"Summertime" is a song by English alternative rock band the Sundays. Written and produced by guitarist David Gavurin and lead singer Harriet Wheeler, the song was recorded for the band's third and final studio album, Static & Silence (1997), and released on 8 September 1997 as the first single from the album. Wheeler and Gavurin were inspired to write the song after several of their friends joined a dating service, and the lyrics reflect on how the pursuit of perfect romantic relationships can become taxing.
"Summertime" became the Sundays' most successful single worldwide, peaking at number 15 in their native United Kingdom and entering the top 50 in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the song was not eligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time because it was not released as a physical single. It instead reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, number seven on the Triple-A chart, number 10 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number 13 on the Adult Top 40.
Background and meaning According to band members Harriet Wheeler and David Gavurin, the couple wrote "Summertime" after a few of their friends signed up for a dating service. Gavurin elaborated that he was inspired to write the song because practices such as joining singles groups and advertising oneself for romance was becoming more "respectable", despite the fact that both he and Wheeler believed these practices were "tragic and funny" and took away the chance for people to meet face-to-face. Gavurin went on to say, "And people can really oppress themselves with that mythic picture of romance, so we just wanted to address in a tongue-in-cheek way that the easily gained perfect partnership is indeed a myth." The lyrics of the song reflect their beliefs. According to Billboard editor Bradley Bambarger, the song "examines the burdensome ideal of romantic bliss".
Composition "Summertime" is in the key of A major and has a tempo of 96 beats per minute, featuring Wheeler on vocals, Gavurin on guitar, Paul Brindley on bass guitar, and Patrick Hannan on drums.
Track listings
UK CD1 "Summertime" – 3:35 "Nothing Sweet" – 3:03 "Gone" – 3:52
UK CD2 "Summertime" – 3:34 "Skin & Bones" (live) – 4:12 "Here's Where the Story Ends" (live) – 4:01
UK limited-edition 7-inch single A. "Summertime" B. "Nothing Sweet"
European and Australian CD single "Summertime" – 3:34 "Here's Where the Story Ends" (live) – 4:03 "Nothing Sweet" – 3:03 "Gone" – 3:51
Credits and personnel Credits are lifted from the Static & Silence booklet and the UK CD2 liner notes.
Studios Recorded at home and RAK (London, England) Mixed at Air Studios, Abbey Road Studios, and Mayfair Studios (London, England)
The Sundays Harriet Wheeler – writing, vocals, production, engineering, mixing, sleeve artwork David Gavurin – writing, guitars, production, engineering, mixing, sleeve artwork Paul Brindley – bass guitar Patrick Hannan – drums
Other personnel Dave Anderson – engineering, mixing Slim Smith – sleeve artwork Zela Pictures – photography
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1997–1998)PeakpositionEstonia (Eesti Top 20)11Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)56US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)50US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)13US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)10US Triple-A (Billboard)7
Year-end charts Chart (1997)PositionUS Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)63US Triple-A (Billboard)40 Chart (1998)PositionUS Adult Top 40 (Billboard)55
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United States18 August 1997Modern rock radioDGC26 August 1997Contemporary hit radioUnited Kingdom8 September 1997Parlophone
References