"In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry

SONG TITLE: "In the Summertime"
ARTIST: Mungo Jerry
ALBUM: In the Summertime
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1970
WORDS: text
DOWNLOAD: right-click here

One-hit wonders Mungo Jerry somehow flew under my radar for the first 20+ years in which their hit was riding the airwaves. I first recall encountering "In the Summertime" a few years ago, watching VH1 Classics in a hotel room with KJV. It was one of those vids-before-they-made-vids classics. Sometimes the lead singer's lips moved with one line of the melody and sometimes with another, and it was awesome. Like many unsuspecting radio listeners in 1970, I soon fell victim to the song's catchiness, and the resulting earworm stayed with me for an insane length of time. My water fitness instructor has this song on her regular workout mix, which always gives me a happy.

I'm still shocked by the lack of guile in the if/then parts of the song. Couldn't we at least pretend in our pop songs that wooing someone is a bit more romantic and less opportunistic? But in a bizarre and unexpected way that sort of adds to its kitschy appeal for me. Maybe it's that being so open about their opportunism seems naive - they don't know yet that they're not supposed to be sexist classist pigs, which makes it nearly sweet.

Or something. I dunno. I have a hard time with this one. Mainly, I just like the song. The tune is catchy and irresistible.