I just got the new Wallflowers CD, “Breach”, and the first single – Sleepwalker – has a line in the chorus:
…which begs the question…who???
From www.biography.com:
There’s a good profile of him at allmusic.com.
Sam Cooke was a great R&B singer. The song refers to Cooke’s “Cupid” which pretty much has that exact line in it.
He also had hits with a bunch of other R&B classics like “Summertime”.
Cooke was shot dead by a motel owner when he came running downstairs naked in the hotel. It was a strange end for a great talent.
Sam Cooke - singer 1950’s
Lyrics refer to:
“Cupid, draw back your bow
And let your arrow go
Straight to…
My lover’s heart…for me.”
Thank you, screech-owl. That’s one of my favorite songs. Thanks for reminding me of it, as well as telling me who wrote it.
thanks, y’all! It makes sense now!
Sam Stone Well, with a name like Sam, I can forgive anything.
Summertime was done by Billy Stewart. I’m not saying that Sam Cooke didn’t do it on an album or sumptin’, but no one could ever connect the song with Cooke.
Fearless Leader himself addressed this in much more interesting detail:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_322.html
Seems The Late Great Sam Cooke (to use his full name) wasn’t quite the angel he sounded like.
His most famous song was probably Chain Gang. At least, that’s the one I always associate with him.
uh ah… don’t you know, that’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang.
Good tune.
Sam Clem - “Summertime” is a classic that has been covered by dozens of artists. But Cooke did make the charts with it. So did Sam and Dave, and Janis Joplin.
Brother Stone I’m talking Billboard’s top 40 here.
Summertime made it to #10 for 7 weeks for Billy Stewart.
It never made it to the Top 40 for any other artist.
Now, if it made it to the top 100, I can’t say.
Ankh Chain gang made it to Billboard’s Top 40, climbing to # 2 and remaining in the top 40 for 13 weeks.
You Send Me Made it to number 1 and stayed on the chart for 17 weeks. Not much of a difference, I know, but that’s what makes memories so subjective.
I don’t really have anything to add, except I thought the Wallflower’s reference was pretty clever when I first heard it, and my first thought was “There are going to be a lot of youngins out there who doesn’t get the reference”.
GUess I was right.
How about the R&B Charts? ‘Summertime’ is on Sam Cooke’s greatest hits collection, and I remembered hearing it on the radio many times, so I figured it must have charted.
There are going to be a lot of youngins out there who don’t get the reference.
Sheesh.
Sam Stone said I remembered hearing it on the radio many times, so I figured it must have charted.
Samclem saidbut that’s what makes memories so subjective.
pepperlandgirl just figured you were trying to communicate with them in their native language. 
“Sam Cooke Live at the Copacabana”
Get this if you can.
Summertime is originally from the 1936 Gershwin play Porgy and Bess, and as noted there have been many versions recorded. The following list of U.S. charted versions since 1956 comes from Top Pop Singles and Bubbling Under the Hot 100:
Sam Cooke, 1957, #81 (B side of his #1 hit, You Send Me)
Sam Cooke, 1959, #106 (song re-released as an A side)
Marcels, 1961, #78
Rick Nelson, 1962, #89
Chris Columbo Quintet, 1963, #93
Billy Stewart, 1966, #10
Herb Alpert, 1971, #114