Gerry Marsden (1942-2021) formed Gerry & The Pacemakers in the late 1950s with his brother, Fred Marsden (died 2006), Les Chadwick (1943-2019) and Arthur Mack. They rivalled The Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany, and Liverpool, England, and being from Liverpool, managed by Brian Epstein, and recorded by George Martin. Mack was replaced on piano by Les Maguire ()born 1941) around 1961. They are known to have rehearsed at Camell Laird shipping yard at Birkenhead.
They began recording in early 1963 with "How Do You Do It?", a Mitch Murray written song that both Adam Faith and The Beatles had turned down (in the latter case because they wanted to record their own material, specifically "Please Please Me"). The song became a number one hit, until being replaced at the top by The Beatles' third single, "From Me to You".
Gerry & the Pacemakers next two singles, Murray's "I Like It" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", both also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Never before had the first three singles by a performer all reached the top spot (the feat would not be duplicated until Frankie Goes to Hollywood did it in the 1980s).
Despite this early success, Gerry & the Pacemakers never had another number one single in the U.S. Gerry Marsden began writing most of their own songs, including "It's All Right", "I'm the One", and "Ferry Cross the Mersey", as well as their first and biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". All of these represented the band's light, poppy, enjoyable sound. They also starred in a moderately successful early 1965 film called Ferry Cross the Mersey, for which Marsden wrote much of the soundtrack.
By later in 1965, though, their popularity was rapidly declining on both sides of the Atlantic. They lacked the innovation of the Beatles and did not have the rawer musical and visual edge of some of the other British Invasion groups, and they soon seemed un-hip. They disbanded in October 1966 with much of their latter recorded material never released in the UK.
Gerry Marsden became a popular cabaret and children's TV entertainer. He reformed the band in 1972 with prominent Liverpool musicians Jose McLaughlin, Billy Kinsley and Pete Clarke. In April 1973, this second version of the group became the only Merseybeat band to ever record for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio. The tracks from that show have now been included on the album Gerry & the Pacemakers Live at the BBC, released on Parlophone Records in October 2018. Subsequently, Marsden occasionally toured with various line-ups of the band on the oldies circuit. Gerry Marsden announced his retirement on 29 November 2018.
The band is probably best remembered for their version of "You'll Never Walk Alone," which has become the anthem for Liverpool Football Club in England. Liverpool's fans sing the song before every match at Anfield, their home stadium.
Summertime
Gerry & The Pacemakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by
Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
Gerry & The Pacemakers's song Summertime is an American classic that has been covered by many artists. The opening lyrics are reminiscent of the lazy, hazy, and carefree days of summer that many people look forward to each year. The first line, "Summertime, and the livin' is easy," conveys the mood of the season, which is a time to relax and enjoy yourself. The second line, "Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high," paints a picture of the natural beauty and abundance that can be found during the summer months. The juxtaposition of the two images creates a sense of harmony and balance between nature and human existence.
The next set of lyrics describes the singer's family. "Your daddy's rich and your mamma's good lookin'" indicates that the singer's family is well-off and attractive. The line "So hush little baby, don't you cry" suggests that the singer is comforting a child. The final verse is about hope and the promise of a new day. "One of these mornings you're going to rise up singing" indicates that the singer believes that things will get better in the future. The line "Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky" indicates that the singer believes that the future will be bright and full of promise.
Line by Line Meaning
Summertime,
It's summertime now,
And the livin' is easy
Life is easy and carefree during summertime,
Fish are jumpin'
Fish are lively and jumping in the water,
And the cotton is high
Cotton crops have grown tall in the fields,
Your daddy's rich
Your father is financially well-off,
And your mamma's good lookin'
Your mother is attractive,
So hush little baby
Be quiet, little baby,
Don't you cry
Don't shed any tears,
One of these mornings
One day in the near future,
You're going to rise up singing
You will wake up and start singing happily,
Then you'll spread your wings
You will gain confidence and pursue new opportunities,
And you'll take to the sky
You will achieve great success,
But till that morning
But until that day comes,
There's a'nothing can harm you
You are protected and safe from harm,
With daddy and mamma standing by
Your parents are here to support you,
Summertime,
It's summertime now,
And the livin' is easy
Life is easy and carefree during summertime,
Fish are jumpin'
Fish are lively and jumping in the water,
And the cotton is high
Cotton crops have grown tall in the fields,
Your daddy's rich
Your father is financially well-off,
And your mamma's good lookin'
Your mother is attractive,
So hush little baby
Be quiet, little baby,
Don't you cry
Don't shed any tears,
Contributed by Alyssa H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.