At long last, the ‘ice is slowly melting,’ which makes this the perfect time to dream of summer and those days of lazing around a cottage and dangling your feet off the dock.
Here It Comes: In my warm-weather daydreams, The Beatles top the list with an optimistic classic from “Abbey Road.”
Spring is barely a week away, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park already has announced a few acts on its summer concert bill and Grand Rapids’ 7th annual Cottage and Lakefront Living Show kicks off Friday at DeVos Place downtown.
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Yes, the “ice is slowly melting,” so what better time to assemble a mix tape or soundtrack of sun- and lake-splashed tunes to get you into a summer mood?
The folks at ShowSpan — who assemble the annual Cottage and Lakefront Living Show, along with a host of other major consumer exhibitions — asked me if I’d compile a list of the best cottage/lakefront living songs, and being sick to death of this winter nonsense, I couldn’t resist.
So, here are my picks. Feel free to add your own because there’s plenty of summery musical fodder out there.
By the way, the show — featuring exhibits, seminars, speakers, a marketplace and just about everything related to cottage-style living — runs 3-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 adults, $4 children 6-13 and free for those 5 and younger.
Get the entire show lowdown and a discount coupon at the official website. Now, turn it up …
SPINS ON MUSIC’S TOP 10 SONGS FOR COTTAGE & LAKEFRONT LIVING
1. “Here Comes The Sun,” The Beatles (1969) – Could anything be more uplifting and more emblematic of lakefront living than this classic from George Harrison of The Beatles? After “a long cold lonely winter,” it really is all right to embrace summer and bask in the sun.
2. “All Summer Long,” Kid Rock (2008) – With so many references to northern Michigan in summertime, this has become a Great Lakes State theme song for cottage dwellers, hailing “love out by the lake,” “catching walleye from the dock, watching the waves roll off the rocks.” And Kid Rock, who brings his Rebel Soul Tour to Van Andel Arena on April 3, would insist this is a Michigan-styled tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, not a replication of “Sweet Home Alabama.”
3. “Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett (1977) – No list of cottage or shoreline tunes would be complete without SOMETHING from Buffett, so take your pick: “Boat Drinks, “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “One Particular Harbour.” Anyway, Hawaiian shirt-clad Parrotheads – who certainly know how to enjoy the sun and sand – would revolt if their island king wasn’t represented.
4. “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems,” Kenny Chesney (2002) —As this country superstar puts it, it’s all about “a towel on a chair in the sand by the sea.” In introducing the tune, Chesney himself calls it a “way of life.” And what a way to live, eh?
5. “Shanty (The Friday Song),” Jonathan Edwards (1971) – Not long after Edwards wrote this for his debut album, it became a weekend anthem, a rallying cry for relaxation on Grand Rapids’ own WLAV-FM and classic rock radio across the country. Swap “cottage” for “shanty” and this is the perfect soundtrack to “lay around” and get the post-work week party started.
6. “Soak Up The Sun,” Sheryl Crow (2002) – This catchy ditty was played almost nonstop for a few summers in a row after it was released. For good reason: It’s an upbeat charmer.
7. “Gold on the Ceiling,” The Black Keys (2011) – Think of your favorite lakeshore retreat and the sun reflecting off the ceiling as you relax with your favorite drink. Then crank this song up.
8. “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding (1968) – One of the true pleasures of cottage ownership, or cottage renting, for that matter: dangling your feet in the water from the end of the dock as the sun sets.
9. “The Way,” Fastball (1998) – This is on the list because it’s all about leaving it all behind: The best way to enjoy time along any lake. And in Fastball’s world, “it’s always summer.”
10. (Tie) “Walking on Sunshine,” Katrina & The Waves (1984)/“Sailing,” Christopher Cross (1980)/”Come Sail Away,” Styx (1977) – Though oft scoffed at for its AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) schmaltziness – heck, VH1 named Cross’ No. 1 hit the world’s greatest “softsational soft rock” tune – what’s better than kicking back on the porch along a lake somewhere on a sun-splashed day and watching sailboats cross the horizon? Then again, rockers would likely prefer Styx’s “Come Sail Away.” Personally, I prefer the upbeat “Walking on Sunshine,” which always makes me smile … and think of summer.
Honorable Mention:“Summertime” (Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff), “Surfer Girl” (Beach Boys), “Summer Breeze” (Seals and Crofts), “In the Summertime” (Mungo Jerry), “Boys of Summer” (Don Henley), “California Gurls” (Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg), “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (Elton John), “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan), “Sunny Afternoon” (The Kinks), “Blister in the Sun” (Violent Femmes), “Walking on the Sun” (Smash Mouth).
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
Bob Seger’s Night Moves – a classic Michigan summer song!
Whoa…..what about: 1. Good Day Sunshine – Beatles
2. Summer In the City – Lovin’ Spoonful yet outdone by
Quincy Jones
3. Summer Nights Van Halen
4. Girls in Their Summer Clothes – Springsteen
5. Groovin’ Young Rascals
6. Up On The Roof
7. Summertime by everyone.
8. Summertime Blues by everyone else.
BTW Thanks for not mentioning ‘Summer Breeze’!!!
Double BTW Wheels in motion for Rascals to re-unite.
..goes back to the ’60s, but I still think of “Summer in the City” by John Sebastian & The Lovin’ Spoonful