Summertime

Album: Porgy and Bess (1935)
Play Video
  • Summertime, time, time,
    Child, the living's easy.
    Fish are jumping out
    And the cotton, Lord,
    Cotton's high, Lord, so high.

    Your daddy's rich
    And your ma is so good-looking, baby.
    She's looking good now,
    Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby,
    No, no, no, no, don't you cry.
    Don't you cry

    One of these mornings
    You're gonna rise, rise up singing,
    You're gonna spread your wings,
    Child, and take, take to the sky,
    Lord, the sky.

    But until that morning
    Honey, nothing's going to harm you now,
    No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
    No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
    No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
    Don't you cry,
    Cry. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 13

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 4th 1962, Ricky Nelson's covered version of "Summertime" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #95, the following week it was at #89 and that was also its last week on the chart...
    The A-side of the record, "Young World", fared a little bit better, it peaked at #5 {for 1 week} on April 15th, 1962 and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1957 and 1973 he had fifty-three songs make the Top 100; seventeen made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "Poor Little Fool" for two weeks in 1958 and "Travelin' Man" for two weeks in 1961...
    He just missed having four #1s when "Teenager's Romance" {1957} and "Stood Up" {1958} both peaked at #2 on the Top 100...
    R.I.P. Fredrick Hilliard Nelson {1940 - 1985}.
  • Jorge from Bronx, NyJanis of course is the best among rock vocalist,I believe she played and recorded with 3 great bands,Big Brother & The Holding Company,Blues Kozmic Band and Full Tilt Boogie,,,It doesn't matter what a raspy voice she had,she was great at her singing,,,many just sing,she interpret every song.
  • Meocyber from Alma, CoJanis owned this version! Has anybody ever thought BB & the hold company were one of the most underrated rock bands for their tight muscianship? They kicked ass.
  • Sara from Kenosha, United Kingdomi love janis joplin, you have no idea, her voice had got to be the most beautiful i have ever herd. And has anyone noticed on how she died wih her arms the way they were, to me she looks like an angel.may she rest in peace babe
  • Stefan from Campinas, Brazilis it correct that Janis performed it at the Woodstock festival with Jimi Hendrix on the guitar?
  • Wanda from Upstate , NyA very fine recording of Porgy and Bess songs was made by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald--it also has Armstrong's fantastic trumpeteering; on it the two do a more standard version of this song, long, with fine trumpet too.
  • Mel from Riverbank, CaMy favorite version is by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong..
  • Linc from Beaumont, TxYou can see Janis memorabilia (including her car) in the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas and celebrate the Janis Joplin birthday bash in January.
    www.museumofthegulfcoast.org
  • Victoria from Memphis, TnMy favorite Janis Joplin song:)
  • Lew Quzmic from Moscow, Russia FederationGershwin is said to have based this song on a Ukrainian lullaby, Oi Khodyt Son Kolo Vikon (A Dream Passes By The Windows), which he heard in a New York City performance by Oleksander Koshetz's Ukrainian National Chorus.
    (c) Wikipedia
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summertime_%28song%29
    a 1980 version of the Ukrainian lullaby can be listened to at http://q3mi4.multiply.com/music/item/196
  • Hans from Weteringbrug, NetherlandsAn international group of collectors of recordings of Summertime exists under the name The Summertime Collection. At 07-07-2007 hey know of almost 19,500 performances, of which about 13,325 have been recorded and of which 8,151 are in the collection of the group.
  • Nicole from Boston, MaThis song is just wonderful. Joplin's version was the first I heard, but I have to say I like Billie Holliday's version equally well. The lyrics are so simple that improvisation is easy. Probably will live on as a classic for years to come. ** Speaking of [i]Porgy and Bess[/i], is there a place to find some of the other songs from it? Just curious.
  • Clare from Dallas, Txher rendition is AMAZING. it made me cry when i first heard it because it was so beautiful.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.