In addition to his own albums, Eaglesmith frequently collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a past member of Eaglesmith's band, who had to step down after a heart attack in spring 2007. Eaglesmith's fans are known as Fredheads because of the similarities to deadheads. He has appeared in several movies, including "The Gift" and "50 Odd Dollars." His band is known as The Flying Squirrels or The Flathead Noodlers. Both bands have the same lineup, but play different styles. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock. An early incarnation of the band was known as The Smokin' Losers. When Fred does solo appearances he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to the songs, a typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Fred. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U.S./Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve. Eaglesmith is the owner and president of A Major Label, which publishes his records.
Current band members
* Fred J. Eaglesmith - Guitars, Vocals
* Matt Simpson - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Kori Heppner - Drums
* Luke Stackhouse - Bass, Vocals
Former members
* Willie P. Bennett - Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocals
* David Essig - Mandolin, Guitar
* Kevin Komatsu - Drums
* Roger Marin Jr. - Pedal Steel, Guitar, Vocals
* Ralph Schipper - Bass
* Jude Waldman - Drums
* Dan Walsh - Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
* Skip Wamsteeker - Drums
* Washboard Hank - Washboard, Dobro
* Darcy Yates - Bass
Discography
* Fred Eaglesmith (1980)
* The Boy That Just Went Wrong (1983)
* Indiana Road (1987)
* There Ain't No Easy Road (1991)
* Things Is Changin' (1993)
* Paradise Motel (1994)
* Drive-In Movie (1995)
* Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline (1997)
* 50 Odd Dollars (1999)
* Live: Ralph's Last Show (2001)
* Falling Stars and Broken Hearts (2002)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 1' (2002)
* Balin (2003)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2' (2004)
* Dusty (2004)
* Milly's Cafe (2006)
* Tinderbox (2008)
www.fredeaglesmith.com
Summer is Over
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The turnstiles are seized
The Ferris wheel turns by itself in the breeze
And the big diesel engines
Idle out on the lawn
Summer is over
And my baby's gone
And the roller coaster
The bumper boats drift out
And they drift back in
And the September breezes
Are bringing winter along
Summer is over
And my baby's gone
And the ring that she won me
Is broken in pieces
And I sat on the hat
Now it's got extra creases
And she didn't answer
The last time I called
To tell her they were scrubbing
Our names off the wall
But she left a message
And I should have known
Summer is over
And my baby's gone
Yeah, summer is over
And my baby's gone
The song "Summer Is Over" by Fred Eaglesmith paints a picture of the end of a season, and with that, the end of a relationship. The first verse describes a deserted amusement park, with the turnstiles "seized" and the Ferris wheel turning "by itself in the breeze". This sets the stage for the rest of the song's theme of loneliness and sadness. The second verse adds to the picture with the roller coaster "pulling at its pins" and the bumper boats drifting in and out. The last line of the second verse however, brings it all back to the real heartbreak - "summer is over and my baby's gone".
The third verse is where the singer starts to list off things that remind him of his lost love. The ring she won me is broken, and he accidentally sat on his hat. He hasn't been able to reach her, and even though she left a message, it's clear that their relationship is over. The final verse simply repeats the first line, but with an air of resignation. The season has changed and his world has changed with it.
The song is a powerful evocation of the end of a season, and the end of a relationship. It's full of small, vivid details that help to build the picture of a life that was once full of joy and activity, and is now empty and lonely. The lyrics are open to interpretation - it's not clear whether the singer is mourning the end of the summer or the end of the relationship, or both. But what is clear is that something important has ended, and it's left the singer devastated.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, summer is over
The joyful season of summer has ended
The turnstiles are seized
The amusement park is closed; the entrance gates are rusted shut
The Ferris wheel turns by itself in the breeze
The Ferris wheel moves without riders, turned by the wind
And the big diesel engines
The amusement park's machinery, powered by diesel fuel,
Idle out on the lawn
Remain immobile, unoperated, and parked on the grassy area
Summer is over
The season of warmth and life has faded into the past
And my baby's gone
The singer's girlfriend has left him and moved on
And the roller coaster
The amusement park ride that goes up and down
Pulls at it's pins
The ride is secured in place, but rattles against the locking pins
The bumper boats drift out
Bumper boats, used for a recreational water sport, drift away from shore
And they drift back in
Eventually, the bumper boats return towards the shore
And the September breezes
Wind of the autumn month of September
Are bringing winter along
The air is chilling, leading into the season of winter
And the ring that she won me
The piece of jewellery given to speaker by the woman he was romantically involved with,
Is broken in pieces
The ring is shattered and unusable
And I sat on the hat
The artist has flattened the cap he was wearing by sitting on it
Now it's got extra creases
The cap now has many folds and wrinkles that it didn't have before
And she didn't answer
The girl being referred to didn't reply,
The last time I called
The most recent occasion on which the singer tried to contact her
To tell her they were scrubbing
The artist attempted to inform the girl that someone was wiping clean
Our names off the wall
An inscription on a wall commemorating the relationship between the artist and the girl
But she left a message
It turns out, the girl actually did send him a note,
And I should have known
The singer is now regretful that he didn't catch on earlier
Summer is over
The season that brings light and warmth has concluded
And my baby's gone
His relationship has ended abruptly, leaving him lonely
Yeah, summer is over
Repetition of the opening line, emphasizing the finality of the season's end
And my baby's gone
Repetition of the phrase, highlighting his sense of loss and despair
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tim Duffin
on John Deere B
"The original B" s/b "The original paint"
"Then I saw I saw the mirror" s/b "Then I saw them narrow"