Sly and the Family Stone: Hot Fun in the Summertime

Photo Credit: Bing Images

I was only 6 years old when Sly and the Family Stone’s song “Hot Fun in the Summertime” was playing on the radio and burning up the charts. I can remember as I grew older, seeing my sisters, brother and their friends dancing, singing and enjoying the sounds of this band. This song will always bring back memories of my hot summers as a child growing up in a small Texas town. You can really appreciate the strong vocals of each member as they showcase their talents. The song opens with Sly on the piano showcasing his incredible playing skills. The song was written by Sly Stone who was not only a singer, but songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.

“Hot Fun in the Summertime“ was released in 1969 in the wake of the band’s high-profile performance at Woodstock, which greatly expanded their fanbase. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, kept out of the number 1 spot by I Can’t Get Next to You by The Temptations. “Hot Fun in the Summertime” also peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard soul singles chart in autumn 1969. It is ranked as the seventh biggest U.S. hit of 1969, and the 65th in Canada.
Rolling Stone ranked the song #247 on their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” and it has also been named in lists by Yahoo! Music and AskMen as an all-time “summer anthem.”
Thematically, “Hot Fun in the Summertime” is a dedication to the fun and games to be had during the summer. “Hot Fun in the Summertime” was intended to be included on an in-progress album with “Everybody Is a Star” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Aging),” the LP was never completed, and the three tracks were instead included on the band’s 1970 Greatest Hits LP. This song is known for its rare use of strings in a Sly and the Family Stone song, featuring violins being played in the upper register.

The B-side to this single is “Fun,” a song taken from the group’s third album (Life) from 1968.

The Beach Boys also covered this song on their 1992 album Summer in Paradise. The song was also released as a single during that same year, backed with “Summer of Love.” A video was made to accompany the song.

Song Lyrics

End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi, hi, hi, hi there
Them summer days, those summer days

That’s when I had most of my fun back
High, high, high, high there
Them summer days, those summer days

I ‘Cloud nine’ when I want to
Out of school, yeah
County fair in the country sun
And everything, it’s true, ooh, yeah, yeah

Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime

First of the fall and then she goes back
Bye, bye, bye, bye there
Them summer days, those summer days

‘Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop’ when I want to
Out of school
County fair in the country sun
And everything, it’s cool, ooh, yeah

Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime
Hot fun in the summertime