Five Songs Of Summer


Castle Beach, with my daughter, 1990

One: The first sounds of summer are not song, exactly, but I can't ignore them. They are too entwined in this experience of life. My strongest sounds of summer are primordial: waves that wash slow over quartz pebbles and medium grain sand; chirrups of split tail birds; the breeze idling though a full-leafed tree. After this I think of beach chatter: what you hear when your eyes are closed in full sun, when the beach is busy, that blend of every human social vocal. There are human musical sounds that evoke summer things too, though, stuff you could put on a mix tape. There are:
Two: Kelly Marie. I Feel Love. Because disco works best in the heat, because this is the song I associate with going on the Waltzers at the travelling fair. Sequins, candyfloss, coloured light bulbs spinning. Walking in a wonky line with innocently sticky knees; everything smells of sugar, onions, cigarettes, fruity lip gloss. 
Three: Janice Joplin. Summertime. An obvious title, but I love it. The ease of a fine summer and the emotive gravel of voice. There's never been a time when it didn't work for me.
Four: Nina Simone. Feeling Good. August 2007. My friend Ian sang this while I was walking down the aisle of a former slate mine. Mr was waiting at the end of that aisle. (And when his nearly bride stepped up on the staging to stand by his side she whispered 'Don't look at me' because she didn't want to cry. So they giggled instead.)
Five: Kate Bush. The Red Shoes. I think this album was an autumn release, but the eponymous song was one I danced to frequently, in my kitchen of course, with a coffee pot close at hand, the year I was finishing my clever degree. Dancing plus coffee equals Ideas. And did I leave college to get myself a securely salaried job? Nope. The red shoes do not quit.


Castle Beach, date unknown.
I grew up here :-)


Comments

  1. Geo.12 July 2014 at 00:45

    Beautiful. You realize, don't you, the dragon began in the form of that forested outcropping at Castle Beach.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Armchair Squid12 July 2014 at 03:02

    Beautiful post. I love the top photo, and your first entry. Music didn't arise out of a vacuum. The sounds of the seasons came first.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cherdo12 July 2014 at 03:21

    The first appearance of Kate Bush on the bloghop! Awesome. Dancing plus coffee DOES produce ideas. :-)

    Janis Joplin was in rare form when she did Summertime; I love that one, too.

    Great post!
    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Suze12 July 2014 at 16:25

    Lisa, this was truly lovely. I immediately got a mental image of you walking down the aisle to Ian's crooning. Excellent selections.

    ReplyDelete
  5. StratPlayerCJF12 July 2014 at 18:21

    Sounds like your mix of summer sounds should also include a coffee pot percolatin'. :)

    Beautiful list! And I find it wonderful how your gorgeous descriptions can evoke the songs (and sounds) in my head more effectively (and more intimately) then a linked YouTube video. That's what they call "good writin'!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Luanne G. Smith12 July 2014 at 19:59

    I adore Kate Bush. And of course summer and the beach go together. I don't blame you for including the sounds of nature. Good call. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Susan Flett Swiderski13 July 2014 at 05:13

    What a wonderful post! As always, your words paint wonderful images, especially in your first entry. Beautiful! Great choices all the way around.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Alex J. Cavanaugh13 July 2014 at 13:58

    Beach waves - now that's a great choice. They can sound like music.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Trisha14 July 2014 at 01:46

    I am going to have to go and listen to all of these songs. But as it is, I really loved your descriptions. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Stephanie Faris16 July 2014 at 02:31

    Disco always takes me back to childhood, especially songs like I Feel Love. My mom worked for a record company and she'd bring home demo albums. Most of them were disco, so I spent a lot of time listening to disco in my bedroom on my record player when I was a tween.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lisa Southard17 July 2014 at 23:01

    Thank you all for the fun of the blog hop and your always appreciated commentary- sorry for the group response I am having some hardware trouble that will hopefully be resolved in August- till then everything is running stubborn and slow (but at least it is running!)
    Also getting The Novel closer to being presentable :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Deniz Bevan19 July 2014 at 15:05

    Oh! You're right about the sounds of summer. I can't believe I didn't think of that. Listening to the waves on the shore as I fell asleep at my grandmother's house every summer... Aww. I miss that.

    ReplyDelete

Post a comment

Thank you for reading my words- my chance to read yours here:

Popular posts from this blog

Yes, A Winter Welcome

Image
~ Words on beginning the Winter Festivities ~ Monday 30th November 2020 Autumn’s last calendar day. The season puts on a thick mist coat so I picture it flouncing out with flaming leaves at its hem, russet apples tumbling behind. Winter clatters at the door, all cold bones and tense sparkling hope. Last night I had driven home connected to a clear night, moon above, fuel warning light pipping, songs turned loud: it was like old poor times, the good energy of it, the leap of faith. This night I drove home through wails of mist, fuel levels contently full, songs still loud: the good energy of repleteness. My fear of comfort is diminished, I note, and this brings an excitement. Am I ready? Yes. Tuesday 1st December 2020 In bed drinking coffee, having first admired the crazy moon lighting the morning sky silvery bright; the sun behind us was arriving as though poured slowly from a jug. Welcome to winter. This first day is a list of simple pleasures: setting up cold protection in t
Read more

Plotlines And Plants

Image
Wednesday 3rd February 2021 Returned to work on Monday with my lists of little things to achieve each day, to balance the lack of other adventures in this, the third of our UK lockdowns. Checked rota and found myself not working more than usual shift pattern for two weeks consecutively which feels like I am still on holiday. 😊 Yesterday we stocked up on top soil, potting compost, vermiculite; bought seeds for savoy cabbage and tarragon, and I treated myself to new secateurs (lost a pair in the garden somewhere). 💚 We took the van, also picking up an old window which later will be a solar dehydrator and water heater, and wood for replacing the polytunnel door, which was too long for the van. Mr had to borrow a saw and bespoke the lengths in rain so heavy it was near solid. 💧 This morning after stretches and dog walking I lugged new topsoil onto the polytunnel beds, pruned the small apple tree, cooked mushrooms on the woodburner. Right now I am about to brew extra coffee and crack
Read more

Clearing Time

Image
Space for soul work Monday 9th November 2020 It’s write anything day. Tap out words. Thoughts adrift. In my car when I’m in fine voice, no one knows otherwise. I might be pitch perfect. Doesn’t matter. The important thing is to sing if I want to. Write. Always watching the weather, jumping in the mud. Walk my feet into the sea until my shoulders slip under, limbs fold-unfold, swimming. Write anything. Be. Let the cliche be. Doesn’t matter. What matters? Yes the little things, yes the big picture. Making mistakes YES. Be serious. Be fun. Misuse punctuation in the general flow. Beautiful words that come to me when I’m lacking a pen or a keyboard, that will never be replicated, that were either perfect or illusionary, that do or don’t need to be shared: tumble through it. Look but seek nothing. I’m at work, it’s drizzling. Sky a pale blur, all colours softened. Indoors the light is warm and also soft. I’m tired from the hot flushes that are stalking my nights, from the dog’s odd new ob
Read more