Marshall McClung
Benny Carter wrote the song “Summer Serenade” in August 1980.
He does mention a few things in the song that we rural folks can relate to, such as the rain, wind and the heat of the summer sun.
Beyond that, I am not sure if he knew much about life on a country farm.
I can remember the hot sun beating down on me as I hoed corn or tobacco as a young boy on Atoah. The rows seemed to go on forever, with heat waves dancing over them. The occasional breeze was a welcome comfort. I wished for rain – not out of concern for the crops, but so that we would leave the field.
It was a relief to sit on the porch after a day in the fields. Yes, people actually sat on their porches back then. One reason was that it was cooler on the porch than in the house. We had no air conditioning; not even a window fan. We didn’t even have electricity until not long before I started to school. The only way to cool the house was to keep the doors and windows open.
Our version of the summer serenade began with the song of the jar fly (cicada) during the day, and the katydids and crickets at night – with the occasional hoot of an owl or the repetitive call of a whippoorwill. We even had flashing lights provided by lightning bugs (fireflies). To finish the serenade, the fireworks provided by thunder and lightning from a summer thunderstorm would often come.
Today’s generation is missing most – if not all – of this. We live in almost-airtight and soundproof homes, glued to a television, computer or some other social gadget that we have become addicted to and are now prisoners of a never-ending wave of technology.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached by email, mcclungs@email.com.