The Summer Lovin’ Lyrics Contest made our soul sizzle!
We received so many incredibly beautiful, sensual, loving, and warm entries, and as always, it was so difficult to narrow down the favorites. But, it’s a job that must be done. So, without further ado, here are the winners of the Summer Lovin’ Lyrics Contest… *cue the drumroll*:
1st Place – $300 Keen Dollars:
“I was born and raised in Boston. As many know, New England is notorious for freezing temps and long, snowy winters. Which, I love. We’d stay in our warm homes for months on end during those winter months. But, when spring came and weather was warmer everyone would venture out. Spring turned to summer and for three solid months it was swimming in above ground pools, family cook outs, and sitting on the corner mailbox with all my friends. But mostly, I hear and see my father as he stood at the bbq grill flipping burgers and swaying to his favorite song. He’d start singing and then grab my mother and slow dance with her on the porch.
Every time I hear Van Morrison’s ‘Into The Mystic’ it’s bittersweet. The words:
We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won
As we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic
And when that foghorn blows I will be coming home
And when the foghorn blows I want to hear it
I don’t have to fear it and I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And magnificently we will flow into the mystic
I cry and smile at the same time. We had to move to Arizona to be closer to my maternal grandfather after my father passed away. And when this song plays I hear my father’s voice. I see the love in his face for my mother. I can smell the beach, taste the breeze and I’m home again, back in Boston, when life was simple, void of cell phones, and xbox. Kids rode their bikes, climbed tree’s, and would swing from tire’s hanging from a thick rope from a sturdy tree. Those days of simplicity and peace seem gone today. I miss those days, and listening to this song brings it all back, even if it is just a memory.” – MsLisaM
2nd Place – $100 Keen Dollars:
“I sang this song, ‘You Go to My Head’ for the first time at my best friend’s wedding in the summer of 2004. She was married on the beach in Honolulu. There was a gorgeous sunset that evening and the ocean breezes were stirring a bit as the tide began to roll in. It was so beautiful. Once the ceremony began, one of the groomsmen Charles, whom I had never met before, began staring at me. Every time I looked over at him, he was staring. Charles was really handsome and I couldn’t help staring back. During the reception, I was asked to sing a romantic song that people could dance to. The bride, Sandra, and I had always loved going to karaoke together so she knew I could sing fairly well. I chose this old standby because I had heard my mother sing this when I was a child and this song seemed to fit that particular moment with all of the champagne flowing. During the song, Charles just stood there and smiled at me. Here are some of the lyrics:
You go to my head, and you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain, like the bubbles in a glass of champagne.
You go to my head, like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you Like the kicker in a julep or two
The thrill of the thought that you might give a thought
To my plea, casts a spell over me So, I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Can’t you see that it never can be? You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I’m certain that this heart of mine
Hasn’t a ghost of a chance with this crazy romance
You go to my head
After the song, Charles came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. We ended up talking all night on that beach. He was the sweetest guy I’d ever met. It was so painful the next day as we each boarded our separate planes to go home. We promised we’d stay in touch, but it wasn’t easy. He was deployed to Afghanistan two weeks later. We wrote, and skyped each other like maniacs for the next year until he finally got furloughed back to the states. When he came home, he asked me to marry him! We had a small but beautiful wedding on the shore of Lake Michigan. My friend, Sandra, attended and during the reception, guess what song she sang? I love this song for so many reasons. It takes me back to my childhood when my mother sat at the piano and played and sang the old standards. She had a stroke last fall and will never play the piano again, but when I hear this song I think about how she used to be, so young and vibrant. I’m so thankful for those memories. This song also helps me to relive the headiness of my first meeting with Charles and the excitement that I felt when I knew it was a mutual attraction. It was scary because I didn’t know how things would turn out for sure, but in the end it wasn’t just a “crazy romance” after all. It was the real deal. We’ve been married now for twelve years and he can still make my temperature rise!” – KarenH66
3rd Place – $50 Keen Dollars:
“The song I choose for summer lovin’ is Justin Timberlake’s Mirror. I met my ex 3 years ago in May. He had a past and I chose not to judge. Over the next year and a half we went through a lot. He was my twin flame, what burned me up inside he lit ablaze and what I lit up in him helped paved the way to healing…a reflection of light through the pain. Love is light, light is love. This song was popular on the radio at the time and we’d sing it to each other while driving in the car. Today, I still love him. Here are some of the lyrics.
‘Mirrors’
Aren’t you somethin’ to admire?
‘Cause your shine is somethin’ like a mirror
And I can’t help but notice
You reflect in this heart of mine If you ever feel alone and
The glare makes me hard to find Just know that I’m always parallel on the other side ….” – PeaceHarmony
Congratulations to our winners! And thank you to our lovely community for participating and sharing all the sweet, romantic, heartwarming, and fun words that inspire your summer lovin’ days.
Stay tuned for our next contest! As always, thank you for being a part of the Keen community.
