‘Summer Of ‘69’ By Bryan Adams | Song Review
yo,
‘Summer Of ‘69’ is a song by Bryan Adams, the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter and rock musician born on November 5, 1959.
Released as the fourth single from his fourth and possibly most popular album, Reckless, this track remains one of his most beloved and enduring hits.
A record packed with hits, ranging from the heartfelt ballad ‘Heaven’ to rock anthems like ‘Run to You’ and ‘It’s Only Love’, featuring the legendary Tina Turner.
With this setup, it’s no surprise that Reckless became one of Bryan Adams’ most successful records, achieving incredible international acclaim.
The album sold over five million copies in the United States alone and became the first to sell over one million units in Canada.
‘Summer Of ‘69’ contributed significantly to these numbers, securing its place as a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners across generations.
Musically speaking, I believe we’re all aware about the quality of ‘Summer Of ‘69’.
Written by Bryan Adams and Canadian songwriter Jim Vallance, this track perfectly captures the essence of the 80s — Seriously, just watch the music video and try to tell me that isn’t the most 80s thing ever!
An upbeat Rock-Pop anthem that looks back on someone’s younger years, giving listeners a feeling of nostalgia and joyous vibes. Those were the best days of my life, right?
Between the memorable guitar work and ridiculously catchy lyrics that everyone can sing along to, ‘Summer Of ‘69’ never fails to put you in a good mood.
Sure, some might argue that the song doesn’t push boundaries or is just ‘radio music’.
But honestly, who cares? ‘Summer Of ‘69’ is an undeniable masterpiece.
Not every song has to reinvent the wheel; some are just made to sound great on the radio, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
This is the perfect track to play with your family, as I’m sure it’s your dad’s favourite. It’s every dad’s favourite.
As mentioned, on the surface level, ‘Summer Of ‘69’ is written from the perspective of someone looking back on their younger years.
And given that Bryan Adams sings in the first person, adding constant personal references, it would be safe to assume that the singer was looking back at his own summer of ‘69.
However, if we do the maths, Bryan Adams was only 9 years old during the summer of ‘69.
So, unless he had an extraordinarily eventful childhood, we can conclude that the song isn’t quite about his own life.
That leaves us with two options: the song is either about someone else or carries a different meaning altogether.
While we could spend hours overanalysing the lyrics to figure this out, Adams has already clarified this mystery in many interviews.
Whenever asked, Bryan would always boldly respond with something along the lines of I’ve never said I meant the year.
In fact, during an appearance on The Early Show, he revealed:
A lot of people think it’s about the year, but actually, it’s more about making love in the summertime. It’s using ’69 as a sexual reference.
So, there you have it, folks. ‘Summer Of ‘69’ isn’t just about good times and nostalgia — it’s a song about sex or making love in the summertime if you want to sound a bit more romantic.
And well, technically, this could be the final conclusion, Bryan Adams himself explains the meaning behind the song, although I like to believe it is more than just sex and nostalgia.
It’s about Bryan’s first years in the music industry without the pressure of labels or making money, simply jamming with your friends, enjoying life and dreaming big.
I find it really cool that Bryan’s first guitar was bought in a pawn shop at the age of twelve, according to Jim Vallance — Although I do admit that Five and Dime sound harder.
Played it ’til my fingers bled, as he was so passionate about making music for his first band Shock.
According to Jim, Shock played Top-40 songs in Vancouver nightclubs in 1976, when Bryan was only 16.
Oh and if you were wondering about the lyric: Jimmy quit, Jody got married.
Jody is Bryan’s sound man, Jody Perpik, who actually got married around the time ‘Summer Of ‘69’ was in the making.
And Jimmy didn’t really exist. According to Bryan, the name was a reference to his early drummers.
Not just making music but most importantly, having fun during a time when days are longer — That summer seemed to last forever.
And finally, enjoying the moment as nothing can last forever — a phrase that means exactly as it states, everything comes to an end.
In Bryan’s case, he is most likely referring to his memories and experiences.
Looking back on his past, he realises that no matter how wonderful the times were, he will never be able to relive them.
And that’s okay.
What matters is that he can look back with pride, knowing he truly lived life to the fullest during the best days of his life.
This isn’t just Bryan’s story — it’s a message to all teenagers and young adults out there, including myself.
Sure, working hard and hustling is important, but don’t forget to have fun and embrace experiences while you can.
It feels like today’s toxic hustle culture, driven largely by social media, has put immense pressure on young people to start businesses or work themselves to the bone instead of enjoying their youth.
Don’t get me wrong — if you want to build something, you’ve got to work hard for it.
But I believe there’s a time for everything.
When you’re 40 or 50, do you really want to look back on your younger years and have nothing to remember except working hard and grinding?
No judgment on anyone’s path, but take a moment and actually think about it.
Final thoughts
Anyway, I always found it funny to open people’s minds in regard to this song.
If you stop and think about the track for a minute, it was definitely made with the intention of referencing sex.
Nevertheless, I do think it is a bit more than that.
More about the experiences you have while you’re young, during, you guessed it, the best days of my life.
Overall, sex-related or not, ‘Summer Of ‘69’ is a timeless classic I hope everyone’s listened to and if you haven’t, seriously what are you doing?
Have a great week!
Isi
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