Born Joan Drost in Buffalo, New York, as a child growing up Sommers would often sing to herself as a way of dealing with her difficult upbringing. Though having not received any musical training, Sommers began her career as a jazz singer in Los Angeles, California. In 1960, she recorded a demo with composer/arranger Tommy Oliver, earning her a recording contract with Warner Bros. Sommers. Her debut single, "One Boy" from the musical Bye Bye Birdie, reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout the 60s, she also maintained a byline as a singer of jingles for Pepsi-Cola (specifically, "It's Pepsi, for Those Who Think Young" and "Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation"), earning her the nickname of "The Pepsi Girl." Years later, she also recorded a jingle for Diet Pepsi, though her work was uncredited. Fittingly, two of her albums -- For Those Who Think Young and Come Alive! -- were named after her classic jingles.
Despite being a hit single,"One Boy" was passed over for inclusion on her debut album, Positively the Most!, whose cover touted the teenaged Sommers as "the greatest discovery in singing talent in the last fifteen years." This marked the beginning of a continuing trend for Sommers: alternating between commercial pop singles and more artistically challenging and varied albums, more often than not keeping the two completely disparate.
In 1962, "Johnny Get Angry" (co-written by legendary songwriter and lyricist Hal David) became Sommers' biggest hit, driven by an anachronistic dark bass line and unusual instrumentation such as kazoos. However, the song drew noted criticism aimed at its lyrical content, perceived by some as having sexist or masochistic overtones. The follow-up single was "When the Boys Get Together", which reached #94 on the charts, becoming her final Hot 100 single, though she would later have two songs on the Adult Contemporary charts.
In 1970, Sommers temporarily retired as a singer to focus on raising a family, making only one recording during the following decade, a soundtrack single for scrapped animation film The Peppermint Choo Choo. She resumed her career at the turn of the decade, recording the album Dream in 1980. She has maintained a sporadic career of recording and performing ever since, continuing to experiment with a variety of musical styles.
A Summer Place
Joanie Sommers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where it may rain or storm
Yet I'm safe and warm
For within that summer place
Your arms reach out to me
And my heart is free from all care
For it knows
When seen through the eyes
Of those who are blessed with love
And the sweet secret of
A summer place
Is that it's anywhere
When two people share
All their hopes
All their dreams
All their love
There's a summer place
Where it may rain or storm
Yet I'm safe and warm
In your arms, in your arms
In your arms, in your arms
In your arms, in your arms
The song “A Summer Place” by Joanie Sommers is a beautiful ballad that is about a place that is safe and warm no matter what the weather is like. This summer place that she sings about is really just the embrace of a loved one. The lyrics describe this place where even if it rains or storms, she still feels safe and warm because of the presence of her loved one. The “summer place” is a metaphor for the feelings of safety, comfort, and security she experiences in her lover's arms.
The lyrics then go on to explain that this summer place is not a physical place but rather a state of mind that is achieved when two people share their love, hopes, and dreams. The song emphasizes the importance of love and connection between two people as being the key to happiness and contentment. It suggests that when one has love, they can find happiness and comfort no matter what life throws at them.
Overall, “A Summer Place” is a beautiful and romantic song that celebrates the power of love and the comfort it can bring in any situation. The melody of the song is also quite beautiful and lends itself well to the romantic theme of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a summer place
There is a special, ideal place that exists in the summertime
Where it may rain or storm
Even if bad weather occurs, the summer place remains special and perfect
Yet I'm safe and warm
Despite any physical discomfort, the person singing feels emotionally safe and happy in the summer place
For within that summer place
The specific location of the summer place is not as important as the loving atmosphere it creates
Your arms reach out to me
The person singing is comforted by the affectionate touch of their loved one
And my heart is free from all care
The worries and stresses of daily life are forgotten in the summer place due to the presence of love
For it knows
The singer's heart is aware of the truth of the summer place
There are no gloomy skies
Even if the actual weather is bad, the emotional climate in the summer place is always joyful
When seen through the eyes
The person singing recognizes that the beauty of the summer place is not just physical, but also emotional and personal
Of those who are blessed with love
People who experience love are able to see the beauty and happiness of the summer place
And the sweet secret of
There is a special and unique aspect to the summer place
A summer place
The title phrase, which represents a perfect location and an ideal emotional state
Is that it's anywhere
The summer place is not limited to a specific physical location, but can exist anywhere with the right people and atmosphere
When two people share
The true essence of the summer place is found when two people are together
All their hopes
When two people share all their dreams and aspirations with each other
All their dreams
When two people share all their goals and desires with each other
All their love
When two people share all their affection and care for each other
In your arms, in your arms
The person singing feels safest and happiest in the loving embrace of their loved one
In your arms, in your arms
This repetition emphasizes the importance of physical and emotional connection in the summer place
In your arms, in your arms
The final repetition reinforces the idea that love and physical intimacy are key components of the summer place
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Discant, Max Steiner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack Phillips
I love Joanie's voice. Takes me away to a special place...hell, a "summer place".
Mr. BLACKHAWK
@Michael DeSantis BOTH were GREAT for......paint REMOVAL!
Mr. BLACKHAWK
@Jack, Twas a great movie too! A Classic that defined the early 60s!
Michael DeSantis
her song "One Boy" has a line in it a boy to have "coke" with! Not Pepsi, coke! lol just sayin.
freeguy77
Best known for her 1962, #7 hit, "Johnny Get Angry." She is also known for her 2 voice/singing commercials for Pepsi-Cola: "It's Pepsi, For Those Who Think Young" and later, "Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation." Now, 76, birthday on Feb. 24, 1941.
Michael Franklin
The goosebumps come back! And I love it. Very fetching cover that breathes the essence of pure innocence from the early '60s.
tiffsaver
These wonderful days will never return, replaced by the rap and drug culture. I can only be thankful for being born then, when Coke was still a drink, and we had neighborhood malt shops instead of crack houses. Oh, what I'd give to go back there, even for just a day. But after discovering Joanie all over again on You Tube, I can always come back here, and I do, again and again.
Michael McDowell
With you 100%. 70 now, wasn't aware of Joanie back then, but this tune, especially in its Ray Conniff arrangement, takes me back to late childhood.
Matthew Lewis
CORRECT.
SO TRUE...SO TRUE.
AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, HEARING
JOHNNY GET ANGRY, AND, A SUMMER PLACE. I KNEW THIS GIRL COULD SING. LISTENING, IT TAKES ME BACK TO MY OLD HOME HOUSE THAT IS NO LONGER IN EXISTANCE.
THANKFUL JOANIE SOMMERS MADE THESE RECORDINGS.
HER VOICE IS MAGICAL.
tiffsaver
@JudgeJulieLit
Amen, sister, amen.