Origins: Summertime (Gershwin, et al.)

Subject: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From:
Date: 16 May 97 - 06:09 PM

Would like complete lyrics and music for folk guitar. Summertime, when the livin' is easy, Summertime, when the livin' is high...? I think this is how it goes. This is all I know. ARGH!! Please help. |Muchas Gracias!

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: December
Date: 17 May 97 - 12:03 AM

You can get the lyrics from a website called Jen's Page. I linked it thru http://www.stairway.org./kingsongs. This site has a lot of music links not just kid songs. If you go to Jen's Page then to the Lyric Underground and tag S you will find a listing for Summertime. Under FAQ it tells how to order - there is no charge. You may be able to go directly there at http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/palms/4207/index.html

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SUMMERTIME (George & Ira Gershwin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 May 97 - 05:25 AM

Summertime
by George & Ira Gershwin, 1935
(from "Porgy and Bess")

Summertime, and the livin' is easy,
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high,
Oh your pappy's rich and your mammy's 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 an' you'll take to the sky.
But till that mornin', there ain't nothin' can harm you
With Pappy and Mammy standin' by.

Em A (3x) Em Em7 / Am - - - B7 C7 B7 - / 1st

G Em Am C Em (A Em A)

(Chords & Lyrics from Rise Up Singing)

Subject: RE: Summertime
From: Mark Clark
Date: 13 Mar 99 - 12:02 AM

If you like "Summertime" you might be interested in another song that can be found here called ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES. I don't have any confirmation on this but I've always been told this folksong is the prototype for Gershwin's classic piece. Same theme and a very similar melody.

- Mark

Subject: ADD Version: Summertime (Gershwin/Heyward)
From: SharonA
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 03:53 PM

Once again, "Rise Up Singing" didn't get it quite right (now there's a surprise). According to Joe Offer's later post on the "Summertime" thread (thread id=4175), the lyrics and the writers differ somewhat:

SUMMERTIME
(Words and music by George Gershwin, DuBose & Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin)

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 mornings
You're goin' to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by

Words and music by George Gershwin, DuBose & Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin
Copyright © 1935 by George Gershwin Music, administered by Warner (WB Music Corp)


(I don't know why people insist on adding the word "to" and making it "you'll take to the sky", but they do – just another pet peeve of mine!!)

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: MMario
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 03:56 PM

? I don't think I have ever heard it without the "to"

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 04:00 PM

A young friend of mine thought this song was Janis Joplin's original.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: SharonA
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 04:05 PM

MMario: Well, I'll look it up on my old LP set of the complete opera just to be absolutely certain without doubt, but the more authoritative websites I've looked at don't include the "to". I'd sooner trust the copyrighted Warner Brothers version that Joe found than the Rise Up Singing version any day...

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: MMario
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 04:12 PM

I believe that - I just don't think I have ever heard it sung without the "to" - or perhaps my ear is just putting it in.

Subject: ADD Version: Summertime (Gershwin/Heyward)
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 05:25 PM

On the writing credits, my edition of Gershwin songs lists only duBose Heyward as the writer (with George as composer), although on the ASCAP copyright data base Ira Gershwin is listed also. However, Caryl Brahms & Ned Sherrin in their book Song By Song note that it was George who put forward Ira to collaborate with Heyward and insisted on a 50-50 split between the two lyricists. They also note that "In some of the songs he simply admired what Heyward had written ("Summertime", "My Man's Gone Now", "A Woman is a Sometime Thing", "The Buzzard Song")" and go on to list the songs in which Ira "edited the words by making sure they were singable", "enjoyed a full-scale collaboration with Heyward" and in others Ira was the sole lyricist("There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York", "It Ain't Neccessarily So")

On the lyrics, the second version above agrees with mine in most respects, except, mainly, that lots of final letters are lost, so it looks like this below.

