Jonathan Richman began playing music and writing his own songs in the mid-1960s. In 1969 he moved to New York City, where he spent time living on the couch of The Velvet Underground's manager and working odd jobs while trying to break in as a professional musician. Failing at this, he returned to Boston. Having moved back, he formed The Modern Lovers. Other notable members of the group were keyboard player Jerry Harrison and drummer David Robinson, who later joined Talking Heads and The Cars, respectively. In 1972 they recorded a series of songs with John Cale producing, including the seminal "Roadrunner," which were eventually released on the group's sole album, Modern Lovers, in 1975.
Shortly after these recordings were made, Richman broke up the band and embarked on his long and eclectic solo career. For a while he continued recording under the "Modern Lovers" name (or rather, the more telling "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" appellation), but all the members were different, and in the new incarnation were essentially his backing band. The sound of the new group was considerably different as well, focusing on acoustic instrumentation rather than the prior electric guitars and drums. The album Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers was released in January 1977, Rock and Roll with the Modern Lovers followed a month later, and Modern Lovers Live in 1978.
In 1979 Richman finally went completely solo. That year's Back in Your Life was released under the "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" moniker, but this was true of only about half the disc—the rest was solo work. This album was probably the most extreme detour by Richman into eclecticism; after the odd but traditional acoustic rock of the previous albums, this one's solo tracks showed off a string bass and Glockenspiel as main instruments.A few years' hiatus ended in 1983 with Jonathan Sings!—memorably featuring a cover with Richman serenading a crowd wearing nothing but a guitar and neck strap. This was followed up with a series of pop efforts (Rockin' and Romance, It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, and Modern Lovers 88 from 1985, 1986 and 1988 respectively). Soon after, he returned to swooping madly around the musical landscape: country music with 1990's Jonathan Goes Country, and Spanish translations of his earlier work (as well as traditional Spanish songs) with 1993's Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!
Always possessing an ardent cult following, Richman has become better known in recent years thanks to a series of appearances on fan Conan O'Brien's show; also helping was a major part in the 1998 movie There's Something About Mary, where he played half of a two-man Greek chorus that commented on the movie while performing in the framed action itself.
He has continued his release schedule all along, with You Must Ask the Heart in 1995, Surrender to Jonathan in 1996, I'm So Confused in 1998, Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow in 2001 and Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love in 2004. In 1998 a live album of Modern Lovers recordings from the early '70s was released, Live at the Long Branch & More. There is also a DVD of a live performance Take me to the Plaza 2002. A tribute album, If I Were a Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001. In live 'solo' shows, he frequently tours with drummer Tommy Larkins, the other part of the two-man chorus mentioned above. He is a tremendously charismatic stage presence, and this has helped maintain his dedicated cult following.
Richman's work with the first incarnation of Modern Lovers is a major influence on punk rock. One critic called him the "Godfather of Punk". Artists as diverse as the Sex Pistols and Joan Jett have covered "Roadrunner". Boston ska-punk band, Big D and the Kids Table, have covered "New England" live and on their Gypsy Hill EP. A version of "Pablo Picasso" performed by Burning Sensations was included in the 1984 cult film, Repo Man. David Bowie covered "Pablo Picasso" on his album Reality. Velvet Underground founding member John Cale has a version of the song on his 1975 album, Helen of Troy, and continues to include the song in his live shows. Iggy Pop has performed "Pablo Picasso" live and wrote an extra verse for it. Echo and the Bunnymen covered "She Cracked" in concert in 1984 and 1985 and Siouxsie and the Banshees have a version of the song on Downside Up.
Richman's music has set the tone for many alternative rock bands, such as Violent Femmes, Galaxie 500, They Might Be Giants ("Roadrunner" reportedly inspired John Flansburgh to become a musician), Weezer, Tullycraft, Jens Lekman, singer Frank Black (who composed the tribute song "The Man Who Was Too Loud"), Brandon Flowers, Art Brut, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady & Lifter Puller and Nerf Herder who composed a song about him, titled "Jonathan", which appeared on the band's second album How To Meet Girls. British country rock band The Rockingbirds released the single "Jonathan, Jonathan" in tribute to Richman in 1992.
As a producer himself, Richman and drummer Tommy Larkin produced Vic Chesnutt's final album Skitter on Take-Off in 2009 which appeared on Vapor Records. Chesnutt opened for Richman at concerts many times during his later years.
"Roadrunner" is on the soundtrack of School of Rock. In the commentary, director Richard Linklater mentions it is often called "the first punk song" and wanted to include it for that reason, along with all the other seminal rock songs in that film.
A tribute album, If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman, was released by Wampus Multimedia in 2001.
That Summer Feeling
Jonathan Richman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That summer feeling
When there's things to do not because you gotta
When you run for love not because you oughtta
When you trust your friends with no reason ta nada
This joy I've named shall not be tamed
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
When the cool of the pond makes you drop down on it
When the smell of the lawn makes you flop down on it
When the teenage car gets the cop down on it
That time is here for one more year
That summer feeling's gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.
If you've forgotten what I'm naming
You're gonna long to reclaim it one day
You see that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.
But if you wait until your older
A sad resentment will smoulder one day
And Then the summer feeling will come haunt you
And that summer feeling will come taunt you
That summer feeling will hurt you
Later in your life.
When the playground that just was all dirt
Comes hauntin
And someone who called you a flirt
Comes tauntin
It's not that these things alone
Were appealin
What I now revealin is a certain feelin
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.
When the Oldsmobile has got the top down on it
When the catamaran has got the drop down on it
When the flat of the land has got the crop down on it
What I now proclaim is sortta hard to name
But that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.
When even fourth grade starts looking good
Which you hated,
And first grade's looking good too,
Overrated,
And you boys long for some little girl
That you dated
Do you long for her of for the way you were,
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.
It's gonna haunt you
It's gonna taunt you
Jonathan Richman's song "That Summer Feeling" is an ode to the elusive feeling of carefree and joyful summers. Richman sings about a time when one does things not because they have to, but because they want to, a time when one trusts their friends for no particular reason. He describes the feeling as pure joy, which cannot be contained or controlled. The song talks about the significance of the small and seemingly insignificant things that we experience in our lives, such as the smell of the lawn or the feel of the cool pond water, and how they contribute to the overall feeling of summer. The lyrics suggest that this feeling is so powerful that it will stay with us for the rest of our lives, even haunting us in old age when we long to relive those carefree days.
The repetition of the phrase "that summer feeling" emphasizes the nostalgia and longing associated with the season. Richman's description of the summer feeling goes beyond mere memories of past summers to capture the essence of the season itself; it is the feeling of living in the moment, of enjoying life without worry. The song's wistful tone suggests Richman understands that we can never truly return to that blissful state of summer, but we can still carry the memory with us and strive to live in a way that recaptures that same sense of joy.
Overall, "That Summer Feeling" is a song that captures the essence of joyful summers, the way they feel, and the memories they leave behind. It is an invitation to revel in the present moment, to appreciate the simple pleasures of life, and to find meaning in the fleeting experiences that define our existence.
Line by Line Meaning
That summer feeling That summer feeling
The sense of joy and freedom that one experiences during summer.
When there's things to do not because you gotta
During summer, people have the chance to pursue activities they love without social pressure to conform.
When you run for love not because you oughtta
People engage in activities they are passionate about because of the sheer love of doing them during summer.
When you trust your friends with no reason ta nada
During summer, people have the freedom to trust their friends without any hesitations or second thoughts.
This joy I've named shall not be tamed
The joy of summer cannot be contained or suppressed with time or age.
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you The rest of your life.
The sense of freedom and joy experienced during summer will stay with people forever.
When the cool of the pond makes you drop down on it
During summer, natural settings offer a cool and refreshing escape from the heat that attracts people.
When the smell of the lawn makes you flop down on it
Summer offers the opportunity to connect with nature and do simple things that bring pleasure and relaxation.
When the teenage car gets the cop down on it
During summer, people can take risks and have fun without fear of getting in trouble for it.
That time is here for one more year
The opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of summer is limited to just one season each year.
If you've forgotten what I'm naming
People can forget the sense of joy and freedom that summer brings.
You're gonna long to reclaim it one day
As people age, they may regret not having made more of the opportunities to experience summer joy.
But if you wait until your older
Waiting too long to enjoy summer can lead to regret later in life.
A sad resentment will smoulder one day
People may regret not taking advantage of the chances to enjoy summer and experience the accompanying joy and freedom.
And Then the summer feeling will come haunt you
Later in life, people may regret not having fully experienced the joy and freedom that come with summer activities.
And that summer feeling will come taunt you
The sense of regret over not experiencing summer joy will be a source of negative feelings rather than positive ones.
That summer feeling will hurt you Later in your life.
Regret over not having fully experienced the joy and freedom of summer will be a painful feeling later in life.
When the playground that just was all dirt Comes hauntin
People may experience nostalgia for simple things they enjoyed during summer, even if they were not glamorous.
And someone who called you a flirt Comes tauntin
People may regret not being more honest with their emotions during summer, and past experiences will come back to taunt them.
It's not that these things alone Were appealin
What people truly enjoyed about summer was not necessarily the specific activities, but the general sense of freedom and joy that came with them.
What I now revealin is a certain feelin
The author is attempting to communicate a specific feeling associated with summer that is difficult to put into words.
