This standard classic is from the 1971 American "coming-of-age" motion-picture, "Summer of '42", a dramatization based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher, which tells the story of the author as a boy in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island, off the coast of New England, who embarked on a one-sided romance with a woman whose husband had gone off to fight in World War II.
The film's soundtrack consists almost entirely of compositions by Legrand, many of which are variants of "The Summer Knows", the movie's main theme.
The Summer Knows
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And unashamed, she sheds her clothes
The summer smooths the restless sky
And lovingly she warms the sand on which you lie
The summer knows, the summer's wise
She sees the doubts within your eyes
And so she takes her summer time
Twists the world 'round her summer finger
Lets you see the wonder of her arm?
And if you've learned your lesson well
There's little more for her to tell
One last caress, it's time to dress for fall
The summer knows, the summer's wise
She sees the doubts within your eyes
And so she takes her summer time
Tells the moon to wait and the sun to linger
Twists the world 'round her summer finger
Lets you see the wonder of her arms?
And if you've learned your lesson well
There's little more for her to tell
One last caress, it's time to dress for fall
The song "The Summer Knows" paints a picture of summer as a wise and all-knowing entity that takes its time to bring out the best in people. It describes how summer sheds its clothes without hesitation and smoothes the restless sky. The lyrics suggest that summer gives people no choice but to embrace its warmth and leisurely atmosphere.
The second stanza suggests that summer sees through the doubts within a person and takes time to teach them what they need to know. It twists the world 'round its summer finger and allows them to see the wonder of its arms. The song' lyrics imply that if one takes the time to learn its lessons well, there is little more for summer to tell. The final verse suggests that with one last caress, it's time to dress for fall.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer smiles, the summer knows
The summer season is happy and fully aware of itself
And unashamed, she sheds her clothes
The summer is shameless in its nakedness, providing warmth and light
The summer smooths the restless sky
The summer season calms the previously tumultuous sky
And lovingly she warms the sand on which you lie
The summer envelops you with its love and warmth as you relax on the beach
The summer knows, the summer's wise
The summer season is knowledgeable and wise beyond its years
She sees the doubts within your eyes
The summer can perceive your worries and doubts
And so she takes her summer time
The summer utilizes the season to the fullest
Tells the moon to wait and the sun to linger
The summer season commands the celestial bodies to stay longer
Twists the world 'round her summer finger
The summer season controls the world as if it were a mere toy
Lets you see the wonder of her arm?
The summer season lets you bask in its marvelousness and splendor
And if you've learned your lesson well
If you have fully appreciated and taken advantage of the summer season
There's little more for her to tell
There is nothing new that the summer season can teach you
One last caress, it's time to dress for fall
The summer season gives you one final embrace before its end, as you prepare for the fall season
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michel Jean Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind