Let’s begin with something I posted on Facebook on Wednesday:
“Hey, all you ‘flip-flop’ people, I refer you once again to the authoritative Beach Boys:
T-shirt, cutoffs, sandals, pair of thongs. We’ve been having fun all summer long.”
Until around a decade or so ago, the only time I’d ever heard the rubbery, summery footwear referred to as anything other than thongs was in “Margaritaville,” and I guess I just gave Jimmy Buffett a pass since he was writing a song lyric and not, like, a treatise on shoes:
I blew out my flip-flop; stepped on a pop top.
Anyway, fascinating though all that is, it merely serves as the intro for our latest Top 7. With the warm season in its homestretch, it seemed like a good time to list my favorite “summer” songs. Here we go:
1) “Summer of ’69,” Bryan Adams.
2) “Summer in the City,” the Lovin’ Spoonful.
3) “Summer Breeze,” Seals & Croft.
4) “Summertime Blues,” written by Eddie Cochran, though I favor the Who’s version.
5) “Summer Rain,” Johnny Rivers.
6) “All Summer Long,” the Beach Boys.
7) “Summer Side of Life,” Gordon Lightfoot.
And now Catch of the Day No. 41, a late 1950s Rawlings Mickey Mantle “Triple Crown” glove:
