Summer songs with great lyrics. Tracks that make your summer memories even more wonderful.
Great lyrics enhance the tone and add even more color to a song, don’t they? Works that take a literary approach as well as a musical one often become classics.
This time, I focused my research on summer songs with outstanding lyrics! Of course, “good lyrics” can mean many things: lines that move you to tears, words that tug at your heart with bittersweet emotion, or lyrics that sparkle with a touch of humor.
From masterpieces that artfully paint summer scenes with words to one-summer love songs, we’ve got them all.
Be sure to find your favorite lyrics!
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Great summer songs with superb lyrics. Summer tunes that make your memories even more wonderful (81–90)
Rainy WednesdayOhtaki Eiichi
One of Eiichi Ohtaki’s signature songs, where the gentle, soaking rain conveys the feel of summer.
You can picture yourself quietly gazing at the sea with someone dear, beside a battered old Volkswagen.
Before you know it, as you listen, you’re filled with a sentimental longing for the passing seasons.
The track was included on the classic 1981 album “A LONG VACATION,” and was later released as a single in May 1982.
With its clear, transparent vocals and wistful melody that sinks into the heart, it’s a perfect number for late summer.
You from that summerSugiyama Kiyotaka
This is a summer song for adults, created to mark Kiyotaka Sugiyama’s 30th anniversary since his debut.
Included on the album “OCEAN,” released in July 2016, the piece recounts unforgettable summer memories spent with a loved one in days gone by.
The imagery—so vivid you can almost feel the sea breeze and hear the surf—blends with Sugiyama’s refined vocals, gently resonating in the listener’s heart.
Many listeners say that when they hear this song, their hearts time-travel back in time.
Writing down the summerrokudenashi
A song carefully woven like writing a diary entry about an ordinary summer day.
Scenes come to life—the flowers blooming by the roadside, the fireworks rising over the neighboring town’s sky—stirring both tenderness for the shining season and a looming sense of its eventual end.
The appeal also lies in vocalist Ninjin’s steady, resonant voice and the nostalgic rock sound.
Featured on the EP “Hikage,” released in July 2025, this track is a work that will stay by your side throughout your summer.
Summer Dreamin’Hirai Dai
An emotional power-pop tune that rivals the midsummer sun colors the passing season in vivid hues.
It’s a song by Dai Hirai, a popular singer-songwriter known for his comfortable, surf music–influenced sound.
This piece is the title track of a digital EP released in July 2024.
The bittersweet yet uplifting lyrics are like a spell that makes limited time with someone special shine.
Listen to it on a summer drive, and together with the breeze streaming in through the window, it will help create unforgettable memories.
fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi
Uchiage Hanabi, which begins with a wistful piano melody, is perfect for sentimental summer nights.
This collaboration between DAOKO and Kenshi Yonezu was released in 2017 and was chosen as the theme song for the animated film “Fireworks: Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?” Fireworks are beautiful, yet they soar up and vanish in an instant—there’s something fleeting about them that can make you feel a little heartache.
This song overlays the ephemeral nature of fireworks with memories of a summer romance, portraying that tight squeeze in your chest as summer comes to an end.
If you want to immerse yourself in an unforgettable summer love, why not try singing this song at karaoke?
Sunny Day SundaySenchimentaru Basu
The song I want you to listen to on a sweltering summer day is “Sunny Day Sunday.” It was released in 1999 by the music unit Sunny Day Sunday, active in the 1990s.
NATSU’s cute vocals set against a punkish band sound are especially striking.
It portrays a unique take on romance through the theme of baseball.
The girlish feeling of “I’m more interested in the person I like than the game…” is heart-fluttering.
It’s a track filled with such adorable emotions that you might forget the summer heat.
Summer songs with great lyrics. Summer tunes that make your memories even more wonderful (91–100)
Happinessarashi
A positive song released by Arashi in 2007.
It’s a classic as a pep song, and surely many people have been encouraged by it.
It’s loved by a wide range of generations, regardless of age or gender, to the point where everyone can hum along.
It also drew attention as the theme song for the TBS drama Yamada Taro Monogatari.
Beyond its upbeat vibe, the fresh feel of the music video gives it a perfect summer atmosphere.
Their genuinely joyful presence is dazzling, and this song really gets crowds going at concerts and karaoke.
That innocent, straightforward Arashi mood is incredibly liberating!