For August’s song title poetry I want you to sing along the tunes of summer. What song expresses the summer feeling according to you?
Make a collection of all the song titles, whose songs express all things summer to you. Then arrange them in a way that you get a poem out of using the song titles only. You can repeat a song title as much as you want. After you’ve arranged them into a poem, if you want include a link and list the artists behind the songs.
If you want to do songs in another language you can. May I suggest you also put the artists’ names in your comments at the beginning so it’s clear who the songs belong to.
We dedicate the first Friday of the month to a themed song title poetry. We covered a lot of artists and genres in May and we also left out certain types of music. Those posts and poems are available to read and comment on as they aren’t paywalled.
Post your song title poem in the comments below and share it on notes and maybe even do your own post about it. Up to you! And do post the link in comments if you do post on your site. Always, keep a copy for your own record.
During NaPoWriMo one of the prompts made me write a tribute to The Cardigans, fronted by the lovely Nina Persson. I took some of their song titles, rearranged them into a poem and so my first song title poem was born. I started with a song I could remember first and continued building the poem by adding titles that fitted in the story I wanted to tell. You can read that poem and some of the comments here on my publication. The song title poetry evolved to something more than random titles thrown together. In May a group of us wrote a poem designated to a letter a day until the whole alphabet was over.
My understanding is titles are not copyright issue. As the lines of song title poetry are all quotes from titles and as song titles they are not copyright material we are ok. I would ask that you in your posts, comments Notes etc make clear that the work is based on song titles and whose they are. We’re not adding any words of our own, I know some of you are… but you know - I’m not judging! Be very very clear to what part is yours and what part is the song title, use “quotation” marks to be on the safe side if you mix words which are yours in. Ideally, try to leave your words out and see what you come up with.
Don’t change the titles in anyway and don’t talk badly about the band/song if you wish to stay out of trouble.
Be obscure, be pop, be punk, be random. Let us know which songs we should sing walking down the streets of your town or village.
If you like the community feel, subscribe and join some of us on our weekly Thursday SPAWN sessions where we talk all things writing and Substacking like a hangout after work.
In the summertime
Sun is shining
Club Tropicana
On the beach
Summer sun
Soak up the sun
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow polka dot bikini
In the summertime
California girls
Walking on Sunshine
Brown Eyed Girl
Beyond the sea
Kokomo
A Summer Song
Summer in the City
Saturday in the Park
The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Spill the Wine
Dancing in the Streets
In The Summertime
Sunny Afternoon
Summer Breeze
Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay
Crystal Blue Persuasion
Son of a Son of a Sailor
Sailing
Water No Get Enemy
Under The Boardwalk
Hot Girl Summer
California Girls
Soak Up the Sun
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
The Boys of Summer
Sunshine Superman
Surfin' USA
Surf City
Wipe Out
Sundown
See You In September
(Title - Artist)
A Summer Song - Chad and Jeremy
Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful
Saturday in the Park - Chicago
The Hissing of Summer Lawns - Joni Mitchell
Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly and Family Stone
Spill the Wine - War
Dancing in the Streets - Martha and the Vandellas
In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
Summer Breeze - Seals and Croft
Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
Crystal Blue Persuasion- Tommy James and the Shondells
Son of a Son of a Sailor - Jimmy Buffet
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Water No Get Enemy - Fela Kuti
Under The Boardwalk - The Drifters
Hot Girl Summer - Megan Thee Stallion
California Girls - The Beach Boys
Soak Up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Brian Hyland
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys
Surf City - Jan & Dean
Wipe Out -The Surfaris
Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
See You In September - The Happenings
80's Summer Crush Mixtape
SIDE A
girls just want to have fun
kiss
like a virgin
dancing in the dark
lost in your eyes
free fallin’
heart of glass
china in your hand
//
SIDE B
bad boys
blue eyes
bullet the blue sky
breaking hearts
if I could turn back time
forever young
what a feeling
walking on sunshine