Summertime (song)

"Summertime" is an aria composed in 1934 by American composer George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP."Summertime" at ASCAP Archived 2006-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
The song was frequently recorded in the years following its premiere, and would soon become a popular jazz standard; The Residents covered the song on their earliest demo recordings, and a version was later featured on their 1984 album George & James (dedicated to the works of Gershwin and James Brown).
== History==
The song was written between December 1933 and February 1934, inspired heavily by African-American folk music of the time. It was included in the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.
The Residents were likely made aware of the song through Sam Cooke's 1957 cover, which reached number 81 in the US charts, whilst the group were in their tweens. Several other notable versions followed throughout the group's teens, Loulie Jean Norman's in 1959, The Marcels' in 1961, Ricky Nelson's in 1962 and the Chris Columbo Quintet; 1963. However, the most famous cover would be Billy Stewart's 1966 version, which reached number 10 in the US charts. 
A popular and much recorded jazz favorite at the time of its release, "Summertime" was one of a number of American standards performed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the group who would later become The Residents; two instrumental versions feature on their unreleased 1970 demo reel known as The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger.
The Residents would later revisit "Summertime" as the closing track on the "George" side of their 1984 album George & James, the first installment in their American Composer Series.
==Lyrics==
===Original version (1935) ===
 Summertime, and the livin' is easy
 Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
 Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
 So hush, little baby, don't you cry.
 One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
 And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
 But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
 With daddy and mammy standin' by.
 Summertime, and the livin' is easy
 Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
 Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
 So hush, little baby, don't you cry.
==List of releases==
*The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger (1970, unreleased) San Mateo home recording #1, 1970 San Mateo home recording #2, 1970
*George & James (1984) Clementina Street studio recording, October 1983 - February 1984 (4:08)
===List of versions===
==External links and references==
*"Summertime" on Wikipedia
Category:Covers
Category:George Gershwin
Category:The American Composer Series
Category:George & James
Category:The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger
Category:The Delta Nudes
Category:Songs