Mick

---

SUMMERTIME
(Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by duBose Heyward)

Summertime an' the livin' is easy,
Fish are jumpin', an' the cotton is high.
Oh, yo' daddy's rich, An yo' ma is good lookin,'
So hush, little baby, don' you cry.

One of these mornin's you goin' to rise up singin',
Then you'll spread yo' wings an' you'll take the sky.
But till that mornin' there's a nothin' can harm you
With Daddy an' Mammy standin' by.

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Gloredhel
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 06:50 PM

Guest, MCP would seem to be right on this account.

In Deena Rosenberg's book, "Fascinating Rhythm: the Collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin", the author lists the lyricist for "Summertime" as DuBose Heyward. Some of the lyrics for "Porgy and Bess" were written/edited by Ira Gershwin, but all of the lyrics for that particular song were by Heyward. The reason for incorrect lyric attributions in such a case is probably that, when originally published, the names of all the lyricists for the show appeared on the music, not just the lyricist for that song.

My versions, in both Ms. Rosenberg's book and Sheet Music Magazine, agree with MCP's version of the lyric. (Although Sheet Music perpetuates the incorrect attribution)

This may be my first intelligent contribution to this website!

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: death by whisky
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 09:19 PM

I did this song tonight at a sesion. I sing it comfortably.

In the second verse e.g., I sing "you're GONNA rise up," instead of putting in "to".It works better for me.

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 02 Jul 02 - 10:33 PM

MPC and Joe, I was under the impression that the Heywards were the authors of the book "Porgy," on which the Gershwin opera is based and that is the primary reason they are given lyric credit for "Summertime" and some of the other songs--i.e., that the text of the song was taken from the book. As to Ira's name being sometimes also listed, I thought it meant he might have done some minor tweaking of the lyrics to fit the music, or maybe, as Gloredhel says, because it was decided to put all three (four) names on all the songs. Am I wrong?

Arge

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Barry Finn
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 12:25 AM

Way back in (I think) the 60's Nina Simone recorded an LP, I again think, (whew) called 'Porgy & Bess'. I suspect that "Summertime" might be on it as well as "Mississippi Goddam" & "Pirate Jenny". Probably haven't heard her do these in 30 yrs & with my faulty memory I can still remember how mighty she sounded. Barry

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 02:49 AM

Argenine - If you go to the old thread linked above, you'll find a link to this site: Porgy And Bess, detailing the development of it. Briefly, DuBose wrote a novel, he and his wife Dorothy dramatised it for stage in 1927, and he and the Gershwins developed Porgy And Bess from it. As far as I know DuBose alone was responsible for the libretto for Porgy And Bess.

According to Brahms And Sherrin, which I cite above, the songwriting contributions were:

  DuBose Alone
    Summertime
    My Man's Gone Now
    A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
    The Buzzard Song
  
  DuBose writes, Ira edits to make singable
    Bess, You Is My Woman
  
  DuBose And Ira, full collaboration
    I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'
    It Takes A Long Pull To Get There
  
  Ira Along
    There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
    It Ain't Neccessarily So
  

  Mick    

        




	

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Mudlark
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 03:25 AM

Well, then, who wrote "I Love You, Porgy"?...my alltime favorite Nina Simone song. I remember playing that little 45 over and over in the late 50's, till I nearly wore it clean thru....

BTW, Summertime segues (sp?) nicely into It Aint Necessarily So...

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: C-flat
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 03:29 AM

and "hit the road ,Jack!...

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 04:14 PM

Thanks for the link and the info, Mick!

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 05:00 PM

You would "take to the sky" if you were going there. If you "took the sky" I would want to know where you took it and what you did with it!

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 06:03 PM

Thanks Dicho, that's just what I was thinking - 'cos "took to the sky" is how I learnt it from a recording by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and how I sang it when MCP was accompanying it. I think that was just a typo.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Porgy/Bess? Lyrics: Summertime, when the liv
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 06:05 PM

Or even "take to the sky" if we're going to get our future tenses right..... it's getting late in England though