GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES

Album version

Well the streetlights shine
Down on Blessing Avenue
Lovers they walk by
Holding hands two by two
A breeze crosses the porch
Bicycle spokes spin 'round
Jacket's on, I'm out the door
Tonight I'm gonna burn this town down

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

A kid's rubber ball smacks
Off the gutter 'neath the lamp light
Big bank clock chimes
Off go the sleepy front porch lights
Downtown the stores alight
As the evening's underway
Things been a little tight
But I know they're gonna turn my way

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

Frankie's Diner's
An old friend on the edge of town
The neon sign spinning round
Like a cross over the lost and found
The fluorescent lights
Flick above Pop's Grill
Shaniqua brings a coffee and asks "fill?"
And says "penny for your thoughts now my boy, Bill"

She went away
She cut me like a knife
Hello beautiful thing
Maybe you could save my life

In just a glance
Down here on Magic Street
Love's a fool's dance
I ain't got much sense but I still got my feet

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

And the girls in their summer clothes
In the cool of the evening light
The girls in their summer clothes
Pass me by

La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la
La la la la, la la la la la la la
[fades]

Page last updated: 09 Feb 2009

Intro

Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES is from Bruce Springsteen's 2007 album Magic. The track, as released on the album, clocks at 4:21.

Composition and Recording

The song was recorded during the Magic recording sessions which took place between March and May 2007 at Southern Tracks Studios, Atlanta, GA.

"I was interested in having a song where you get this classic image of late summer, light on, in a small American town," Springsteen told The Sunday Times' Dan Cairns, "and it's perfect in a way that only occurs in pop songs -- when the air is just right, where the sun's sitting a certain way."

Manager Jon Landau told Rolling Stone that the track has a "little bit of a [Beach Boys' classic album] Pet Sounds-type feeling mixed in with the sound of the E Street Band."

Magic

Magic is Springsteen's 23rd album (and 15th studio album). It was released on 02 Oct 2007 on Columbia Records. The album was officially announced, along with its track listing, on 16 Aug 2007. The album is produced by Brendan O'Brien and was recorded between March and May 2007 at Southern Tracks Studios, Atlanta, GA.

Magic was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album but failed to win. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming Springsteen's eighth number one album in the U.S. and selling about 335,000 copies in its first week. In addition to the U.S., Magic peaked at number one in 10 European countries.

The album features 11 new Springsteen compositions plus a bonus hidden track and clocks at 50:48.

Track list:

1. RADIO NOWHERE
2. YOU'LL BE COMIN' DOWN
3. LIVIN' IN THE FUTURE
4. YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY
5. GYPSY BIKER
6. GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES
7. I'LL WORK FOR YOUR LOVE
8. MAGIC
9. LAST TO DIE
10. LONG WALK HOME
11. DEVIL'S ARCADE

Hidden track:

13. TERRY'S SONG

The album is also available as a vinyl record.

Live Performances

GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was regularly featured on the 2007-2008 Magic Tour, often as the first encore song, although it suffered being dropped during a number of shows in early portions of 2008.

Private rehearsals for the Magic Tour took place in September 2007 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ. Out of the seven know private rehearsal sessions, GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was confirmed to be practiced on five (12, 13, and 21 Sep 2007). The song was then performed during the first two of the three public rehearsal shows for the tour:

• 24 Sep 2007 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
• 25 Sep 2007 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

In the 2007 part of the tour, the song missed only one (22 Oct in Chicago) of the 37 tour shows.

The song was then performed during the first of the two public rehearsal shows for the 2008 part of the tour:

• 25 Feb 2008 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

In the 2007 part of the tour, the song was played on 29 tour shows out of 63. This makes a total of 75 appearances of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES during the Magic Tour.

Since 2002, Springsteen has been played private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended — Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was performed at one of these fundraisers, on 13 May 2008 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band.

[Click here to display/hide detailed 2008 private benefit shows performances list]

Grammy Awards

GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was nominated for two 2009 Grammy Awards, Best Rock Song and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. It won the first, but lost the second. The primary awards ceremony took place on 08 Feb 2009 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, and was televised in the United States on CBS.

Springsteen didn't attend the awards ceremony. He later commented, "I didn't even know I was up for a Grammy!... I opened the newspaper on Monday [09 Feb 2009] and saw that I had won, and thought, 'Well, that's great!'"

Single release

GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was released as a single-like "bundle", which consisted of two audio tracks and an accompanying video, for iTunes digital download on 15 Jan 2008. As such the "Winter Mix" of the song was presented, which featured a single not doubled Springsteen vocal track, some added or enhanced percussion parts, and similar small changes. This remix clocks at 4:25. It was originally issued for radio airplay only, and later made available as an exclusive iTunes download as well.

The release achieved minor chartal success, reaching positions 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, 67 on the Pop 100, and 62 on Hot Digital Songs.

In addition to the Magic album and the above-mentioned digital release, GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES was also officially released on several promotional singles:

• 2007 UK 1-track promotional CDR (Columbia; no catalogue number), which comes in a plastic sleeve with loose title inlay.
  
  
   
• 2007 Dutch 1-track promotional CDR (SONY/BMG; no catalogue number), which comes in a slimline jewel case with colour picture insert. The single contains the "Winter Mix" of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  
   
• 2008 Finnish 1-track promotional CDR (SONY/BMG; 88697 20478 2), which comes in a clear plastic sleeve with basic white sticker announcing the 2008 Helsinki show. The single contains the "Winter Mix" of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  
   
• US 2-track promotional CDR (Columbia; 88697 20478 2), which comes in a slimline jewel case with colour picture insert. The single contains both the "Winter Mix" and the "Album Version" of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  
   
• Japan 2-track promotional CDR (Columbia; no catalogue number), which comes in a slimline jewel case with colour picture insert that features bilingual song lyrics on the back. The single contains both the "Winter Mix" and the "Album Version" of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  
   
• France 2-track promotional CDR (Columbia; no catalogue number), which comes in a cardboard sleeve with info sticker. The single contains both the "Winter Mix" and the "Album Version" of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  
   
• Australia-only 5-track various artists promotional CDR (SONY/BMG; no catalogue number), which comes in a white paper sleeve with info sticker. The EP includes the album version of Springsteen's GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
   
• Greece-only 1-track promotional DVD (SONY/BMG; no catalogue number), which comes in a cardboard sleeve with info sticker. The DVD contains the video clip of GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES.
  
  

Music Video

The music video for the song, similarly entitled the "Girls in Their Summer Clothes (Winter Mix)", was directed by Mark Pellington. Filmed on the Jersey Shore on a cold winter day, it showed girls and women of various ages, interspersed with shots of Springsteen strumming an acoustic guitar. The backing E Street Band was not portrayed at all. Parts of the video mirrored the song's imagery, especially the diner scene.

Credits

Thanks Rick Holeman, Ugo C, Sanjiv, Ian Parish, Alberto Piedrabuena, Mark, Logan, Christian, Silvio, Ravn, and Jimmy Peterson for the lyrics corrections. Some of the above info are taken from Wikipedia and Lost In the Flood.