Sweet Summer Song Challenge

Note: this is based on the Sweet Summer Song Challenge posted by James U. Rizzi. I know that my effort might seem a little odd, but it was the first thing on my mind, and it won't go away...

The Logical Song by Supertramp:

This is my go-to song for the summer. From the moment that I heard it as a child, I always felt that its beautiful melody and melancholic tale was a perfect fit for the summer.

In the summer, I would be sent to day camp. The thing I remember most about it was not the camp itself – see my poem ‘Marydale’; note the information about the bus ride (the most interesting part of my day) – but the wait at the stop. I had to walk from my house, go past the forest that separated our homes from school, and wait near the parking lot. It always seemed ridiculous to me to be the only one at my school, at the start of another summer, waiting for a bus to take me away from my home. I had my backpack, plastic lunch box (perfect for the chocolate bar my mom always included in the heat), and a lot of thoughts about why this was happening.

And that is why Supertramp’s biggest hit became the song I associated with the summer.

Think about it: the singer introduces us to a boy whose life seems idyllic from the first line:

When I was young,

It seemed that life was so wonderful,

A miracle,

Oh, it was beautiful,

Magical…

At that point, he starts to sing about the birds singing joyfully, playfully (watching me). I did not relate to that part, but the first few lines were on point. I did think that I was lucky to live where I lived, right next to a forest that I enjoyed often with friends or by myself when I wanted to get away from home and school. There were also other forests and trails nearby, along with a large and abandoned cornfield you could get lost in. I was not shipped off to a boarding school for ten years of my life as a child – the lead singer, Roger Hodgson’s fate – but every little moment where I felt that I was being pushed away from the things I loved made me consider and wonder where my life was heading…

But at night,

When all the world’s asleep,

The questions run so deep,

For such a simple man…

This part of song is repeated twice, ending with a request that stuck in my head:

I know it sounds absurd:

Please tell me who I am.

I have often been accused of over thinking things; of taking things too seriously that no one else worries about. All true, and it began as a child who wondered about all of the things in my life that were taking place or about to take place (bullying, high school, confusion about what to do with my life, travelling, work, betrayals and loss). There were plenty of forces that made me want to give up on the race and just retreat to my childhood memories (impossible of course).

So, that is my pick for the summer. Melancholia wrapped around a beautiful melody, and a lesson about life that I learned the hard way.

And if you want to know what the sound of my summer was (is?) like:

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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