Tuesday’s Tune: “All Summer Long”

americangraffitiWe are back home; and I am back at home in the basement. We left late Sunday night and arrived early Monday morning. O decided to join W and me, after we had pulled all of the boats and stored the outdoor furniture before leaving for the cottage for the summer. I don’t know when we’ll get back. I only know when I get back it will feel wonderful, like summer.

I am only a few days away from ‘being back’ but I’ve been back at school a couple of times in the past week and peeked into my classroom. I spent a few hours this afternoon working on planning and thinking.

At the beginning of the summer, I began tutoring a student in reading and social studies. We met several times this summer and today was our final tutoring session. She will be in my first period U.S. History class and we’ll continue working on some of the social studies skills we focused on this summer – sequencing and looking at cause and effect relationships.

It hit me this morning that summer is almost over when I read that 42 years ago today American Graffiti was released. It is the quintessential summer movie and though I did not see it in the theater, but I’ve seen it several times on television and replayed it on DVD. It’s the story of the last night of summer for a group of high school friends before two of them leave for college back east. It is set in Modesto, California in 1962 and George Lucas directed an all-star cast, which included Richard Dreyfus, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Suzanne Summers, among many others. Throughout the movie, music from the period plays and the final song of the soundtrack – “All Summer Long” by the Beach Boys plays as the credits roll. Any son by the Beach Boys reminds me of summer, but this song reminds me of the last moments of summer.

I was listening to the Beach Boys Sunday afternoon when I was hauling boats out of the lake and to storage and I cannot seem to get the tune of “All Summer Long” out of my head.

“All Summer Long”

Sittin’ in my car outside your house
(Sittin’ in my car outside your house)
‘Member when you spilled Coke all over your blouse?
T-shirts, cut-offs and a pair of thongs
(T-shirts, cut-offs and a pair of thongs)
We’ve been having fun all summer long

All summer long, you’ve been with me
I can’t see enough of you
All summer long, we’ve both been free
Won’t be long ’til summer time is through
Summer time is through, not for us now

Miniature golf and Honda’s in the hills
(Miniature golf and Honda’s in the hills)
When we rode the horse, we got some thrills
Every now and then we hear our song
(Every now and then we hear our song)
We’ve been having fun all summer long

Won’t be long ’til summer time is through
Summer time is through, not for us now
Every now and then, we hear our song
(Every now and then, we hear our song)
We’ve been having fun all summer long

We’ve been having fun all summer long
(We’ve been having fun all summer)
We’ve been having fun all summer long
(We’ve been having fun all summer)
We’ve been having fun all summer long
(We’ve been having fun all summer)
Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love

“All Summer Long” was originally released July 13, 1964 on the Beach Boys’ album All Summer Long (Side A, track 2) and re-released on their hits album Endless Summer (Side D, track 5) on June 24, 1974.

Even today, two days removed from the lake, I was listening to American Graffiti soundtrack while I mowed the back yard and song still reverberates between my ears.

I found our copy of the movie and it sits on my desk in front of me atop one of the piles of books and papers begging to be filed or discarded. I will get to that tomorrow, maybe. I had designs on watching the movie, but I decided re-watching the movie would have to wait for another night.

Today was a great day and tomorrow could possibly be a million and six times better. I have been busy making every minute of today count. I took O to get her class schedule and have her school picture taken this morning, W was at football most of the day, B is still at the lake wrapping up end of summer details, and I tutored, poked my nose in at school, and mowed the grass before getting started on some school work.

Yeah, today was a great day; and tomorrow is almost here. So, I’d better wrap this up or this ‘Tuesday’s Tune’ will be ‘Wednesday’s whatever.’ Making the days Count, one day at a time, one song and one replay at a time.

What song makes you think of the waning days of summer?

Take the tune for a spin below…. the first video shows the end of the movie and cuts off in the middle of the song. The second plays the song out of sequence, but in it’s entirety. Either way you get the feel for the sound, and of the movie.

7 thoughts on “Tuesday’s Tune: “All Summer Long”

    1. Thank you for the nomination. It’s gonna be a great week – school starts Monday, I’ll be singing a new tune, and shifting gears. For now, I’ll need to keep my sights on what is ahead. Have a wonderful week.

    1. You are going to make me revert to vinyl! I have her Tapestry album and the sounds of “You’ve Got a Friend” and “I Feel the Earth Move” take me back in time to summer, too. Thank you for stopping in and i look forward to reading about the musical! Have a great day.

  1. As it was for the kids in American Graffiti, this summer has been bittersweet for me as well. It was essentially a count down for the oldest leaving for college. Tomorrow is the day, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how the summer went so quickly. Luckily he’ll be less than an hour away. I imagine he’ll miss the free take-out on weekends and head our way now and then. 😉

    1. I hope your day goes well… I remember the day I left for college and my mom dropped me off. I wish I could have the day back and do it over. My son is a senior this year and next year he’ll be off to college.I am taking it one day at a time – last year of high school football, really last year of playing football and wrestling.my summer went quickly – it always seems to go faster than I want, The time on the other side will go quickly, too: finish college, marry, start a family and then realize how smart you really are! Have a wonderful day and great week.

Thanks for visiting MtDC. How are YOU Making YOUR Days Count?