followup "Balinese Dancer" came out in 1993 & later the Steve Berlin produced "Feast of Hearts" came out in Europe only through the Fire imprint. After a decade long bout with substance abuse, Prophet resurfaced refreshed and renewed on the critical breakthroughs 1998's "Homemade Blood", 2000's "The Hurting Business" and 2002's live "Turn The Pigeons Loose" (all available via Cooking Vinyl in UK). By 2000 he'd recorded a side project with his wife Stefanie called Go Go Market and begun incorporating electronic influences into his traditional roots rock formula, resulting in some mainstream radio play and expanded exposure, culminating in the wider distribution of albums "No Other Love" from 2002 and 2004's "Age of Miracles" on New West Records. Chuck signed a new arrangement in the US with North Carolina based Yep Roc for 2007's "Soap and Water", an album that saw the musician invited to play twice on National Public Radio, as well as on televison talk shows like Late Night With David Letterman, and The Carson Daly Show.
Over the years he also began collaborating with other songwriters like Kelly Willis, Steve Yerkey and contributing as a guitarist/musician to studio efforts from folks like Jonathan Richman, Warren Zevon, Kim Carnes, Cake, Tom Heyman and Jewel. Alejandro Escovedo's upcoming 2008 release produced by Tony Visconti entitled Real Animal was co-written and recorded with Prophet. In addition to having his songs recorded by artists like Solomon Burke, Heart & Cyndi Thomson he has also recorded with men who started out as his influences like Jim Dickinson, Dan Penn and the late Warren Zevon.
www.chuckprophet.com.
Summertime Thing
Chuck Prophet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Money in the bank
I ain't gonna save it
Jenny's coming by
Hope she makes it
Jenny's coming by
Sure hope she makes it
Summertime thing
There's a party next door, sounds like it's cooking
I poked my head over the wall
Took a look in
There was a five piece band
They was really rockin'
Looked like some kind of family reunion
Hey
It's a summertime thing
Summertime thing
That summer heat has got me feeling lazy
The air is warm and the sky is hazy
People getting down, getting crazy
People getting down, getting stupid, betting crazy
Hey
It's a summertime thing
Summertime thing
Go ask your dad for the keys to the Honda
Can your sister come along, how could she not wanna
Put the Beach Boys on, wanna hear Help Me Rhonda
Roll down the sides we'll drive to the delta
Take off our clothes and jump into the river
Ain't nobody around
Ain't nobody gonna see us
Take off your clothes jump into the river
Hey
It's a summertime thing
Summertime thing
Chuck Prophet's Summertime Thing is a perfect song to get all people in the mood for the warm summer season. The song starts with the description of the scorching sun burning down on the pavement. Despite the heat, the singer seems carefree and not interested in saving money as he doesn't intend to. He's waiting for his friend Jenny, hoping that she'll show up. The lyrics express the idea that the spirit of summer revitalizes him like no other time of the year, and the expected arrival of Jenny contributes to his excitement.
The song then proceeds to describe a party next door that seems to be in full swing, and the atmosphere is electric. The music, the people, the feeling is all-encompassing, and the singer can't help but peek over the wall to see what the fuss is all about. It turns out to be a family reunion with a five-piece band, and everyone is having a great time. The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia here, and the idea that summer is a time to be reunited with family and friends, and to make new memories.
The rest of the song talks about how summer makes people behave differently, letting their hair down, getting crazy, and betting stupid. The singer suggests taking a car ride, listening to the Beach Boys, and going to the delta, where there are no people and where they can do's whatever they want. The song is an ode to everything that is summer, with its long days, hot sun, and wild fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the sun is burning down on the pavement
The sun is shining bright and hot, making the pavement scorching hot.
Money in the bank
I have some money saved up in my bank account.
I ain't gonna save it
I have no intention of saving my money.
Jenny's coming by
My friend Jenny is coming over to hang out.
Hope she makes it
I hope she arrives here safely.
Jenny's coming by
My friend Jenny is coming over to hang out.
Sure hope she makes it
I really hope she doesn't run into any problems on her way here.
It's a summertime thing
The experiences and feelings that come with summertime are unique and special.
Summertime thing
Repeatedly emphasizing the joy of summertime.
There's a party next door, sounds like it's cooking
I can hear and sense that there's a fun and lively party happening next door.
I poked my head over the wall
I took a peek by looking over the wall.
Took a look in
I observed what was happening at the party.
There was a five piece band
There was a musical group with five members playing music.
They was really rockin'
The musical group was playing energetically and exceptionally well.
Looked like some kind of family reunion
The people at the party seemed to be related to one another.
That summer heat has got me feeling lazy
The hot weather is making me feel lethargic and unmotivated.
The air is warm and the sky is hazy
The temperature outside feels warm, and the sky appears cloudy and hazy.
People getting down, getting crazy
People are enjoying the moment and having a great time.
People getting down, getting stupid, betting crazy
People are behaving in a wild and foolish way, taking risks and acting recklessly.
Go ask your dad for the keys to the Honda
You should ask your dad for permission to borrow his Honda car.
Can your sister come along, how could she not wanna
Would your sister be interested in joining us? It's hard to imagine why she wouldn't.
Put the Beach Boys on, wanna hear Help Me Rhonda
Let's listen to some music by The Beach Boys, particularly the song 'Help Me Rhonda.'
Roll down the sides we'll drive to the delta
Let's lower the windows of the car and take a drive to the delta region.
Take off our clothes and jump into the river
Let's take off our clothes and go for a swim in the river.
Ain't nobody around
It doesn't seem like anyone else is near us.
Ain't nobody gonna see us
There's nobody around to observe or catch us.
Take off your clothes jump into the river
Let's quickly and excitedly get into the water without any hesitation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHUCK PROPHET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind