Move over,the "Ol' Professor", Kay Kyser is BACK!
He was one of the most… Read Full Bio ↴Move over,the "Ol' Professor", Kay Kyser is BACK!
He was one of the most outrageous, over the top performers of the whole swing era. From the late 30s to the late 40s he was the physical embodiment of the word success, with eleven #1 records and thirty-five top tens! He starred in seven feature films with such co-stars as Lucille Ball, John Barrymore, Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre. Kyser kept his radio show, Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in the top ten for eleven years on NBC, yet if you ask the average swing fan about him today, they'll likely reply, "Kay Kyser. Who's she?"

You see, Kay Kyser disappeared from the general public in 1950. Quit. Went home. Never came back. Made his million, then left without even making an announcement. In contrast to his zany character onstage, he was equally as serious off. "As exuberant as he was while performing, at a party you couldn't get him aroused..." said KK orchestra singer, "Handsome" Harry Babbitt to this writer in a 1995 interview for the upcoming 1 hour TV retrospective on Kay & the band, KAY KYSER- the OL' PROFESSOR of SWING!

"But those were magic days..." says Babbitt who, along with Sully Mason, Ginny Simms, Ish Kabibble (real name Merwyn Bogue) helped make the Kyser band a solid, first-rate performing unit. The duets Babbitt performed w/ Simms were "like buttah", whether they were beautiful ballads like YOU & I or spoofing Romeo & Juliet in WAY BACK IN 1939 A.D. THIS band was secure enough to be downright silly, something the Millers and Goodmans would never have done. But for any detractors, let it be known that the silliness was ONE side of this incrediby gifted bunch of people whom KK guitarist/composer Roc Hillman called a "functional family.""Everyone got along, and it was happy times all the time," says Roc. "Kay believed if HE didn't have fun- no one had fun." One can't forget the enormous contributions of arranger/ composer George Duning, who gave the band its sound, and eventually went on to score many well known films.

Indian Summer
Kay Kyser & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Summer, Indian summer

Ah, what a haunting song
And here's Ginny Simms to do a fine job of singin' it for you

Summer, you old Indian summer
You're the tear that comes after
June-time's laughter

You see so many dreams that don't come true
Dreams we fashioned when summertime was new
You are here to watch over
Some heart that is broken
By a word that somebody left unspoken
You're the ghost of a romance in June
Blowing astray, fading too soon
Oh, that's why I say

Farewell to you, Indian summer
Lovely Indian summer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 'Indian Summer' encapsulate a sense of nostalgia for the joyous and carefree season of summer that has now passed. The phrase 'Indian Summer' usually refers to a period of unseasonably warm weather in autumn, but in this song, it reflects the last remnants of the summer season. The song personifies summer as an old friend or lover who brings a bittersweet memory of broken dreams and lost love. The first line, "Summer, you old Indian Summer," sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the line "you're the tear that comes after June time's laughter" expressing the fleeting nature of joy and happiness in life.

The song implies that summer is not just a season, but a feeling, a spirit that lingers on, offering comfort to those whose hearts were shattered by unrequited love or unspoken words. The line "You're the ghost of a romance in June going astray, fading too soon" reveals a sense of regret over something that was meant to last forever but withered away with the season. The final line, "Farewell to you, Indian Summer," bids goodbye to the fleeting warmth and happiness of summer and prepares us for the cold, dark, and lonely days ahead.

Line by Line Meaning

Summer, you old Indian Summer
Addressing the season of Summer as an old Indian Summer.

You're the tear that comes after June time's laughter
Summer is depicted as a sorrowful time that follows the joyous laughter of the month of June.

You see so many dreams that don't come true
Summer is portrayed as an observer of many unfulfilled dreams.

Dreams we fashioned when Summertime was new
The dreams referred to were fashioned during the early days of the Summer season.

You are here to watch over
Summer is present to observe and protect.

Some heart that is broken
Summer serves as a source of comfort for a heart that has been broken.

By a word that somebody left unspoken
The cause of the heartbreak is a word that was left unsaid by someone.

You're the ghost of a romance in June going astray
Summer is a haunting memory of a failed romance that occurred during the month of June.

Fading too soon, that's why I say
The Summer season is short-lived, that’s what the writer emphasizes.

"Farewell to you Indian Summer"
The writer bids farewell to the season of Summer, which he has depicted as an Indian Summer.

Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Victor Herbert

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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