Homework -- Sounds of Summer

For this week's homework, Scalzi asks:

Weekend Assignment #11: Tell us what you think is the perfect Summer Song. And you know what a "summer song" is, of course: The song that seems to promise sunny fun from the first chords to the final drumbeat, the ones that are just made to be played in a convertable as you're cruising your way to that beach party.

Extra Credit: Tell us what you think is the best song for the last day of summer. I imagine this could be anything: A big "last blast" party song, a meditative love song about changing seasons, or anything in between.

Hard question.  I'm all about showtunes, but the only summer-type showtune that leaps to mind is "Summer Lovin'" from Grease, and I am so not going there.

The perfect summer song for me isn't even a summer song.  It's "Invisible Touch" by Genesis.  Weird choice, I know, but I always associate it with summer.  For some reason, it seemed to always be playing whenever I'd get in the car one (late 80s) summer, and now, everytime I hear it, I crank it up full-blast and feel all summery.

And, for the extra credit, the end of summer song is "She's Not There" -- but (in my twisted showtuney way), not the version by the Zombies, but a cover version in the cast recording of Return to the Forbidden Planet.  Return to the Forbidden Planet was a musical all about taking classic rock songs, playing them live onstage by a kickass cover band and, um... throwing in a goofy science fiction plot with lots of Shakespeare jokes.  (You had to be there.  I realize this.)  ANYWAY, they did this cover of "She's Not There" that rocked like you wouldn't believe -- replacing the (now rather sedate) keyboard solo with a lengthy guitar solo that wailed.  The song rocks and parties in a last blast sense, and the lyric is (in its way) about loss.  It's perfect to crank up as summer fades away.