Why it's a Great Song #2: Summer of 69

Heya folkies!

You good peeps seemed to really enjoy my first feature in this series so I thought I'd spend a few minutes of my Friday evening in writing the next instalment, which features, drum roll please... Summer of 69 (Bryan Adams). What is it about this 1985 classic that we love so much? I'll try to get to the bottom of it in the next few paragraphs. Don't agree? Tell me why below!

1) THAT drum kick. Talk about grabbing you by the balls. It's right up there with the one from Like a Rolling Stone. Before a note is played, a word sung, a lick, erm, licked. The very first sound we hear is that single, lonesome, telling kick, and we know straight away it's our song, babe. 2) Story, story, story Most great songs are built round one. What was the summer of '69 like? Bryan narrates us through his experiences, "spend my evenings down at the drive-in, and that's where I met you.... Standin' on your momma's porch, you told me that you'd wait forever...." This is glorious, compelling story-telling - we are with the singer all the way as he fills us in with all the juicy details of his summer of love.

3) Sexual connotation 69. Sex sells. No elaboration required.

4) Guitar heroes

The chords are really easy to learn. Trust me, it was one of my first. This means it's a) easy for any wannabe swooner to pick up the six-string and play it til his fingers bleed (did you notice that? did you?) to impress the ladies at will with a bit of Bry, and b) the song makes it onto a lot of band set lists, perpetuating the legacy.

5) Killer riff

Assuming you've played the video above, if it's not in your head now there is something seriously wrong with you.

6) "I said nobody!" MTV was the medium of the 80s. This was the song of the 80s (incoming....) Coincidence? I think not. Again, assuming you watched the official video above, you can see how a great a video goes a long way to promoting a song. Who wouldn't want to be Bryan "Everyman" Adams rushing out to his garage to strum along with his mates on another carefree sunny afternoon? Or make love to him? Or both. 7) Classic (pop-rock) form

Verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge - verse - chorus. It don't get more classic than that. The bridge even has a key change for heaven's sake.

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