Born in Yonkers, New York, Casey received his Fine Arts Degree from the Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts in 1957.
In the mid-1960s, Casey met Jim Jacobs while acting with the Chicago Stage Guild, and the two began collaborating on a play about high school life during the golden age of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s. Entitled Grease, it premiered in 1971 at the Kingston Mines Theater in the Old Town section of Chicago. Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox saw the show and suggested to the playwrights that it might work better as a musical, and told them if the creative partners were willing to rework it and they liked the end result, they would produce it off-Broadway. Casey quit his day job as a department store lingerie buyer and the team headed to New York City to collaborate on what would become Grease, which opened at the Eden Theatre in downtown Manhattan, moved to Broadway, and earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical. The show went on to become a West End hit, a hugely successful film (for which he and Jacobs wrote additional songs), and a staple of regional theatre, summer stock, community theatre, and high school drama groups.
Casey's acting credits included the original production of David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago in 1974.
Casey died of AIDS-related complications in Chicago at the age of 53. At the time of his death he was writing a musical with the Brazilian performer Valucha de Castro.
Jim Jacobs (born 1942) is an American composer, lyricist, and writer for the theatre.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Jacobs attended Taft High School, during which time he played guitar and sang with a band called DDT & the Dynamiters. In 1963, he became involved with a local theatre group that included Warren Casey. For the next five years he appeared in more than fifty theatrical productions in the Chicago area, working with such people as Second City founder Paul Sills, while earning a living as an advertising copywriter. He also landed a small role in the 1969 film Medium Cool.
Jacobs' Broadway acting debut was in a 1970 revival of the play No Place to Be Somebody, followed by the national tour. At the same time, he and Casey were collaborating on a play about high school life during the golden age of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s. Entitled Grease, it premiered in 1971 at the Kingston Mines Theater in the Old Town section of Chicago. Producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox saw the show and suggested to the playwrights that it might work better as a musical, and told them if the creative partners were willing to rework it and they liked the end result, they would produce it off-Broadway. The team headed to New York City to collaborate on what would become Grease, which opened at the Eden Theatre in downtown Manhattan, moved to Broadway, and earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical. The show went on to become a West End hit, a hugely successful film (for which he and Warren wrote additional songs), and a staple of regional theatre, summer stock, community theatre, and high school drama groups.
At present, Jacobs is serving as a judge on the NBC reality series Grease: You're The One That I Want, designed to cast the lead roles in a June 2007 Broadway revival of Grease via viewer votes.
Summer Nights
Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Summer lovin' had me a blast
[Sandy]
Summer lovin' happened so fast
[Danny]
I met a girl crazy for me
[Sandy]
Met a boy cute as can be
[Both]
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights
[Everyone]
Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
[Thunderbirds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Doody]
Did you get very far?
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Marty]
Like does he have a car?
[Everyone]
Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
[Danny]
She swam by me, she got a cramp
[Sandy]
He ran by me, got my suit damp
[Danny]
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
[Sandy]
He showed off, splashing around
[Both]
Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights
[Everyone]
Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Frenchy]
Was it love at first sight?
[Thunderbirds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Kenickie]
Did she put up a fight?
[Everyone]
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh
[Danny]
Took her bowling in the arcade
[Sandy]
We went strolling, drank lemonade
[Danny]
We made out under the dock
[Sandy]
We stayed out 'till ten o'clock
[Both]
Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights
[Everyone]
Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
[Thunderbirds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Putzie]
But you don't gotta brag
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Rizzo]
Cos he sounds like a drag
[Everyone]
shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop,shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, YEH
[Sandy]
He got friendly, holding my hand
[Danny]
While she got friendly down in the sand
[Sandy]
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
[Danny]
Well she was good you know what I mean
[Everyone]
Woah!
[Both]
Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights
[Everyone]
woo, woo, woo
[Pink Ladies]
Tell me more, tell me more
[ Jan]
How much dough did he spend?
[Thunderbirds]
Tell me more, tell me more
[Sonny]
Could she get me a friend?
