Most songs were written not sitting at a piano or holding a guitar but rather in Ricchini’s preferred method- riding the subway. He’d dream up these songs riding the 3 miles from the Race Street to the Tasker/Morris stop; humming the songs as he walked home before desperately searching for his digital dictaphone before he forgot the new melody and arrangement playing in his head.
Ricchini self-produced the record using pro studios for rhythm, harpsichord, piano and vocal tracks. The bulk of the recordings, however, were done in a spare bedroom in his South Philly row home. Percussion tracks were cut remotely and feature a vibraphone, timpani and massive marimba cut at The University of Pennsylvania’s Irvine Auditorium. Members of Philly bands such as BC Camplight and Buried Beds played on the record along with classical players doing strings, woodwinds, clarinet, and accordion. A pocket symphony if you will.
By the Sea
Summer Fiction Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From her beach chair in the sand
Let's try to get in one more swim
Before the evening tide comes in
Sitting by the windowsill
Now there's too much time to fill
Old man, do you think we'll pull through?
Take me home
Take me home
I want to go home
You first told me you loved me
At our picnic by the sea
Yes, the tides they rise and fall
We married at the old town hall
Children grown, the house is still
And now there's too much time to fill
Suzanne, do you think we'll pull through?
Believe in me like I do you
Take me home
Take me home
I want to go home
(x2)
The lyrics of Summer Fiction's "By the Sea" present a contemplative perspective on the passage of time and the changes that inevitably come with it. The opening verse sets a scene of two people sitting on the beach, with Suzanne expressing a sense of personal transformation. She acknowledges her own growth and development, which is juxtaposed against the ebb and flow of the tide. The desire to fit in one more swim before the evening tide underscores the fleeting nature of time and the preciousness of moments. Suzanne's reflection on change is echoed in the second verse, as an older couple contemplates the future and wonders if they will be able to weather whatever trials may come. They pledge their commitment to each other, exemplified by the repeated refrain of "Believe in me like I do you." The final repetition of "I want to go home" underscores the idea that amidst the changes that life brings, there is always a yearning for the familiar and the comforting.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I'm changing," said Suzanne
Suzanne expresses her inner change and growth
From her beach chair in the sand
Suzanne is sitting on a beach chair in the sand
Let's try to get in one more swim
Suzanne wants to take one more swim before the evening tide comes in
Before the evening tide comes in
The day is progressing towards evening and the tide is also changing
Sitting by the windowsill
The artist is now sitting by a windowsill
Now there's too much time to fill
The singer has too much time on their hands and doesn't know what to do with it
Old man, do you think we'll pull through?
The singer is asking an old man if he thinks they will make it through a difficult time
Believe in me like I do you
The artist wants the old man to believe in them, just like they believe in the old man
Take me home
The artist wants to go home
You first told me you loved me
The artist is reminiscing about the time their partner first told them they loved them
At our picnic by the sea
The first time the singer's partner told them they loved them was at a picnic by the sea
Yes, the tides they rise and fall
The artist is acknowledging the natural ebb and flow of life
We married at the old town hall
The singer and their partner were married at the old town hall
Children grown, the house is still
The singer's children are grown and the house is now quiet
Suzanne, do you think we'll pull through?
The singer is asking Suzanne if they will make it through a difficult time
Believe in me like I do you
The artist wants Suzanne to believe in them, just like they believe in Suzanne
Take me home (x2)
The artist wants to go home and they repeat it twice
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joe Jones
Why isn't this huge?
Jorge Rivera
Dave Franco