The Meaning Behind “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran (and Many More)

Some songs take on lives of their own in the hands of different artists. “Summertime Blues” is a teenage national anthem. It came from a California teenager writing about a character who is repressed, misunderstood, and ultimately dismissed. A decade later, it was given a psychedelic makeover by a San Franciscan power trio as well as a British group of mods. It topped the charts in France in 1975 and then had an entirely new life when a country music superstar dusted it off in 1994. A decade later, another powerful trio resurrected it again, this time in Canada. Let’s take a closer look at the history of the song “Summertime Blues,” including the differences in the first verse.   

I’m a-gonna raise a fuss
I’m a-gonna raise a holler
About workin’ all summer
Just-a trying to earn a dollar
Every time I call my baby
Try to get a date
My boss says, “No dice, son
You gotta work late”

Eddie Cochran wrote the song with his manager Jerry Capehart. The song was composed in half an hour the night before it was recorded. Cochran provided all of the guitar parts while the great Earl Palmer played the minimal drum part. Cochran’s longtime buddy, Connie “Guybo” Smith, played the bass. 

Originally the B-Side

Cochran’s label, Liberty Records, had been pushing him to sing ballads. The song “Love Again” was chosen as the A-side of his next single. Radio DJs turned the record over and got a bigger reaction from listeners from “Summertime Blues.” The same thing would happen with the very next single, when “C’mon Everybody” was relegated to the B-side but went on to be the hit. “Summertime Blues” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Cochran the biggest hit of his career.

Blue Cheer Takes It in a Heavier Direction

Lord, I got to raise a fuss
Lord, I got to raise a holler
About workin’ all summer
Just to try and earn a dollar
Well, Lord, I tried to call my baby
I tried to get a date

Where Cochran used a deep voice to mimic Kingfish from Amos & Andy for his responses, Blue Cheer used screaming guitar licks with no lyrics at all. Rock music in the late ’60s had moved about as far from the sounds of Cochran and Elvis Presley as it could. Jimi Hendrix and Cream were pushing the limits and using feedback as an instrument. The timeless lyrics resonated with the kids, and Blue Cheer had the biggest hit of their career with it as it reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Staple of The Who’s Live Shows

Well, I’m gonna raise a fuss
I’m gonna raise a holler
‘Bout workin’ all summer
Just to try to earn a dollar
Well, I went to the bossman
Tried to get a break
But the boss said, ‘No dice, son,
You gotta work late’

The Who often performed the song in concert. It was released as a single from their Live at Leeds album. Bassist John Entwistle provided the gravelly voiced responses. However, they skipped the “tried to get a date” verse entirely. Their version peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The Girl from Last Summer

Je ne veux pas perdre de temps
Il y a autre chose sur terre
Que travailler pendant l’été
Pour gagner une misère
Ouais au téléphone quand j’appelle
La fille que je préfère
Mon patron me dit
T’as du travail à faire

In 1975, French rocker Johnny Hallyday took the song to No. 1 in France with the title, “La fille de l’été dernier.” That translates to “The Girl from Last Summer.” The recording reverted back closer to the style and arrangement used by Cochran.

The Nashville Treatment

Well, I’m a gonna raise a fuss
I’m gonna raise a holler
About workin’ all summer
Just to try an’ earn a dollar
Every time I call my baby
To try to get a date
My boss says, no dice, son
You gotta work late

Alan Jackson had one of the biggest hits of 1993 with “Chattahoochee.” The structure of the song was very similar to “Summertime Blues.” So similar, in fact, that he recorded his own version of the Cochran song and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The addition of fiddle and steel fits perfectly with the mid-’90s country landscape. Jackson said he was inspired by Buck Owens, who had included the song on his 1988 album Hot Dog.

Don’t Forget About Canada

Well, I’m gonna raise a fuss
I’m gonna raise a holler
About a working all summer
Just to try to earn a dollar
Well, I went to the boss man
And tried to get a break

In 2004, Rush released their version on the EP called Feedback.  It uses the same first verse as The Who’s version but inserts the wild guitar licks a la Blue Cheer.  The song reached No. 12 on Canada’s Radio and Records chart.

We don’t have room in this article to list all of the artists who have recorded “Summertime Blues.” A few of the notable versions were by Ritchie Valens, The Crickets, Bobby Vee, Bobby Rydell, The Beach Boys (on their debut album), Sandy Nelson, Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, The Wild Angels, Olivia Newton-John, Alex Chilton, Robert Gordon & Link Wray, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Brian Setzer (on the soundtrack to La Bamba), Hot Rod Lincoln, Darrel Higham, Guitar Wolf, The Black Keys, Hank Marvin, and Dion.

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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images