Original personnel were singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell (from Kentish Town, London), keyboardist/guitarist Hans Wärmling (from Sweden, replaced within two years by Brighton-born keyboardist Dave Greenfield), London-born bass guitarist Jean-Jacques Burnel and drummer Jet Black (real name Brian Duffy), a native of Ilford, Essex.
They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edged pub rock group, but eventually branched out to explore other styles of music. The Stranglers were, beginning in 1976, tangentially associated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music as well as gothic rock, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within a musical genre.
In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements, including John Ellis, who had opened for the band in the 1970s as a member of The Vibrators, and singer Paul Roberts.
Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2001, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.
The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. The follow-up album, Suite XVI, was released in September 2006 (the title is a pun on "Sweet 16" and also a reference to the fact that it is the band's 16th studio album).
During the recording of Suite XVI Paul Roberts left the band to pursue his solocareer. Guitarist Baz Warne, who replaced John Ellis in 2000, became the main vocalist.
A quite rare Hugh Cornwell audio interview may be listened to on http://www.jasonwrightonline.com/
Summer In The City
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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.
@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.