But that summer feeling is gonna haunt you The rest of your life.
The sense of joy and freedom experienced during summer will have a lasting impact on a person, even if they don't recognize it or remember it consciously.
When the Oldsmobile has got the top down on it
During summer, people engage in activities like driving with windows down to embrace the joy and freedom of the season.
When the catamaran has got the drop down on it
People have the opportunity to take advantage of water activities during summer, so catamaran is used to describe that sense of freedom.
When the flat of the land has got the crop down on it
Summer represents a time of growth and productivity in crops and farming, reflected in the sense of freedom and potential that people experience during the season.
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you The rest of your life.
The experiences of summer will stay with people forever, even if they have forgotten the specific details and memories.
When even fourth grade starts looking good Which you hated,
Nostalgia for summer may cause people to romanticize less than perfect experiences, like unpleasant school grades or lessons they once disliked.
And first grade's looking good too, Overrated,
People may romanticize the earliest experiences of summer, even if they were not fulfilling or enjoyable in reality.
And you boys long for some little girl That you dated
Nostalgia for summer experiences may cause people to fixate on past romantic relationships and try to recreate them years later, regardless of whether such relationships were healthy or productive.
Do you long for her of for the way you were, That summer feeling is gonna haunt you The rest of your life.
People may have difficulty distinguishing their longing for past summer experiences from nostaglia, but the sense of joy and freedom associated with summer will stay with them forever.
It's gonna haunt you
The emotions and memories associated with summer joy will always be present with people, whether they recognize it or not.
It's gonna taunt you
In some cases, nostalgia for summer will lead to negative feelings and regrets, causing people to feel as though they missed out on something special.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: JONATHAN MICHAEL RICHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christiannalikos2566
That summer feeling That summer feeling
That summer feeling
When there's things to do not because you gotta
When you run for love not because you oughtta
When you trust your friends with no reason not ta (nada)
The joy I name shall not be tamed
And that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
When the cool of the pond makes you drop down on it
When the smell of the lawn makes you flop down on it
When the teenage car gots the cop down on it
The time is here for one more year
And that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
That summer feeling That summer feeling
That summer feeling
If you've forgotten what I'm naming
You're gonna long to reclaim it one day
Because that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
And if you wait until your older
A sad resentment will smoulder one day
And Then that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
And that summer feeling's gonna taunt you
And then that summer feeling is gonna hurt you
One day in your life.
When even fourth grade starts looking good
Which you hated,
And first grade's looking good too,
Overrated,
And you boys long for some little girl
That you dated
Do you long for her of for the way you were,
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
When the Oldsmobile has got the top down on it
When the catamaran has got the drop down on it
When the flat of the land has got the crop down on it
Some things were good before and some things never were
But that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
Well when your friends are in town and they've got time for you
When you were never hanging around and they don't ignore you
When you say what you will and they still adore you
Is that not appealing, it's that summer feeling.
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
It's gonna haunt you
It's gonna taunt you
You're gonna want this feeling inside one more time.
It's gonna haunt you
It's gonna taunt you
You're gonna want this feeling inside one more time.
One more thing...
When you're hanging around the park with the water fountain
And there's the little girl with the dirty ankles cuz she's
On the swings, you know, and all the dust is kicking up
And you remember the ankle locking
And the way she flirted with you
For all this time, how come?
Well that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
You'll throw away everything for it.
You'll throw away everything for it.
One more thing...
Well when the playground that just was all dirt
Comes haunting.
And that little girl that called you a flirt
Memory comes taunting
You pick these things apart they're not that appealing
You put them together and you'll get this certain feeling
And that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
One day in your life.
It's gonna haunt you
It's gonna taunt you
You're gonna want this feeling inside
One more time
@alacritical7873
One of the purest, most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time. It perfectly captures the bittersweet nature of nostalgia and the memories of our youth in contrast to the hardship we experience as we grow older. Jonathan Richman is truly a remarkable talent
@ffxiarcadius
glad you recognize the metaphor<3
@MrCibdad
Jonathan just dropped a fat tip for the employees at the restaurant my daughter works at. Thanks for the love! Always loved your work since 1980.
@connordunckel8544
guess those something about mary checks are still coming in, seems like a genuine person
@dougoconnor1516
" Do you long for her, or the way you were?" Brilliant!
@jamiepoulton2818
A real superstar who never got superstar recognition brilliant songwriter
@stefymarty
First hearing, hairs raised.
Second through sixth hearings, tears.
Seventh through infinity, bliss.
@jameswhipple5658
I heard this song for the first time ( June 27 2023) on a local radio station, actually 10 minutes ago, I love it !!
@CorbinCorbin
You’ll never forget it
@manuelamunoz3939
😊