In 1978, A&M Records released Tim Curry's debut solo album. Entitled Read My Lips, the album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genre. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles song "I Will", a rendition of "Wake Nicodemus" with full bagpipe backing, and an original bar-room ballad, "Alan".
The following year, Curry's second and most successful album was released. Titled Fearless, the LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The record included Tim Curry's only US charting songs: "I Do the Rock" and "Paradise Garage".
Curry's third and final album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records. This record did not sell as well as the previous offerings, due in part to a less appealing, more maudlin sound. This record combined both original songs and cover versions, and is commonly held to be the weakest of the three albums.
In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of "Alan") and a previously-unreleased song, a live cover version of "Simple Twist of Fate".
Curry toured America with his band through the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.
Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968. Here he first met Richard O'Brien, who went on to create his next full-time and perhaps still most famous role, that of Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show.
Originally Curry rehearsed the character with a German accent and peroxide blonde hair, but the character evolved into the sly, very upper-class English (He says 'dine' instead of down, 'brine' instead of brown etc) drag-wearing mad scientist incarnation that carried over to the movie version and made Curry both a star and a cult figure. He continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles and New York until 1975.
For many years, Curry was reluctant to talk about Rocky Horror, feeling that it was a trend that had gone too far and had distracted attention away from his later roles. However, in recent years he has been much more open about discussing the show and now recognises it as a "rite of passage" for many young people.
Summer in the City
Tim Curry Lyrics
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Back of my neck gettin' dirty-'n'-gritty
Bend down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around people lookin' half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match-head
But at night it's a different world
Come on, come on and dance all night
Despite the heat, it'll be all right
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, evening in the city
Dressed so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
'Til I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Runnin' upstairs, gonna meet you on the roof top
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come on, come on and dance all night
Despite the heat, it'll be all right
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
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck gettin' dirty-'n'-gritty
Bend down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around people lookin' half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match-head
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come on, come on and dance all night
Despite the heat, it'll be all right
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
The song "Summer in the City" by Tim Curry is an ode to the complexities of the urban summer. The song describes the experience of being in a hot, crowded city during the day, with no relief from the intense heat and no shadows to escape into. People are described as looking "half dead" from the oppressive conditions.
Despite the difficulties of the daytime, the song suggests that at night the city takes on a different and more exciting character. The lyrics encourage the listener to go out and find a girl to dance with, offering the promise of a different world when the sun goes down.
The song's repetition of the phrase "summer in the city" serves to emphasize the theme of the urban experience in the summertime. The lyrics focus on the contrasting experiences of day and night, and the way that the environment changes along with the time of day.
Overall, "Summer in the City" is a nostalgic look back at the joys and challenges of city life, particularly during the summer months.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot town, summer in the city
The city is experiencing a hot summer season
Back of my neck gettin' dirty-'n'-gritty
The heat is causing sweat and grime on the back of the singer's neck
Bend down, isn't it a pity
The singer is feeling sorry for himself while trying to cool down by bending down
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
The lack of shadows indicates that the sun is high in the sky and the heat is intense
All around people lookin' half dead
The intense heat is making people appear worn out and lethargic
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match-head
The pavement is extremely hot, enough to even ignite the temperature of a match-head
But at night it's a different world
The night brings a cooler temperature and changes the atmosphere of the city
Go out and find a girl
The singer is searching for female companionship
Come on, come on and dance all night
The singer wants to dance through the night, despite the heat
Despite the heat, it'll be all right
The singer is optimistic about having a good time, despite the heat
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
The singer is referring to the difference between the day and night
The days can't be like the nights
The heat of the day detracts from the enjoyable aspects of the city, while the nights are more appealing
Cool town, evening in the city
The city is cool and comfortable in the evening
Dressed so fine and looking so pretty
The people in the city dress fashionably and appear attractive
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
The singer is looking for a female companion and describes himself as a 'cool cat'
Gonna look in every corner of the city
The singer is going to search every part of the city to find his companion
'Til I'm wheezing like a bus stop
The singer will not stop searching until he is tired and out of breath
Runnin' upstairs, gonna meet you on the roof top
The singer is eagerly scaling the stairs to meet his companion on the rooftop
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kacie McSorley
GAAAAAAAAAWD! So amazing! Love his version of this song! I love the way he does that big "in the SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMERRRRRRRRR" and the way he laughs and asks "are your shorts sticking to your butts?" He seriously makes it all seem so effortless and there is nothing he can't do. I really wish he music career would have been more fruitful for him. Pure head to toe talent. I mean seriously, THIS is how you deliver a song, totally made it his own and the band also rocks. I have such mad respect for Tim, he is just quite incredible!
Cindy Headon
💘
Dorothy Allspice
@rosemary wage Yeah, and he also looks amazing during the mid 90s. Have you SEEN him in Muppet Treasure Island???
rosemary wage
@Dorothy Allspice ESPECIALLY WHEN HE PORTRAYED FRANK-N-FURTER OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW I BET HE'S YOUNG.
Dorothy Allspice
I concur! He is brilliant!
CosplayMemories14
I love how the dynamic of his voice can totally change the tone and feel of a song. This is awesome! :3 <3
res123190gamer
I love him his voice is amazing and relaxing
Mundo Dana
I love his voice!!!
Me encanta 😍
MrsMaccaMoon
Dammit Janet! Can this man do no wrong?!? This is one of my fave songs and he remade it!! 😜😍🙌
jason trompeter
Awesome! love his version.