Summertime

It might not have been as packed as Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff's legendary "Summertime," but we four got to do some quintessentially summer things this holiday weekend. There was a red-white-and-blue cake at the grandparents', a trip to the aquarium, and a brief jaunt at Penn's Landing (before torrential rains drove us back into the bus and back home to dry off). Amy and I even snuck out Saturday night and left the kids with Amy's brother and sister-in-law, since I scored an invite to a private party on a destroyer on Penn's Landing. Not a bad weekend, although we're now all sick from shivering on a SEPTA bus for far too long.

Speaking of which, during the deluge all my family members showed their true colors, even though they all had every right to be mad at me for schlepping them down to the waterfront even though thunderstorms were in the forecast. Amy was a trooper, holding Jada close to keep her warm and saying nary a contrary word. Jada enjoyed the rain, then didn't like it because she was drenched, and then minutes after we got on the bus, she was asleep. And Aaron was blase through it all, even though it's possible he got the most wet of any of us; their were a bunch of pretty girls in the back of the bus that he could look at as we chugged across town and back to our neighborhood, so it wasn't until they got off that he noticed how uncomfortably soaked he was and started to cry. Barely an hour after we had reached home, everyone had had a hot bath, all the clothes were on their way to being washed, everything wet was laid out to dry, and we were all chowing down on pizza and watermelon.



Intro/Chorus: *sung*

summer summer summertime
time to sit back and unwind

Verse One: Fresh Prince

Here it is the groove slightly transformed
just a bit of a break from the norm
just a little somethin' to break the monotony
of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be
a little bit out of control it's cool to dance
but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance
give me a soft subtle mix
and if ain't broke then don't try to fix it
and think of the summers of the past
adjust the base and let the alpine blast
pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme
and put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime

Chorus



Verse Two: Fresh Prince

school is out and it's a sort of a buzz
a back then I didn't really know what it was
but now I see what have of this
the way that people respond to summer madness
the weather is hot and girls are dressing less
and checking out the fellas to tell 'em who's best
riding around in your jeep or your benzos
or in your Nissan sitting on lorenzos
back in Philly we be out in the park
a place called the plateau is where everybody goes
guys out hunting and girls doing likewise
honking at the honey in front of you with the light eyes
she turn around to see what you beeping at
it's like the summers a natural aphrodisiac
and with a pen and pad I compose this rhyme
to hit you and get you equipped for the summer time

Chorus



Verse Three: Fresh Prince

it's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet
hustle to the mall to get me a short set
yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair
cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there
the temperature's about 88
hop in the water plug just for old times sake
break to ya crib change your clothes once more
cause you're invited to a barbeque that's starting at 4
sitting with your friends cause y'all reminisce
about the days growing up and the first person you kiss
and as I think back makes me wonder how
the smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia
all the kids playing out front
little boys messin' round with the girls playing double-dutch
while the DJ's spinning a tune as the old folks dance at your family reunion
then six o'clock rolls around
you just finished wiping your car down
it's time to cruise so you head to the summertime hangout
it looks like a car show
everybody come lookin' real fine
fresh from the barber shop or fly from the beauty salon
every moment frontin' and maxin'
chillin' in the car they spent all day waxin'
leanin' to the side but you can't speed through
Two miles an hour so everybody sees you
there's an air of love and of happiness
and this is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness

Chorus