I’ve always loved that song. The lyrics have such great imagery.
My ultimate summer song is “Strawberry Letter 23” by The Brothers Johnson. Awesome, laid-back 70s groove. Whenever I hear it I instantly want to be rollerblading in a pair of short shorts down a California boardwalk.
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding. Mmmmm, good smooth summertime.
*Hard Sun *- Eddie Vedder
Heard the World - O.A.R.
*2080 *- Yeasayer
Here are the contents of a “Midsummer Memories” tape I made way back when:
Gary Lewis & The Playboys: Green Grass
The Outsiders: Time Won’t Let Me
The Castaways: Liar Liar
The Dave Clark Five: Catch Us If You Can
The Monkees: Saturday’s Child
The Blues Magoos: (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet
The Knickerbockers: Lies
The Beatles: If I Needed Someone
The Kinks: Sunny Afternoon 
The Lovin’ Spoonful: Summer in the City
The Beach Boys: All Summer Long
The Hollies: On a Carousel
The Buckinghams: Kind of a Drag
The Grass Roots: Let’s Live for Today
The Soul Survivors: Expressway to Your Heart
The Moody Blues: Tuesday Afternoon
Johnny Rivers: Summer Rain
The Strawberry Alarm Clock: Incense & Peppermints
The Status Quo: Pictures of Matchstick Men
Junior Walker & The All-Stars: What Does It Take
The Mamas & The Papas: Go Where You Wanna Go
The ones marked are those that particularly send me into thoughts of summer everytime I hear them.
(Chad & Jeremy’s “A Summer Song” could also make that list)
Grazing In The Grass (is a gas…baby, can you dig it?)
School’s Out
Great song - minor geek: it is a cover; the original is by Shuggie Otis, off of his album Inspiration Information (Amazon link) - a great, little known work by a studio musician who had a lot in common with Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye (of the What’s Going On era) and Prince…really great stuff.
+1 blondebear, SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER… even though i’m no longer in school it gets me in the summer vacation mood.
For some reason, some stuff by Tom Petty and John Mellencamp make me think of Summer.
Jack and Diane
Small Town
I Wont Back Down
Into The Great Wide Open
American Girl
Roll Another Joint
Pink Houses
I suppose the fact that these songs are just very simple, straightforward songs appeals to me in the mindless days of a hazy Summer.
All Jonathan Richman, and the Meat Puppets’ Up On the Sun.
Fortuitously, I just today brought in an ipod mix I made to share with some co-workers called “69 Summer Songs”. I’ll spoiler box the track listing so people don’t have to scroll through it all:
[spoiler]
A few are songs I personally associate with summer, but most are summer-themed.
Are you familiar with Mississippi comedian Jerry Clower? Cuz you just “flung a craving on me”.
*It Must Be Summer *(Fountains of Wayne)
That ol’ racoonteur?
Under the Boardwalk by the Drifters
Island in the Sun - Weezer
Clint Eastwood - Gorrilaz
Then of course there’s “Summer” by The Cars.
Summerfly - Cheryl Wheeler, Maura O’Connell
Lazy Days - Spanky & Our Gang
59th Street Bridge Song - Simon & Garfunkel
Ventura Highway - America
I like the songs that refer to girls wearing bikinis or shorts, like LFO’s Summergirls.
Anything played by an ice cream truck. In my neighborhood growing up, that was usually either “The Entertainer” or “Turkey in the Straw”.
I hardly ever actually bought anything from the ice cream truck, but it was still a symbol of frozen happiness. You’d hear it several blocks away, and getting closer and closer, until there it was! Coming right down your street!
Lighthouse - Sunny Days Ain’t nothing better in the world than lying in the sun with your radio. 