This record had earned a top spot in the soundtrack of my life ever since my first listen. I now find myself replaying this irresistibly addictive song every summer. In some ways, dance collective Modjo‘s hit has become a nostalgia-inducing song for me, one that offers up an auditory backdrop to reminisce on my own summer memories. Released in the year 2000, it blends a multitude of genres including house, disco, funk and electronica, and notably samples Chic’s 1982 anthem ‘Soup For One’, which forms its signature groovy guitar riff that repetitively ripples through the track, giving it a retro, Daft Punk-esque sound.
Despite being a euphoric dance song, I have always felt that between its music video and lyrics, there is an underlying melancholia which is hard to decipher. With bright cerulean-blue skies, relaxed 2000’s fashion, and a noticeable absence of modern technology, the music video depicts three carefree teenagers embarking on a spontaneous summer road trip, they drive around in a rundown car, crash a country fair, and then sneak into a motel overnight. The lyrics are somewhat ambiguous as they describe the singer’s attraction to a ‘lady’, who he cannot stop thinking about, although whether she reciprocates his feelings is left up for interpretation. Together the song and music video’s visualisation evoke a yearning for the past in listeners by poetically alluding to the impermanence of youth and adolescence, prompting them to remember previous summers that were filled with intense first-loves and adrenaline-fuelled adventures with friends, free from the reins of responsibility, routine and consequences.
The song’s endurance as one of the greatest house tracks ever made is a credit to its masterful composition, from the simplicity of its lyricism to its entrancing instrumental, it comes together to form an unquestionably timeless song, perfect for the holidays.
