Summer in the City

Producer

Timeless AM radio classic by New York based folk-rockers The Lovin' Spoonful released July 4, 1966. It was their only pure rock hit, topping the Billboard singles chart for… Read More

Jul. 4, 19661 viewer139.2K views

Summer in the City Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half-dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

[Chorus]
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 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

[Verse 2]
Cool town, evenin' in the city
Dressin' so fine and lookin' so pretty
Cool cat, lookin' for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
'Til I'm wheezin' like a bus stop
Running up the stairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop

[Chorus]
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 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

[Bridge]

[Verse 1]
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half-dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

[Chorus]
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 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
Summer in the city

About

Timeless AM radio classic by New York based folk-rockers The Lovin' Spoonful released July 4, 1966. It was their only pure rock hit, topping the Billboard singles chart for three weeks in August.

“Summer in the City” was written by band leader John Sebastian (

John Sebastian - Wikipedia — Wikipedia

Toggle the table of contents From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969[1] and scored a U.S. No.

and his brother Mark as a high school assignment for which he received an ‘F’.

“Summer In The City” later appeared on the Spoonful’s November 1966 album Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful.

Also, it’s sampled in Israeli Hip-Hop’s supergroups K.A.B.I.N.E.T’s first single, “Cyper”.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did The Lovin' Spoonful say about "Summer in the City"?

We felt the only way we could stick out would be to sound completely different from one single to another [in contrast to their very different other big hit – “Daydream”].

— John Sebastian in Rolling Stone

Who produced “Summer in the City” by The Lovin' Spoonful?

When did The Lovin' Spoonful release “Summer in the City”?

Who wrote “Summer in the City” by The Lovin' Spoonful?