The sounds of English…
a listening experience
Summertime George Gershwin
Barranco Beach, Lima, Peru
Feel the blues Album Billie Holiday
“Summertime” is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin. It was written for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. This song soon became a popular and much-recorded jazz standard, described as “without a doubt … one of the finest songs the composer ever wrote …”
Gershwin’s highly evocative writing brilliantly mixes elements of jazz and the song styles of the black population in the southeast United States during the early twentieth century. There are over 25,000 recordings of “Summertime”. One of the earliest productions dates back to September 1936. This is a recording by Billie Holiday. It was the first track to hit the US pop charts, reaching the twelfth place in popularity at that time.
The lyrics
Summertime
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 mornin’s
You’re goin’ to rise up singin’
Then you’ll spread your wings
And you’ll take the sky
But till that mornin’
There’s a-nothin’ can harm you
With daddy and mammy
Standin’ by
Vocabulary
This song was initially intended as a lullaby. It was meant to be sung while putting a baby in his crib so he can sleep, The lyrics are quite easy, and they need little explanation. This song and the opera should be understood as a cultural testimony of the life in southern states of the US before the Civil War in that country.
Aria A song for one of the principal singers in an opera When she finished singing the aria, the public began to clap their hands, standing up from their seats.
Evocative A n evocative smell or sound makes you think of something, often something that you experienced in the past. Also, an evocative work of art expresses something very clearly and makes you have a strong reaction to it. His photographs were highly evocative images of human suffering.
Pop charts A list of the most popular songs. Their song reached the first place in the British Pop Charts.
the livin- is easy An expression that indicates that life and the times are good. I remember when, many years ago, living was easy. Not at all like in these modern times, my man!
And the cotton is high This song is part of an opera. It was set in a cotton plantation in the south of the United States. At this time, the vast plantations were worked by slaves. When the cotton is high, means that the cotton plants are ready to be picked or harvested. This is a good year, the cotton has grown and is high waiting to be picked.
You’re goin’ to rise up a singin’ An expression that means that you will grow up and be ready to live your life. Soon, You’re goin’ to rise up singin’. Then you will take care of me!
Then you’ll spread your wings
And you’ll take the sky It is another way to say that you will be ready to live your own life and to meet your destiny. One day you will have grown into a man and will be prepared to leave the house and live your life on your own.
a-nothin’ A way to say nothing. This expression belongs to the manner of speaking in the south of the US in the past. I ain’t got a.nothing but the clothes I’m wearing.
With daddy and mammy
Standin’ by An idiom used to express that the parents will take care of and protect the child. Go to sleep and don’t worry ’cause your daddy and mammy are standing by.
daddy and mammy A familiar and affectionate way of saying, father and mother. In the times of the plantations, mammy was used for mentioning the black woman who took care of the plantation owner’s white children. It is now considered an offensive expression in the US. I’m going to town with my daddy and mammy tomorrow.
The Listening Exercises
This is the original version of this song that was to become a Jazz-standard. It is sung by Harolyn Blackwell in the Opera Porgy and Bess with the London Philharmonic. The lyrics are a bit difficult to understand and require concentration and focus. Together with the rest of the versions of this song, it makes for an enjoyable listening exercise.
This is the version that took this song to international fame. Recorded by Billie Holiday in 1936, it reached the 12th position in the Popo Charts soon after. Her singing is laid-back and easy-going. The lyrics are easy to follow.
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Summertime
This interpretation of Summertime by the timeless jazz singers Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald offers the opportunity to listen to two contrasting, different voices, each in their own particular style. Their pronunciation is quite clear, allowing the listener to understand the lyrics with relative ease.
An unbelievable performance by Janis Joplin in the height of the 60’s era. Her unique voice makes this listening exercise a most impressive visit to the past. Her interpretation of the lyrics may require a bit of concentration by the listener.
The Zombies are an English Rock group, also from the ’60s. Their album Odessy and Oracle, 1968, was considered one of the 500 best rock and roll albums of all time by the Rolling Stone magazine. This production of Summertime was one of their hits. The live version imparts a different sound to this song, and the quality of this video requires a bit of an effort by the listener but proves to be a fantastic experience.
This is a masterful presentation done by Sting. He is a British musician and composer. Among the many awards, he held a Grammy and was nominated to the Oscar for The best song. Listening to the lyrics is a comfortable, light exercise for the listener.
This is a more contemporary rendition of this song. Recorded in 2014, this promising young vocalist adds her own personal touch to this musical score. Her pronunciation is accessible to listeners at a beginner’s level.
To most persons, this recording by Scarlett Johannson may come as a surprise. The video portrays scenes from the award winning movie Lost in Translation by Sofia Copolla. The lead actress in this film, presents a great rendition of this popular song and an effortless listening activity.
This video of Norah Jones at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival facilitates the listening activities for this song, as the video includes the lyrics. Norah Jones was the highlight in the festival, having won eight Grammy Awards for her album, Come away with me, just a few months before. Again, an easy-listening adventure, due to Jones’ mellow, breezy speech.
From the album, Nostalgia, 2014, Annie Lennox sings Summertime in her brilliant contralto voice. She has sold over 80 million records and made her one of the most successful female songsters. Again her relaxed and spontaneous voice help to enable an easy listening experiment.
Andrea’s musical background comes from a truly unique music school in Cataluña, Spain. The Sant Andreu Jazz Band is an ongoing artistic center for kids starting as early as at the age of six years and up to around eighteen-years.old. This school trains the kids in the diverse instruments used in a jazz band and to sing in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and sometimes even in French. The group has played in many different cities and countries. Many world-class jazz musicians travel from all over the world to offer their support. Andre talks English as a second language, but as you listen to her sing, you will find that at moments, it is difficult to realize that fact. In Andrea Motis’s particular case, it is interesting to note that she started with the school at twelve, playing the alto sax. She’s now a world-recognized singer, performing both with saxophones as with a trumpet, which she executes with masterful craft.
Various Artists – Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.
In this absolutely cool compilation of different great voices that have recorded the thousands of covers to Summertime. Here it is possible to appreciate the voices of top vocalists of all-time, such as Mahalia Jackson, Lena Horne, Carmen McRae, Julie London, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Janis Joplin, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone. Each of these singers offers us an insight into different historical moments of American music.
There are a variety of different voices singing the same beautiful lyrics. Each voice with its own pace, inflection, and personality. Listen to these different versions, and exercise your English listening skills, remember that learning is fun, so enjoy!
All photographs by ©edudelcorral
Talking easy, the English lessons The Listening Exercises