Brooks was a phenomenal musical force in the 1990s. He had his chart breakthrough in 1989, having come apparently from nowhere, and was an immediate commercial success. Lacking the tall and lanky physical appearance typical of some male country stars, he successfully integrated pop and rock elements into his recordings and live performances. He soon began to dominate the country singles and country albums charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, selling records like no one else in country music ever had and exposing country music to a larger audience than previously thought possible.
Brooks enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 115 million albums sold in the US alone, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Possibly dissatisfied and looking to expand his career boundaries, he then attempted an artistically ambitious (but uncompleted) multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego.
Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, the year after the decade ended Garth Brooks announced his retirement from recording and performing, thereby disappearing from the music world as suddenly as he had come.
Recently he has announced his return to live performances by agreeing to a 5 year 15 show a year contract in Vegas. His plan is to finish this contract, write some new stuff, and wait for his youngest daughter to go off to school, and then he plans to return to touring with his wife.
Summer
Garth Brooks Lyrics
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A teenage kid so far from home
She was a lonely widow woman
Hell bent to make it on her own
We were a thousand miles from nowhere
Wheat fields as far as I could see
Both needing something from each other
Not knowing yet what that might be
Hot cup of coffee and a smile
In a dress that I was certain
She hadn't worn in quite a while
There was a difference in her laughter
There was a softness in her eyes
And on the air there was a hunger
Even a boy could recognize
She had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightning from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Raging in her lover's eyes
She had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burning bright
Rushing headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burning both ends of the night
That summer wind was all around me
Nothing between us but the night
When I told her that I'd never
She softly whispered "That's alright"
And then I watched her hands of leather
Turn to velvet in a touch
There's never been another summer
When I have ever learned so much
We had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightnin' from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Ragin' in each others eyes
We had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burnin' bright
Rushin' headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burnin' both ends of the night
I often think about that summer
The sweat, the moonlight and the lace
And I have rarely held another
When I haven't seen her face
And every time I pass a wheat field
And watch it dancin' with the wind
Although I know it isn't real
I just can't help but feel
Her hungry arms again
She had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightnin' from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Ragin' in her lover's eyes
She had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burnin' bright
Rushin' headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burnin' both ends of the night
Rushin' headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burnin' both ends of the night
Garth Brooks’s song ‘That Summer’ is a narrative about a teenage boy who spends his summer working for a lonely widowed woman. The woman, who is desperate to make it on her own, seeks companionship, and the two begin a passionate relationship. The summer is filled with moments of intimacy and exploration, with the boy learning about himself, love, and life. But like any summer, it must eventually come to an end, and he is left with memories of the woman and lessons he will never forget.
The lyrics of this song describe the journey of a boy who slowly discovers the complexities of love and relationships. The woman he works for seems to have an insatiable desire for adventure, passion, and excitement. She introduces him to a world of sensuality and the thrill of the taboo. Their relationship is based on a mutual need for affection and connection, and as Brooks sings, they “were a thousand miles from nowhere” and needed “something from each other, not knowing yet what that might be.”
Brooks paints a vivid picture of the summer with his lyrics: the wheat fields, the warmth of a hot cup of coffee, and the night sky filled with thunder and lightning. The chorus emphasizes the intensity of their relationship, with Brooks singing about their need to “ride the heat of passion like a comet burning bright, rushing headlong in the wind, out where only dreams have been, burning both ends of the night.” The song’s closing lines reveal that the woman will always hold a special place in the boy's heart, as the memories of the summer continue to resurface.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to work for her that summer
I started working for a lonely widow woman whom I didn't know yet.
A teenage kid so far from home
I was a young boy who had traveled far away from my home.
She was a lonely widow woman
The woman I worked for was a widow and without any family or friends.
Hell bent to make it on her own
She had a fierce determination to survive on her own.
We were a thousand miles from nowhere
The place was so isolated that we were far away from any populated area.
Wheat fields as far as I could see
The land was mostly covered with wheat fields that stretched as far as my eyes could see.
Both needing something from each other
We both had some unfulfilled needs and we were hoping to get something from each other.
Not knowing yet what that might be
We were not sure exactly what each of us was looking for.
'Til she came to me one evening
One evening, she came over to me.
Hot cup of coffee and a smile
She offered me a hot cup of coffee and smiled warmly at me.
In a dress that I was certain
She was wearing a dress that I had not seen before.
She hadn't worn in quite a while
It seemed like she had not worn that dress in a long time.
There was a difference in her laughter
I noticed that she was laughing differently than before.
There was a softness in her eyes
Her eyes had a softness about them that I had not seen before.
And on the air there was a hunger
There was a sense of yearning in the air around us.
Even a boy could recognize
It was so obvious that even a young boy like me could sense it.
She had a need to feel the thunder
She needed to feel a powerful force in her life.
To chase the lightning from the sky
She wanted to go after something daring and exciting.
To watch a storm with all its wonder
She desired to witness the awe-inspiring fury of a storm.
Raging in her lover's eyes
She wanted to see that power and passion in her partner's eyes.
She had to ride the heat of passion
She sought to experience intense desire and excitement.
Like a comet burning bright
It had to be something that would burn fiercely and brightly.
Rushing headlong in the wind
She was willing to dive headfirst into that kind of experience.
Out where only dreams have been
She was ready to go beyond reality and into the realm of dreams.
Burning both ends of the night
She was ready to leave nothing on the table and experience everything to the fullest.
That summer wind was all around me
The summer wind surrounded me as I thought about her.
Nothing between us but the night
Nothing was keeping us apart except for the darkness of the night.
When I told her that I'd never
When I confessed to her that I had no experience in this kind of thing.
She softly whispered 'That's alright'
She responded kindly and reassuringly to my confession.
And then I watched her hands of leather
I saw her roughened hands soften and become delicate.
Turn to velvet in a touch
Her hands became as soft and supple as velvet in a single touch.
There's never been another summer
I have never had a summer like that before.
When I have ever learned so much
I learned so much during that summer when I worked for her.
I often think about that summer
I still think about that summer sometimes.
The sweat, the moonlight and the lace
I remember the sweat from our hard work, the moonlit nights, and the romantic details.
And I have rarely held another
I have rarely felt the same way with another person since then.
When I haven't seen her face
Whenever I think about a romantic partner, I often think about her.
And every time I pass a wheat field
Whenever I see a field of wheat, it reminds me of our time together.
And watch it dancin' with the wind
I recall how mighty and beautiful those fields seemed to be.
Although I know it isn't real
Although the memory is not tangible or alive anymore.
I just can't help but feel
I still can't help but feel that same powerful connection.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Patrick Alger, Sandy Mahl, Troyal Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind