**That Summer by Garth Brooks** (1993)

ABOUT THE SONG:
"That Summer" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in April 1993 as the fourth and final single from his album The Chase and also appears on The Hits, The Ultimate Hits, The Limited Series and Double Live. It reached number-one on the Billboard Country Charts in 1993. The song was written by Brooks, Pat Alger, and Brooks' then-wife Sandy Mahl.
On the 1996 television special, The Garth Brooks Story, Garth talks about writing the song:
"That Summer started out as a single guy and a married woman meeting at a party. The married woman being ignored by whom she was with, and they snuck off together. Allen Reynolds told me, "Man, I just don't find myself pulling for these characters. It doesn't seem innocently cool." I was thinking that he was right. Going home that night in the truck I started singing she has a need to feel the thunder. Sandy started helping me write the chorus and we got the chorus done. Probably one of the neat things that I love about That Summer is that I think the song is very sexy."
The song is about a teenage boy "far from home" who goes to work for a "lonely widowed woman hellbent to make it on her own". The woman apparently lives on a wheat farm ("wheat fields as far as I could see").
The apparently much older woman slowly takes a liking to the young boy, to the point where one night she dons a dress "she hadn't worn in quite a while"; it is then implied by the rest of the second verse that the teenage boy loses his virginity by having sex with the more than willing older woman.
The third verse takes the now-adult man back to the scene of his coming of age, having not seen the woman (who has presumably died by then) since long ago. Although the man has been with several other women by this point, he still experiences flashbacks to his experience with the older woman.
"That Summer" debuted at number 54 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 8, 1993.
LYRICS:
I went to work for her that summer
A teenage kid so far from home
She was a lonely widow woman
Hell-bent to make it on her own
We were a thousand miles from nowhere
Wheat fields as far as I could see
Both needing something from each other
Not knowing yet what that might be
'Til she came to me one evening
Hot cup of coffee and a smile
In a dress that I was certain
She hadn't worn in quite a while
There was a difference in her laughter
There was a softness in her eyes
And on the air there was a hunger
Even a boy could recognize
She had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightning from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Raging in her lover's eyes
She had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burning bright
Rushing headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burning both ends of the night
That summer wind was all around me
Nothing between us but the night
When I told her that I'd never
She softly whispered that's alright
And then I watched her hands of leather
Turn to velvet in a touch
There's never been another summer
When I have ever learned so much
We had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightning from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Raging in each others eyes
We had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burning bright
Rushing headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burning both ends of the night
I often think about that summer
The sweat, the moonlight and the lace
And I have rarely held another
When I haven't seen her face
And every time I pass a wheat field
And watch it dancing with the wind
Although I know it isn't real
I just can't help but feel
Her hungry arms again
She had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightning from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Raging in her lover's eyes
She had to ride the heat of passion
Like a comet burning bright
Rushing headlong in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burning both ends of the night
Rushing in long in the wind
Out where only dreams have been
Burnin' both ends of the night

[@tiffaneylindsey7005]

Omg!!! It's actually him singing it!!! Makes me smile so hard... Am I the only person that can't ever find a Garth song that's not a cover???

[@KorriganTheGreat]

This youtuber saved us

[@zackunderwood3223]

Yeah, he does his best to make sure everyone pays to hear any of his music.

[@JessicaFranklin1995]

Garth Brooks is nonexistent on the internet

[@shawnfryrear1974]

Yeah I hate the wanna-be garths

[@robertlotito9998]

Amazon music has all the album he signed a deal with them

[@lindadowning6249]

Me and my husband's song. 😊😊

[@DickeyHebzynski-m5q]

Thanks Garth Brooks. You are a true American hero. This old man feels young again listening to some of your songs. God bless you.

[@ShatnerLover]

This will always be my favorite. “And then I watched her hands of leather turn to velvet in a touch.” Amazing. Ozark made me think of this song haha.

[@patriciajrs46]

I agree. I love that line. Heck, the whole song is great.

[@mtichris12]

This song keeps it high and tight. Masterpiece.

[@krissrussell4848]

My deceased husband loved Garth and really loved this song.

