There's a seemingly infinite amount of songs with "summer" in the title. Most (but not all) of them are the result of artists trying to cash in on timely radio plays, but a few songs without "summer" in the title have an even greater ability to warm up your day. And because San Francisco's non-summers are sometimes hard to pinpoint, we put together this list of not-so-obvious songs to listen to while bundling up next to the fire this "summer."
"Shout" by The Isley Brothers
Summer means one thing: weddings. And the summer wedding season means one song, more than any other, will be played in abundance: "Shout" by The Isley Brothers. Wedding DJs are apparently unable to resist playing this classic 1959 song, which is OK because it's a great way to lighten up the dancefloor and get all the members of your extended family (even the weird ones) moving. The rousing party song is also the soundtrack to any teenage boy's favorite scene in Wedding Crashers, which is enough to make it a shoe-in for this list.
"Springsteen" by Eric Church
There's no season on the calendar as inherently nostalgic as summer; it's the time of the year you were most likely to create some good (or painfully bad) memories during your youth. And if there's one song that can beautifully conjure up those bittersweet moments it's "Springsteen" by Eric Church. The country tune, with lyrics like, "Funny how a melody sounds like a memory / like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night," seems to know exactly what it's doing — making you miss summers past, or that one ex you just can't get out of your mind. A perfect song to put on during a late-night drive home after a summer party.
"California Sun" by The Ramones
This Ramones cover of Henry Glover's 1961 catchy surf song has been used for years in the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's commercials (which they ramp up every summer). This consistent ad campaign has created a Pavlov's dog effect for Californians who hear it. When the song hits your TV, you know summertime is coming. Perhaps the best punk song to put on during a long car ride down to the much-warmer Santa Cruz, "California Sun" will whet your appetite for some bone-rattling rides on the historic Giant Dipper.
"Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (or Minutemen)
No really, I want to know, have you ever seen the rain? Because even though San Francisco is known for its non-summers — something we all like to make fun of and complain about — a little bit of rain would be nice right now. And with all the new (necessary, but constricting) drought legislation, what are kids supposed to do this summer? Does anyone who busts a fire hydrant get tried as an adult and sent to a for-profit prison? Is throwing a water balloon assault with a deadly weapon? I hear getting caught with an unregistered Slip 'N Slide is a three-five year mandatory sentence.
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