“Hot Vax Summer?” Nope. But here’s a playlist for the summer we ARE having.

by | Aug 24, 2021 | Archive, Arts and Entertainment | 1 comment

Have an event you’d like to submit to this calendar? Email me at [email protected]

Every year, we indulge in a meaningless (but fun) debate over what three-minute slice of music deserves to be crowned the “song of the summer.” And the summer of 2021 seemed poised to be a season that absolutely required a joyous soundtrack of upbeat music — we were going to celebrate our emergence from beneath the shadow of COVID by flashing our vaccination cards, tossing out our masks and partying all summer. It was going to be our “Hot Vax Summer.”

No such luck.

Instead, we stumbled — largely for reasons of our own making — into the summer of the delta variant, with COVID cases reaching, in some states (like Oregon) all-time highs and intensive-care units throughout the nation crammed past bursting with patients. Most of us had to put our masks back on — even in some outdoor settings. In other words, it hasn’t been the “Fun, Fun, Fun” summer we expected it to be — in fact, our daddy came and took all of our T-birds away.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some music. So I’ve pulled together a playlist for the actual summer of 2021 — 10 songs that might be taken completely out of context but still have something to say about this season.

Here are annotated comments on the songs:

  • “Delta Dawn,” Tanya Tucker. This is the obvious song to kick off the playlist. It has been cool to see Tucker making new music — and winning Grammy nominations to boot.
  • “Right Back Where We Started From,” Maxine Nightingale. Love is good, love can be strong — but so can delta.
  • “Do It Again,” Steely Dan. I bet you didn’t know that Waylon Jennings once covered this song. Waylon’s version doesn’t have the electric sitar solo, though.
  • “Oops … I Did It Again,” Britney Spears. One of two Britney songs on the list. The other one is pretty obvious, if you think about it. Don’t peek.
  • “Deja Vu,” Beyonce featuring Jay-Z. I know everybody thinks this is just a knockoff of Beyonce’s earlier smash, “Crazy in Love.” Speaking of crazy — I think you can make the case that “Deja Vu” is a better song than “Crazy in Love.” Want to fight? Fine … but show me your vaccination card first.
  • “Fever,” Peggy Lee. Another obvious selection, in the definitive recording.
  • “Delta City Blues,” The Michael Brecker Quartet. An outstanding track from one of our greatest saxophonists. Unfortunate title, though.
  • “Toxic,” Britney Spears. Did you guess correctly? Of course you did. You should know that I’m not being ironic in the slightest when I say that this is one of the greatest singles in the history of pop music. I’m serious. Really. I’ll leave it at that.
  • “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” Frank Sinatra. This is such an obvious selection that I laughed out loud when I thought of it. Unfortunately (and this is true), I was at a church service at the time. Masked, of course, but still. (Confidential to certain state governors: Use your mentality. Wake up to reality.)
  • “Soul Vaccination,” Tower of Power. This probably is not the only song with the word “vaccination” in the title. But it is the only one featuring the Tower of Power horn section. Play it loud and proud when you get your booster.

Can you think of other songs that should be on this list? I bet you can. Note them in the comments section below or send me an email at this address: [email protected].

1 Comment

  1. More playlists, Personally ABBAs Dancing Queen is my opinion of the greatest pop song.

Want your art event listed?

Read more published work

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Recent Blog Posts

Your Weekend Reader for April 19-20

Your Weekend Reader for April 19-20

Humor vs. tyrants. Easter Sunday and a possible resurgence in religion. Dollar woes. Jan. 6 “heroes.” The transfer portal bites OSU. The pleasures of print. Life on another planet. And the Giant Meteor returns. It’s all in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more
Your Weekend Reader for April 12-13, 2025

Your Weekend Reader for April 12-13, 2025

The government knows about you. Undermining elections. Our Canadian friends are steamed. Absentee teachers. Funny books and sad books. Tending to your happiness 401(k). What water bottles say about you. All this and more is in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more
Your Weekend Reader for April 5-6

Your Weekend Reader for April 5-6

Liberation Day hits home. Public schools in the crosshairs. Oregon sues Trump again and again. Vote-by-mail has fans. Misinformation and “Gaslight.” Free news on the web. Geothermal resurgence. And what Quakers can teach parents. It’s all in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more
Your Weekend Reader for March 29-30

Your Weekend Reader for March 29-30

Big news at Samaritan. That chat about Yemen. Americans abroad answer for Trump. “Alien enemies” and where they camped. Administration cruelty. George Orwell. Overwhelmed by cuteness? There’s a word for that — and it’s part of the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.

Comments on this website are the sole responsiblity of their writers and the writers will take full responsiblity, liability and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written in or as a direct result of something written in a comment.

We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever.

More Blog Posts

Your Weekend Reader for April 19-20

Humor vs. tyrants. Easter Sunday and a possible resurgence in religion. Dollar woes. Jan. 6 “heroes.” The transfer portal bites OSU. The pleasures of print. Life on another planet. And the Giant Meteor returns. It’s all in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more

Your Weekend Reader for April 12-13, 2025

The government knows about you. Undermining elections. Our Canadian friends are steamed. Absentee teachers. Funny books and sad books. Tending to your happiness 401(k). What water bottles say about you. All this and more is in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more

Your Weekend Reader for April 5-6

Liberation Day hits home. Public schools in the crosshairs. Oregon sues Trump again and again. Vote-by-mail has fans. Misinformation and “Gaslight.” Free news on the web. Geothermal resurgence. And what Quakers can teach parents. It’s all in the new edition of Your Weekend Reader.

read more