In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Me and my girl got this relationship
I love her so bad, but she treats me like sh
On lock down like a penitentiary
She spreads her loving' all over and when she gets home
There's none left for me
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Oh take this veil from off my eyes
My burning sun will someday rise
What am I gonna be doing' for a while?
Said I'm gonna play with myself
Show them now we've come off the shelf
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Evil, I've come to tell you that she's evil, most definitely
Evil, ornery, scandalous and evil, most definitely
The tension, it's getting hotter
I'd like to hold her head underwater
Oh
Me and my girl
We got a relationship
Me and my girl
We got a relationship
My girl
We got a relationship, oh
And my girl
Take a tip
Take a tip
Take a tip from me
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, la la, Louie want everybody
Run to the rhythm it gets harder
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Me and my girl got this relationship
I love her so bad, but she treats me like sh
On lock down like a penitentiary
She spreads her loving' all over and when she gets home
There's none left for me
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Oh take this veil from off my eyes
My burning sun will someday rise
What am I gonna be doing' for a while?
Said I'm gonna play with myself
Show them now we've come off the shelf
Summertime and the livin's easy
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, and me and Louie run to the party
Dance to the rhythm it gets harder
Evil, I've come to tell you that she's evil, most definitely
Evil, ornery, scandalous and evil, most definitely
The tension, it's getting hotter
I'd like to hold her head underwater
Oh
Me and my girl
We got a relationship
Me and my girl
We got a relationship
My girl
We got a relationship, oh
And my girl
Take a tip
Take a tip
Take a tip from me
Bradley's on the microphone with Ras M.G.
All the people in the dance will agree
That we're well qualified to represent the LBC
Me, la la, Louie want everybody
Run to the rhythm it gets harder
Summertime and the livin's easy
Lyrics submitted by The Big Andowski
Doin' Time Lyrics as written by Adam Horowitz Rick Rubin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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Its about his girl cheating on him (Spreads her lovin' all over and when she gets home there's none left for me) so he decides to play the game with her (So what am I gonna be doin' for a while? I guess i'll have to play it myself) and thats how he handles the situation. That girls a whore, I wonder why he just didn't leave her
This song takes on an entirely different meaning to me. My dog recently died, she was so dear to me. The greatest dog ever. Me and my dog Steffi had a relationship alot like Brad's and Lou Dog's. When I listen to this song, when he mentions Lou Dog and when he's barking in the backround, I think about her, and the fun times we had together "livin easy." Plus, on a really cheesey note, LBC rhymes with my town's in initials, "SMT," so when I hear him say the chorus, I'm thinking "...well qualified to represent the SMT me, me and Steffi..." Stupid? Maybe, but it helps me remember the good times we had together. Anywas, that what the song means to me.
this is my absolute fave song in the world. it's awesome.. it has the best tune ever and i like everything about this song, except one of the lyrics, "i'd like to hold...". IF he doesn't like his gf cheating on him, he should just break up w/her, not say stupid things like that. anyway, it's a good mix between reggae and rock and it has this sort of mysterious feel to it..i can just imagine brad and the band chilling around in long beach.. absolutely awesome! :) sublime!!
LBC is Long Beach, California. there is no Long Beach County or Long Beach Crips. RAS M.G. refers to both Richard Arthur Smith (RAS) and Marshall Goodman (M.G.), both members of Long Beach Dub Allstars, of which Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson formed.
it is most definitly long beach county put it on my life... but i appreciate the clarification on the r.a.s. m.g. because i just spent 20 min sifting through all these peoples lame insights and whack interpritations of a pretty straight foreward songs just to find out that one simple thing
@DANINKY Thank you! I've heard both the original and Lana Del Ray versions and could never figure out the references in the initials.
I love this song. She was cheating on him, so he killed her, or wanted to, and then he had to go do time (doin' time). Ah, but who cares what it means? It sounds awesome.
This is a guy who is in love with a girl who treats him like shit. He knows she trests him badly but he do anything about it. He cant leave her because he lvoes her to much. She is evil and he wants to kill her but he's stuck. He loves her too much to do anything, hence the prison metaphor.
I believe its called either 'Summertime (Doin' Time)' or 'Doin' Time (Summertime)'. So, you're both right! :)
I agree with FeelingGroovy but i don't deny the possiblity of it being a girlfriend.
Wikipedia says that this is a coversong of George Gershwin's "Summertime" and that it's about a guy who feels imprisoned by his girlfriend through her infidelities
We probably won't ever know Brad's connection or inspiration to cover this song, but its a safe to say it was about his girlfriend or his addiction
Can anyone possibly get the lyrics for the Pharcyde version of this song? I love it, but I can't understand some stuff they say, and I can't find the lyrics anywhere
I think this song is about a guy who's got this chick who goes out every night and cheats on him when he really really loves her. So, he decides to kill her (hold her head underwater). Simple.