Friday PSTSS: "Summer's Here"

As I said just yesterday, the academic summer has begun for me. Summer classes and workshops loom in June and July, plus various committee and prep work. And there's stuff at home to do, and stuff to do at church, and so on and so forth. But hey, I'm looking out my window as the Kansas wind rustles the treetops across the Friends University campus, and our complete-boondoggle-but-still-happily-deposited check from the Bush administration arrived this morning (so we've got the Discover and Visa cards paid off for once!), and all the rainstorms lately have been arriving at night and the days have been sunny and fine, and in general, I'm feeling great. Time to have some fun.

This is only the second James Taylor tune I've done a PSTSS on, which is surprising, since Taylor is the one pop artist whose recordings I can claim to have a near-complete collection of. This is a fine, lazy tune off 1981's Dad Loves His Work; not one of his best efforts (which isn't surprising: his marriage to Carly Simon was falling apart at the time, and he was addicted to heroin to boot), but filled with good music nonetheless: "Her Town Too" is something of a melancholic masterpiece, and "I Will Follow" took on brilliant new life in live concerts, with Arnold McCuller, one of Taylor's regular back-up singers, taking the lead. But for now, let's stick with this number and celebrate a time to grow and play and recharge and enjoy the blue skies. I won't be joining in the beer drinking, and autumn is actually my favorite season, but as far as everything else goes, this song says something I can definitely sing along with.

Summer's here;
I'm for that.
Got my rubber sandals,
got my straw hat.
Got my cold beer--
I'm just glad that it's here.

Summer's here;
that suits me fine.
It may rain today
but I don't mind.
It's my favorite time of the year
and I'm glad that it's here.

Old man wintertime,
he goes so slow:
it's ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow
and let my balmy breezes blow.

Yeah, the water is cold but I've been in;
baby, lose the laundry and jump on in.
I mean all God's children got skin--
and it's summer again.

Old man wintertime,
he goes so slow:
it's ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow
and let my balmy breezes blow.

Summer's here;
I'm for that.
Got my rubber sandals,
got my straw hat.
Drinking cold beer--
man, I'm just that I'm here.

It's my favorite time of the year,
and I'm glad that it's here, yeah.