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.
Theme from 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
In this classic love song by Joanie Sommers, the lyrics speak of a place that provides warmth, safety, and freedom from care. The summer place is not defined by its physical location or the weather, but rather by the love shared between two people. The singer tells us that when she is with her loved one, even the gloomiest skies become bright and hopeful. The refrain "in your arms, in your arms" repeats, driving home the point that love is what makes a place special and unforgettable.
The song's lyrics cleverly use the symbolism of a summer place to convey the idea that love creates a safe haven from all the storms of life. We can see this in the lines "where it may rain or storm, yet I'm safe and warm." This is a metaphor for the challenges and struggles we face in life, which may be unpredictable and harsh, but can be weathered with a strong, loving partnership.
The lyrics also affirm the power of love to transform a place, making it special and personal to those who share it. The summer place is not just a physical location, but a state of mind and heart. The couple's hopes, dreams, and love are what create this special place, regardless of where they actually are.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a summer place
There is a serene location where one can cherish moments of togetherness with their beloved
Where it may rain or storm
Weather conditions don't matter in a place where love is celebrated
Yet I'm safe and warm
Despite adversities, being with your lover in a special place instills a sense of security and warmth
For within that summer place
In that place of love and tranquility
Your arms reach out to me
Embraced by your lover, all worries and distress seem to fade away
And my heart is free from all care
Being in a summer place with your beloved brings a sense of liberation from all apprehensions and fears
For it knows
The heart realizes the significance of being in an idyllic place with love
There are no gloomy skies
With love, one sees a bright and positive side of life, even amidst dull and dreary weather conditions
When seen through the eyes
Seen from the perception of two people in love
Of those who are blessed with love
People who have found love and are fortunate to experience it
And the sweet secret of
The beauty and mystery of
A summer place
A romantic location where love is celebrated
Is that it's anywhere
One can create a summer place anywhere with the right person and feeling of love
When two people share
Love becomes more cherished when shared with someone special
All their hopes
Sharing aspirations and dreams with one another
All their dreams
Expressing deepest desires and fantasies
All their love
Exhibiting complete adoration and affection for each other
In your arms, in your arms
The feeling of being embraced by your love adds a new dimension to being in a 'Summer Place'
In your arms, in your arms
The intimacy and serenity of being in the arms of someone beloved is beyond words
In your arms, in your arms
Being in the arms of the one who loves you is the most comforting and secure feeling in the world
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.