I have always loved summer. There are few things better than spending time swimming, boating, hiking and, yes, even mowing the lawn. Summer is also the best season to enjoy playing, camping and travelling with your children and grandchildren.
The optimism that comes from beautiful weather, backyard pools or trips to a national or provincial park is infectious. (The post-COVID best kind.) That summer optimism sets us up for those glorious days of fall and helps to create the much-needed reservoir we can draw upon during the long Canadian winter.
I am writing this column in the middle of January, so believe me, I am already deep into that reservoir and longing for the missing sunshine, especially this year.
I don’t know about you, but music has the power to put me in a special place. So here are 12 summer songs I’m playing now to put me in the warm-weather groove and let me “savour summer,” even in the depths of winter.
You might well have your own summer favourites, but to give you a nudge, Muriel, the talented francophone leader in the directorate office, and I selected a bilingual playlist that we hope will set you up for a wonderful summer. De-selection was hard work!
“Good Vibrations” — The Beach Boys
“La bohème” — Charles Aznavour
“Sun Is Shining” — Bob Marley and the Wailers
“J’ai dix ans” — Alain Souchon
“One Fine Morning” — Lighthouse
“Le soleil donne” — Laurent Voulzy
“Wipe Out” — The Surfaris
“Fais-moi une place” — Julien Clerc
“Times Like These” — Foo Fighters
“Il est cinq heures, Paris s’éveille” — Jacques Dutronc
“Smooth” — Santana
“Tombé du ciel” — Jacques Higelin
I wager, when you play all 12 tunes (old and new), you’ll be transported to your favourite summer moments.
I bet you have personal summer playlists that go much deeper. So please send us your top five songs of summer (jgrieve@rtoero.ca) and we will publish the definitive 2023 RTOERO summer playlist.
Best,
Jim
