Summer In The City
The Stranglers Lyrics


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Hot town summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down isn't it a pity
Doesn't seen to be a shadow in the city
All around me people looking half dead
Choking on the sidewalk, it's hotter than a match head
At night it's a different town
Go out and find a girl
Come on come on and dance all night
Just what you need, it will be alright
And babe don't you know it's a pity
The days can't be like the nights
In the summer in the city
In the summer in the city

Cool town meeting in the city
Dressed so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
'till I'm wheezing at the bus stop
Running up the stairs gonna meet you on the roof top

At night it's a different town, go out and find a girl
Come on come on and dance all night
Just what you need it will be alright
And babe don't you know it's a pity
The days can't be like the night




In the summer in the city
In the summer in the city

Overall Meaning

The Stranglers's song "Summer In The City" is an ode to the hazy, frenetic energy of life in a city during the height of summer. The song lyrically paints a picture of the oppressive heat and the various ways in which people are trying to cope with it. The singer observes the people around him looking "half dead," choking on the sidewalk in the sweltering heat. Despite the discomfort, however, there's a sense of possibility and excitement in the air, particularly at night when the city takes on a different character altogether. The singer encourages listeners to go out, find a girl, and dance all night, assuring them that everything will be alright.


The song is both a celebration of and a lament for the city during the summer months. One the one hand, there's a kind of vibrancy and community spirit that can emerge as people band together to survive the heat. At the same time, however, there's a sense of exhaustion and frustration that can come from feeling trapped in a city that is overcrowded, polluted, and uncomfortable.


Overall, "Summer In The City" captures the complex and often contradictory nature of urban life in the summertime. It's a song that acknowledges all the good and the bad that come with this particular season and encourages listeners to embrace it all.


Line by Line Meaning

Hot town summer in the city
The singer describes a hot summer in the city.


Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
The singer's neck is dirty and gritty due to the heat and pollution in the city.


Been down isn't it a pity
The singer feels down and laments the unfortunate state of affairs.


Doesn't seen to be a shadow in the city
The sun is so intense that there are no shadows in the city.


All around me people looking half dead
The heat is causing people to appear half-dead and exhausted.


Choking on the sidewalk, it's hotter than a match head
The singer encounters people who are struggling to breathe due to the oppressive heat.


At night it's a different town
The city transforms at night, with a different atmosphere and energy.


Go out and find a girl
The artist advises to go out and meet new people, particularly women.


Come on come on and dance all night
The artist encourages people to dance and enjoy themselves throughout the night.


Just what you need, it will be alright
The artist reassures that a fun night out is exactly what is needed to feel better.


And babe don't you know it's a pity
The singer laments that the days can't be as enjoyable as the nights.


The days can't be like the nights
The artist expresses that the daytime lacks the excitement of the nighttime.


Cool town meeting in the city
The city is cool and trendy, with many interesting people to meet.


Dressed so fine and looking so pretty
People in the city dress well and look attractive.


Cool cat looking for a kitty
The singer is looking for a romantic partner to spend time with.


Gonna look in every corner of the city
The artist intends to search every part of the city to find the right person.


'till I'm wheezing at the bus stop
The artist plans on searching so much that they'll be out of breath waiting for the bus.


Running up the stairs gonna meet you on the roof top
The singer plans on running up to a rooftop to meet their romantic interest.




Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@tjay5141

One of the great cover tunes by the Stranglers - I like it more than the Lovin' Spoonful original version.

@Wollenschrank

Strange version, but hell yes, it's a fuckin' damn good version!

@seawolf6709

Fantastic band legends.

@rcaconnecting3920

THE STRANGLERS . " Written in Red " . Double Vinyl 180 grm . 2014
TRACK LISTING
"Valley of the Birds" – 3:15
"In Heaven She Walks" – 3:49
"In a While" – 3:19
"Silver into Blue" – 3:28
"Blue Sky" – 3:41
"Here" – 4:21
"Joy de Viva" – 3:39
"Miss You" – 3:52
"Daddy's Riding the Range" – 4:19
"Summer in the City" – 3:27
"Wonderful Land" – 3:41

@richardolds2349

written in red by the stranglers is still a great CD despite being compared to first ten albums when Hugh Cornwall was in band he left , Paul and john came in left band , baz came in jet retired , and Jim's taken over , different periods but band still goes on , new CD 2019 , new songs new memories and hopefully new tour and movie as well ,

@pauldillon7133

This is quite a good cover from a not so good album.

@punkpoetry

The singer is dreadful, the keyboard line interesting

@danielneighbour3733

punkpoetry the singer is Paul roberts and the keyboardist is Dave Greenfield

@lawriesmithe

Huge Stranglers fan, and huge fan of this song, but this is awful.

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