The prompt for Song Lyric Sunday from Jim Adams is
Carnival, Festival, Gala, Jamboree, Party
The song must contain a reference to the prompt in the title or the lyrics.
If the song does not meet these criteria, please explain why you chose it.

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Ready for the biggest sideburns in pop history? Here is Mungo Jerry with their 1970 UK hit In the Summertime. This song spent seven weeks at number one and is a gloriously bouncy anthem to the joy of summer fun.

Ray Dorset is both the guy with the impressive facial hair and the songwriter. He banged out the lyrics in ten minutes and included elements of skiffle, Caribbean and Latin American rhythms in the music.

How can you not like such a jaunty tune, especially when one of the band members, Paul King, is credited as both banjo and jug player!

In the summertime, when the weather is hot
You can stretch right up and touch the sky
When the weather’s fine
You got women, you got women on your mind
Have a drink, have a drive
Go out and see what you can find

If her daddy’s rich, take her out for a meal
If her daddy’s poor, just do what you feel
Speed along the lane, do a turn or return to 25
When the sun goes down, you can make it
Make it good in a lay-by

We’re no threat, people, we’re not dirty, we’re not mean
We love everybody, but we do as we please
When the weather’s fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea
We’re always happy, life’s for living
Yeah, that’s our philosophy

Sing along with us
Dee-dee-dee, dee-dee
Dah-dah-dah, dah-dah
Yeah we’re hap-happy
Dah dah-dah
Dee-dah-do, dee-dah-do, dah-do-dah
Yeah, dah-do, dah-dah-dah
Dah-dah-dah, do-dah-dah
Alright

When the winter’s here, yeah it’s party time
Bring your bottle, wear your bright clothes
It’ll soon be summertime
And we’ll sing again, we’ll go driving
Or maybe we’ll settle down
If she’s rich, if she’s nice, bring your friends
And we’ll all go into town

In the summertime, when the weather is hot
You can stretch right up and touch the sky
When the weather’s fine, you got women
You got women on your mind
Have a drink, have a drive, go out and see what you can find

If her daddy’s rich, take her out for a meal
If her daddy’s poor, just do what you feel
Speed along the lane, do a turn or return to 25
When the sun goes down, you can make it
Make it good in a lay-by

We’re no threat, people, we’re not dirty, we’re not mean
We love everybody, but we do as we please
When the weather’s fine, we go fishing or go swimming in the sea
We’re always happy, life’s for living
Yeah, that’s our philosophy

Sing along with us
Dee-dee-dee, dee-dee
Dah-dah-dah, dah-dah
Yeah we’re hap-happy
Dah dah-dah
Dee-dah-doo, dee-dah-do, dah-do-dah
Yeah dah-dah, dah-dah-dah…
Yeah, alright

Songwriter: Ray Dorset
© Not sure – been numerous court cases, I’ll leave it at that

The line “have a drink, have a drive” is not encouraging drink-driving. The song hails from a time when a drink meant a non-alcoholic beverage rather than an alcoholic one.