[@jenniferwilhelm256]

Wonderful classic country song. I can recall a summer I worked along side my crush. We saw each other every day for two months. He was doing a summer job in the same building. ❤❤❤ Sweet memories

[@georgemoore9860]

One of my favorite Garth songs

[@mandykempen2355]

Discusting

[@amazingautumn12]

One of his best songs ❤

[@SomeotherGirl-p3f]

Garth your a bad man I love your music along with one of my favorite songs from your wife Gorgia Rain & the best thing about music among many it brings us together ❤️

[@coc8043]

He played that summer croke park Dublin Ireland. 2022.. l🔥💜legend of a man..

[@johnjohnson9093]

You never forget your first experience.

[@alexdesoufer]

This is my favorite song in this album. I love too "No Fences".

[@granite793]

I was 18, she was 48... I learned so much those few weeks

[@tylerkeller4257]

Fcxxm😢cd

[@garydavidson1731]

It never gives her age at all.

[@juliadixon8465]

He was legal. So what?

[@squarecracker]

@@juliadixon8465 was he tho?

[@justinmuscle]

Jeez was it ur mom

[@michelleloader5560]

You are amazing ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@tammiehardeman9286]

❤❤❤ this song.

[@laderiusbryan1926]

This is one of my favorite country songs

[@jenniferdijames1671]

What a good song Garth.

[@ConnorLouJones]

The cougar song!

[@HardCoreLegoFan]

Fr 😭

[@alanskinner7031]

He taught her some farming and she taught him some loving!

[@anglo-saxon9182]

Love it ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@userformerlyknownassquid8639]

Nothin wrong with learning from an older lady thats got something to teach

[@stevenfrench7940]

But the rolls were reversed its predatory

[@userformerlyknownassquid8639]

@stevenfrench7940 I completely agree with your assessment but boys and girls are different.

[@JimboSlice-t5i]

​@@userformerlyknownassquid8639Yeah except when one is made into a criminal because of accusations alone, there's a big problem. Why is it that when a woman is drunk, she can't consent, but if a man is drunk he can? It's absurd. And I'm not referring to Garths accusations, I just learned of them a little bit ago, and tbh I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest based on his support of bud light

[@Lìven-good]

I was 13 drinking beer in the barn with my two older cousins just returning from boot camp one in the army one in the Marines they both had cowboy boots and Garth Brooks style shirts..Still do😂😂😂 my uncle Coom thought and still thinks he sounds just like Garth Brooks and when I return home 1500 mi away I'm guaranteed to hear the song at least 1/2 dozen times😂😂😂 good stuff great memories

[@DavidBurkett-gg5wt]

Dqvid burkett the most important ❤😊

[@TamikaWilkinson]

Hahah ❤ I gotta laugh ! I absolutely love your comment, this is my number 1 favourite song! It will never get old ! Ever ❤😊

[@TamikaWilkinson]

Pooh bears uncle 😅

[@TomFromYoutube]

Man I thought this story was going in a whole other direction.

[@princeali1786]

@@TomFromKZbinlmao me too. I thought he was going to say he banged his cousin as being his first love. They do say incest is best ???? lol….

[@SierraTango117]

Great story she broke him in good and broke his heart along the way.

[@joes9425]

Great song

[@DavidBurkett-gg5wt]

David burkett has been in the most popular and exciting times ❤😊

[@sharplydressedrabbit3604]

This is a banger of a song, but the lyrics are sketchy lol

[@suziewhitehead8303]

Right?!?! Sounds like pedophilia to me. An older woman and a teenage boy? Pretty gross.

[@patriciajrs46]

One person's opinion.

[@AmandaWilliams-o4p]

Thanks for adding.

[@HardCoreLegoFan]

Quite an interesting song........

[@renebenitez5456]

As a teenager at 17 when this song came out. It opened my eyes, and it steered in the direction of older women and what they had to offer. Needless to say, it was a life changing experience lol Older women definitely hold a special place in my heart and always will.

[@ReneeWeatherford]

I love this song, but just now realized she was a widow with leathery hands 🫠

[@ShatnerLover]

They turned to velvet in a touch

[@juliadixon8465]

STOP NOW. The man is over 60. I am close to that age. When we were in our teens, it was *commonplace* to date other young people up to ten years older--or younger--than we. This shit is ridiculous. Diddy is an anomaly, albeit an influential and very wealthy one. He could pay others to go along with his shit, and punish them if they didn't. See Jaguar Wright, whose vocal career should have gotten her a Grammy but who is reduced to ranting on KZbin about Diddy

[@mandykempen2355]

Ahh.. the anthem of pedos everywhere.

