Summer
The Smashing Pumpkins Lyrics

The lyrics of "Summer" by The Smashing Pumpkins reveal the contrasts between the different seasons of the year and how they affect the singer's state of mind and emotions. The song begins by praising the freedom and ease the singer experiences during summer, without needing anything but the sweet love they receive. This feeling of contentment is interrupted in the winter when they turn to books and faith to distract themselves from the void left by their absent lover. The chorus is a plea addressed to this love interest, who keeps disappearing from their life despite the strength of their connection.

The second verse brings up the names Jack and Rosemary, two characters that remind the singer of the power of love to bring peace and devotion to people's hearts. The singer relates to these figures as a child blessed on stage, possibly alluding to their profession as a performer or their inner child that longs for pure and unconditional love. The final chorus reinforces the same themes of the reliability and impact of true love, yet the final line adds a hopeful note of invitation to their vanished love, beckoning them to come back.

* "Summer" is an album track from The Smashing Pumpkins' fifth studio album, "Adore," released in 1998.
* The song was not released as a single, although it received airplay on some rock stations and remains a fan favorite.
* The lyrics were written by frontman Billy Corgan, who revealed in an interview with MTV that the song was inspired by personal experiences of loneliness and longing.
* The dreamy and atmospheric music was composed by Corgan, with additional nuances contributed by James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.
* The opening line "In the summer, I can breathe" echoes the same sentiment that Corgan expressed in an interview about the album, saying that he wanted to create music that felt like taking a deep breath after a long swim underwater.
* The reference to Jack and Rosemary was inspired by the book "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb, which features a woman who falls in love with a man named Jack and is helped by a therapist named Rosemary.
* The theme of searching for love and connection is recurrent throughout the album, which Corgan described as exploring "the absence of self-esteem, the absence of love, the absence of connection, and the yearning to fill all that space."
* The reverb and echo effects on the vocals and guitar create a haunting and otherworldly atmosphere that puts the focus on the emotions rather than the lyrics' literal meaning.
* The chord progression of the song features a repeating pattern of Am7, G, F, and C, creating a sense of gentle movement that mirrors the flow of the lyrics.
* Despite the melancholic themes of the song, "Summer" has been described by some critics as a soothing lullaby or a warm embrace that offers comfort in troubled times.

Chords: Am7, G, F, C (repeating pattern)