Summertime Blues
Rush Lyrics
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I'm gonna raise a holler
About a working all summer
Just to try to earn a dollar
Well, time I called my baby
Try to get a date
My boss says, no dice son
You gotta work late
What I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure
For the summertime blues
Oh, well my Mom and Poppa told me, son
You gotta make some money
If you want to use the car
To go ridin' next Sunday
Well I didn't go to work
Told the boss I was sick
Well you can't use the car
Cause you didn't work a lick
Sometimes I wonder
What I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure
For the summertime blues
I'm gonna take two weeks
Gonna have a fine vacation
I'm gonna take my problem
To the United Nations
Well I called my congressman
And he said, whoa
I'd like to help you son
But you're too young to vote
Sometimes I wonder
What I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure
For the summertime blues
The lyrics to Rush's song "Summertime Blues" speak to the frustration of youth and the struggle to find meaningful work during the summer months. The singer is feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their job, which they are working solely to earn a dollar. The first verse expresses the singer's desire to raise awareness about their plight: they are working all summer with little to show for it, and there seems to be no end in sight. The second verse highlights the pressure that some young people feel from their parents to earn money; in this case, they are being told they need to work if they want access to the family car. However, the singer decides to take a day off, lying to their boss and thus exploring the possibilities of rebellion that come with youth.
The third verse represents a burst of wild creativity; the idea of taking their grievances "to the United Nations" exposes how powerless the singer may feel in their current situation. The final lines sum up the feelings of frustration and powerlessness that run through the song. The sentiment is that the summertime blues are a feeling that many experience and nobody can really escape, at least not without taking strong, even radical action.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm gonna raise a fuss
I want to make a loud complaint
Yes I'm gonna raise a holler
Yes, I will create a commotion
About workin' all summer
I want to talk about having to work throughout the entire summer
Just to try to earn a dollar
Only to make some money to live
Well I went to the boss man
I spoke to my manager
Tried to get a break
I asked for some time off
Sometimes I wonder
At times I am curious
How I'm gonna do
How I will cope
'Cause there ain't no cure
Because there is no cure
For the summertime blues
For feeling down in the summer
Well my mom and papa told me
My parents informed me
Son you've gotta earn some money
Son, you have to make some money
If you wanna use the car
If you want to have access to the vehicle
To go ridin' next Sunday
In order to go out on the coming Sunday
Well I didn't go to work
I did not go to work
Told the boss I was sick
I told my manager I was unwell
I'm gonna take two weeks
I will take a fourteen-day holiday
I'm gonna have a fun vacation
I will enjoy my time-off
Gonna take my problem
Going to bring my issue
To the United Nations
To a high-level organization
Well I called my congressman
I phoned a member of Congress
And he said quote
And he said, and I quote
Sometimes I wonder
At times I am curious
How I'm gonna do
How I will cope
'Cause there ain't no cure
Because there is no cure
For the summertime blues
For feeling down in the summer
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Eddie Cochran, Jerry Neal Capehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Tom Sawyer (Live)
Lil' RUSH