A Splash Of Summer Tunes

Summer songs have always drawn me. There’s a freedom and playfulness about it, much like splashing in a cool lake with friends. Also really awesome is how the music has such a broad range…from the laid back summer breezes to the boy-meets-girl summer romances to the reminiscing about the past…to simple joyrides.

So, as summer is beginning to wind to a close (sad, but true) I thought I’d share 5 of my favorite songs of celebration.

Is there anything cooler than the combination of Ella and Louis? Really. Not much… Listen to the way they play with each other through their voices and Louis’ trumpet. You don’t find that kind of musical interaction these days. Doesn’t it make you nostalgic for warm nights, a cool breeze and a song that is all sultry heat, yet soothing as a lullaby?

What about that first summer crush? Trying to impress… The rush, the excitement… Knowing you’ll never forget the memories you’re building. Yeah, there’s something bittersweet about that kind of nostalgia, but it never fails to bring a smile to your face. Brad Paisley is great with songs like that for me. His music warms my soul.

For those of us who aren’t spring chickens anymore…who doesn’t think of Henley and Bryan Adams. Boys Of Summer was good, but nothing did it for me quite like this one. Running around with friends. Thinking we were cool. Yeah, thinking back on the 80’s and early ’90’s can still make me smile.

And what about those coming of age moments? That last summer before college can be both fun and traumatic. Or the summer before your senior year…when you realize your life truly is moving toward adulthood….It’s energizing, but it’s also a little scary. Throw in your first “romance”…..makes for some great summer snapshots in your mind. For me, that’s what Deana Carter’s managed to capture.

Did you ever go somewhere else for the summer and find romance? Maybe it was camp. Maybe it was somewhere exotic. Did you think it would last forever? Was it really the person or the place that drew you? This playful Simple Plan song makes me smile and my body move…yup! This ditty has me dancing.

So what about you? What are your favorite summer songs? Favorite summer memories? Would love to hear about why they’re meaningful to you.