[Sandy]
It turned colder - that's where it ends
[Danny]
So I told her we'd still be friends
[Sandy]
Then we made our true love vow
[Danny]
Wonder what she's doing now
[Both]
Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
bu-ut oh, those su-ummer nights....
The lyrics of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's song Summer Nights take the listener back to the summers of the 1950s or 1960s, when teenagers would spend time with their friends and finding love interests. The song is from the musical Grease and is a duet between the lead characters, Danny and Sandy, and both share their experiences of their summer romance. Danny sings about meeting a "crazy" girl who was interested in him, saving her from drowning, and taking her out bowling, while Sandy sings about meeting a "cute" boy, going strolling and having lemonade, and how sweet he was. The chorus is a repetitive line about summer days drifting away, leading to those unforgettable summer nights.
The lyrics of Summer Nights paint a nostalgic picture of teenage romance and relationships in those times, where little things like walks and holding hands, going out on dates and spending time together, and even spending time with friends, were cherished and enjoyed. The song beautifully captures the essence of a summer romance, and the chorus of "uh well-a well-a well-a huh" and "shoo-bop bop" adds to the carefree and fun mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer lovin' had me a blast
Danny is describing how enjoyable his summer love was
Summer lovin' happened so fast
Sandy is telling us how quickly her summer romance started
I met a girl crazy for me
Danny describes how the girl he met was very into him
Met a boy cute as can be
Sandy met a boy who was very handsome
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights
Both Danny and Sandy are reminiscing about their summer love, as the days start to pass by
Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
Everyone is exclaiming in excitement or agreement
Tell me more, tell me more
The Thunderbirds, Pink Ladies, and others are asking for further details about Danny and Sandy's summer romance
Did you get very far?
Doody is curious about how far Danny went with the girl he met
Like does he have a car?
Marty wants to know if the boy Sandy met has a car
She swam by me, she got a cramp
Danny saved the girl he met from drowning when she got a cramp while swimming
He ran by me, got my suit damp
Sandy's suit got wet when the boy she met ran by her
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
Danny is proud of himself for saving the girl from drowning
He showed off, splashing around
Sandy thinks the boy she met was showing off by splashing around in the water
Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights
Something exciting started between Danny and Sandy during the summer, but now they are realizing that summer is coming to an end
Took her bowling in the arcade
Danny brought the girl he met to play bowling at an arcade
We went strolling, drank lemonade
Sandy and the boy she met went for a walk and drank lemonade together
We made out under the dock
Danny and the girl he met kissed under a dock
We stayed out 'till ten o'clock
Sandy and the boy she met stayed out late until ten o'clock
Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights
Danny and Sandy both understand that their summer flings were likely not going to last, but the memories of those summer nights will stick with them
But you don't gotta brag
Putzie tells Danny not to brag about his summer romance
Cos he sounds like a drag
Rizzo thinks the boy Sandy met sounds boring or annoying
shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop,shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, YEH
Everyone makes a vocalizing sound to show their excitement
He got friendly, holding my hand
Sandy's summer romance got more serious as the boy started holding her hand
While she got friendly down in the sand
Danny and the girl he met also got more intimate while they were on the beach together
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
Sandy's summer romance was with an 18-year-old boy who was very nice to her
Well she was good you know what I mean
Danny implies that the girl he met was good in bed
Woah!
An exclamation to show surprise or excitement
Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but uh-oh those summer nights
Danny and Sandy's romance started during the hot summer months, but now they are coming to an end
How much dough did he spend?
Jan is curious about how much money the boy Sandy met spent on her
Could she get me a friend?
Sonny asks if Sandy's friend can set him up with someone
It turned colder - that's where it ends
Sandy's romance with the boy she met came to an end when the weather started getting cold
So I told her we'd still be friends
Danny reassured the girl he met that they could still be friends, even if their romantic relationship was over
Then we made our true love vow
Sandy and the boy she met made a promise to love each other forever
Wonder what she's doing now
Danny is curious about what the girl he met is doing currently
Summer dreams ripped at the seams, bu-ut oh, those su-ummer nights...
Danny and Sandy's summer love may have come to an end, but they will always remember those magical summer nights
Contributed by Nora D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.