🎧 Deep Dive Music Almost Daily | Summertime Blues

Since it's summer,

"Summertime Blues".

Today, let's listen to the Eddie Cochran version and the Brian Setzer version.

By the way, this title.

"Blues" is hard to translate into Japanese, isn't it?

Of course, it has the meaning of "blues" as a music genre, but the English word "blues" also expresses feelings of melancholy, feeling down, or just feeling a bit off.

So, if you were to translate "Summertime Blues" literally,

"Summer Melancholy"

would probably be about right.

But when you listen to this song, it's not really that refined of a story (laughs).

The original is a rock and roll classic released by Eddie Cochran in 1958.

The person singing isn't a young person enjoying summer to the fullest.

You need money to have fun.

So you work.

But if you're working, you can't have fun.

If you try to take a break, your boss gets mad at you.

Complaining to your parents doesn't work either.

Even if you try to appeal to someone in charge, in the end, there's nothing you can do.

In short,

"It's summer, so why am I going through all this!"

It's a song about a young person like that, isn't it? (laughs)

So, for "Summertime Blues," rather than "summer melancholy,"

"Summer? I can't deal with this!"

I feel like that fits this song better.

And today, there's one more person.

🎸 Brian Setzer.

The man who brought rockabilly back to the global pop scene with the Stray Cats.

With Brian Setzer performing "Summertime Blues."

There's no way this wouldn't be a perfect fit.

Eddie Cochran was a figure who had a huge influence on later rockabilly/rock 'n' roll musicians, including Brian Setzer.

So it's interesting to listen to both of their versions of "Summertime Blues" in succession.

Eddie Cochran
↓
Brian Setzer

Rather than just two covers, old and new, it feels like rock 'n' roll being passed on to the next generation.

Even so, a young person in 1958,

"I have no money. I want to have fun. I can't be bothered to work!"

singing that (laughs).

Even after nearly 70 years, perhaps a young person's summer hasn't changed all that much.

Summer is fun.

But it's hot.

And it costs money.

I have work to do.

Everything is such a hassle.

So today,

Summertime Blues.

Forget about fancy Japanese phrases like "summer melancholy," and

"Summer, I can't deal with this!"

let's listen with that kind of mood (lol).

🎸 Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues (1958)

🎸 Brian Setzer - Summertime Blues

That's it for today.
See you again tomorrow.🎧

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