[@JosephSmith-id1bi]

I wonder why hes not on spotify

[@joeyheatherhenry6895]

He doesn’t want his music streamed so people can get the full effect of his music. It’s not on Apple Music either 😭

[@Chayebutter]

Garth has alot of copy right protection on his songs. For a while the only way you could have his songs is when you purchased his record. I believe he wants to collect the profits and not spit with the big companies Hope this helps 😊

[@KatieF-s3z]

Favorite Garth Brooks song!’nn🎉

[@dillionyarbrough5233]

Grate song about a statutory rape

[@mrkoy5047]

Pretty much. Isn't it weird how accepted it was back then. My dad's even said if anyone cared back then half of the town would've been arrested. I'm happy it's finally being brought to attention. But yeah awesome song lol

[@shifty198885]

I mean the lyrics say " Teenage kids too far from home" they could both be 18 🤷‍♂️

[@deliacastillo8741]

Get over it 😡 how old was the 18 y/o man !!!!!

[@mrkoy5047]

@@deliacastillo8741 we don't know he was 18 it never specifies. Even Garth has said the lyrics are weird

[@FerrellBill]

Bah. Modern folks are pussies. So at 17 years, 364 days I was a child but the next day I could go die for my country? But not buy a cigarette? Bullshit.

[@Markarov343]

If the roles were reversed in this song it would’ve never been on the radio

[@patriciajrs46]

Who's ever had a sweet affair with a younger man? Sometimes, the best memory.

[@mikesands-jk2kx]

ever headed east and seen five hundred dead bucks dead on the highway and not hit one in the middle of the night doing one thirty thats hot hot i made it 1600hundred miles in 11.5five hundred miles the long way home

[@JamesTraylor-z4u]

Where are they Garth

[@trentgraham772]

If the roles were reversed this song wouldn’t have flown lmao

[@brikeimas]

BIG facts

[@rodbelding9523]

Not gonna lie, I was shocked this is the real song

[@flgators197]

He does say teenage boy.. not underaged boy.. 18-19 are consenting ages..

[@calvinswartz2486]

Who is here because of the Diddy stuff?

[@suziewhitehead8303]

Me for sure! The lyrics…people don’t listen well enough. It’s pedophilia! An older woman and a teenage boy?!?! Sheesh.

[@nicolestanfield5307]

Me!!

[@juliadixon8465]

My first response: JFC My second: moi

[@theamericandebtslave]

hahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha ahha hahhahahhaha LOL

[@rosegeorgiou7606]

Me

[@Rooted777]

Me Diddy did do it

[@erinbrust8962]

Is this him and a young girl...I mean he got to sing at the inauguration

[@John.Skelton]

JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS ABOUT A WOMAN TAKING A YOUNG BOYS VIRGINITY?!? 😳🤔

[@MrJonL83]

Yes. Every young man's fantasy

[@JamesTraylor-z4u]

You know

[@GroovyMurdock]

I remember this song from "that summer" of 1993. I recall hearing it a lot in the car on the long driving trips we took in Texas that year with my family (I was 13 then). I thought it was a good song, but a little slower and in a minor key than many of Garth's songs from that time. Since this was the last single from "The Chase," I know everyone was eagerly anticipating the new album (which would be called "In Pieces") that he'd release later in 1993.

[@swisha317]

Imagine if this was the other way around……He’d be in jail just for writing it lol

[@jeffreydaniels6547]

Truth that’s what’s sad

[@JessicaFranklin1995]

Greener than the grass by David Allan Coe is the reverse

[@fabiomarte2212]

True😂😂😂😂

[@LordCornholio31]

Save all this content as fast as possible!!

[@RobbyNewle]

I'm giving up I've never felt this hurt😢and to you blocked me I don't think I 💔 can do any more I'm out of fight you winbabe

[@PCMC500]

Are you ok bud?

[@Unpopularopinion2024]

*Hello....I'm Chris Hansen with* *Dateline NBC..*

[@jeffreydaniels6547]

Good song but not exactly the best story

[@marybyrnebyrne2360]

Great song