That summer feeling That summer feeling
That summer feeling

When there's things to do not because you gotta
When you run for love not because you oughtta
When you trust your friends with no reason ta nada
This joy I've named shall not be tamed
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

When the cool of the pond makes you drop down on it
When the smell of the lawn makes you flop down on it
When the teenage car gets the cop down on it
That time is here for one more year
That summer feeling's gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

If you've forgotten what I'm naming
You're gonna long to reclaim it one day
You see that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

But if you wait until your older
A sad resentment will smoulder one day
And Then the summer feeling will come haunt you
And that summer feeling will come taunt you
That summer feeling will hurt you
Later in your life.

When the playground that just was all dirt
Comes hauntin
And someone who called you a flirt
Comes tauntin
It's not that these things alone
Were appealin
What I now revealin is a certain feelin
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

When the Oldsmobile has got the top down on it
When the catamaran has got the drop down on it
When the flat of the land has got the crop down on it
What I now proclaim is sortta hard to name
But that summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

When even fourth grade starts looking good
Which you hated,
And first grade's looking good too,
Overrated,
And you boys long for some little girl
That you dated
Do you long for her of for the way you were,
That summer feeling is gonna haunt you
The rest of your life.

It's gonna haunt you
It's gonna taunt you


Lyrics submitted by mrtrout

That Summer Feeling Lyrics as written by Jonathan Michael Richman

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

That Summer Feeling song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's amazing how well this guy can channel Lou Reed but still give it his own spin. Love love love this song.

    trainspotteron November 25, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Love love love this song. A sentimental song about sentimentality itself. To me this song sums up a lot of what Jon's songs are about: falling in love, being young, carefree and those fleeeting moments of that really formulate our memories.

    The 'summer' feeling is a great little expression.

    bobcatclayon February 24, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    When I listen to this song I see my summers during high school. Girl on the swing with the dirty ankles is striking. Say what you will and they still adore ya, those are friends you made before you grew into an adult with adult ideas. Its just one of the greatest songs ever written and s few people have heard it.

    docthanatoson May 05, 2010   Link
  • +2
    Memory

    It kind of scares me how many levels of my life this song describes. It is beautiful. Love this.

    ChaseOddityon March 23, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is about nostalgia.

    warren1983on January 16, 2016   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    Awesome

    Zoltan Pandemoniumon June 30, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.