Right out of the gate, ‘Summerboy’ by Lady Gaga highlights an essential truth in her ode to summer romances: “Nowhere, yeah we’re going nowhere fast.” In summer, friends with benefits and ‘no strings attached’ situations bloom and flourish, making the weather not the only thing getting hot. These relationships are easily disposable and replaceable thus casting a shadow on the line, “Sometimes you may start a fight, but I’m happy pretending we’re alright.” Is your summerboy getting sassy? Drop his butt and go for another, preferably taller with better abs. Aside from Lady Gaga, this Summerboy looms in the lyrics of our favorite summer songs. But how accurate are these summertime hits? Here are the truthful breakdowns:
Single for the Summer by Sam Hunt
We’re all familiar with the good ole ‘Turkey Drop’ from college. You know, the break up during Thanksgiving Break…leaving you intoxicated and making out with random frat guys for months to come? The seasons and term may change, but the situation does not. Hunt’s lines, “I feel it creeping in every day’s a weekend and I’m drowning in the freedom…I’ve got my phone faced down, and my hair combed back, riding round getting good at the game,” accurately depict the summer mindset for both you and your potential summer prey.
Summer Love by Justin Timberlake
Suns out, guns out? More like suns out, tons (of lascivious desires) out. Given the right night, and right amount of sun melting your brain, you can feel attracted to a streetlight. JT’s “I can’t wait to fall in love…with you,” rings true since spirits are high and standards are low (thank you tequila).
Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard
Throughout the summers of our youth, there is most likely a summerboy that stands out above the rest. Perhaps you two laid on the beach under the stars, or ran into the midnight waters half naked and drunk off your asses. Some real teenage summer dreams. Yellowcard’s relatable lyrics reminisce on these innocent carefree years of summer before reality (aka becoming a part of society’s slave labor, I mean work) took its hold.
Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey
As the summer comes to an end, it’s nearly impossible to listen to this most recent and fan favorite summer song and not feel some type of way. Lana’s sultry voice brings alight a last hooray to the summer memories you and your summer bae have created. There comes a point in summer, most likely on a car ride with the top down, sun-kissed hair blowing in the wind, or while “dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight,” when the days feel endless and invincible. But then it’s over. And you got that summertime sadness.
Summer Skin by Death Cab for Cutie
After the summertime sadness takes its hold, its time to say goodbye to your summerboy. Ben Gibbard’s chilling voice croons fourteen lines that will break your heart, but it’s the last six that really capture the ending of a summer love:
On the night you left I came over
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
And I knew your heart I couldn’t win
Cause the seasons change was a conduit
And we left our love in our summer skin
Summer Paradise by Simple Plan
While in a state of despair, you may develop optimistic thoughts regarding your faded summerboy thinking, “But someday I will find my way back to where your name is written in the sand.” Simple Plan makes that sound possible, but nope. Like your heart, the sand was consumed by the tides, and lost to the forbidding sea.
Summer Girls by LFO
Don’t fret though, summer will return, and with plenty more summerboys. This song takes you to those sizzling summers of walking on the boardwalk checking out the shaggy haired surfer boys. Because the song is from the summerboy’s perspective, kind of a douchebag by the way, it’s hard not to find faults in some of the lyrics. For instance, “I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch.” Aside from the overwhelming hazardous aroma coming from that store, majority of those girls were the ones you wanted to avoid in high school.
Summer will once again go full circle just as LFO sings, “’summer girls come and summer girls go.” Except it’s the summerboys that come and go, not making your sun-drenched days, but merely spicing them up till the next guy comes around.
Other notable summer songs:
Boys of Summer by Don Henley
Summer by Calvin Harris
Doin’ Time by Sublime
This Summer by Maroon 5
Great Summer by Vance Joy
Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato
My Sweet Summer by Dirty Heads
Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams
All Summer Long by Kid Rock
