Backstory on the 1970 Song “In The Summertime”

Here's a great "summer song" Q&A::

Q: I just would like to know who sings the song IN THE SUMMERTIME.

A: The group Mungo Jerry. It was a #3 hit in the summer of 1970 and features a washboard as lead instrument. Written by member Ray Dorset in reportedly ten minutes during a break from his regular job.

The line “have a drink, have a drive” caused concern for a few people as it sounded like it advocated drinking and driving. However, in England they used the song in drunk driving campaigns. Go figure.

By the way, the group got their weird name from the poems “Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer” and “Macavity, the Mystery Cat” found in the 1939 book “Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot (this was the book that the musical “Cats” was based on).