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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Summer songs with great lyrics. Summer tunes that make your summer memories even more wonderful (1–10)
Summer LoveInoue Sonoko
It’s a refreshing song that feels like the start of summer! It’s a track by singer-songwriter Sonoko Inoue, released as her second single in June 2016, and it peaked at No.
17 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.
Chosen as the ending theme for the TV drama “Koe Koi,” it reached a wide audience.
The lyrics, written in down-to-earth language, capture the frustration of not being able to take that one last step toward the person you like, along with the overflowing feelings of love—and just listening makes your heart flutter.
There’s also an adorable, catchy phrase that feels like casting a love-fulfilling spell.
This song might just color a beautiful moment in your summer.
Nagisasupittsu
With a melody that’s refreshing yet tinged with melancholy, it vividly paints scenes of summer.
This work by the popular band Spitz was released in September 1996 as their 17th single, and it’s also included on the acclaimed album Indigo Chiheisen.
It’s well known for being used as the CM song for Ezaki Glico’s “Pocky Love Story.” Looking closely at the lyrics, you realize they go beyond mere reminiscence, delicately weaving in themes such as reality and illusion, or even life and death.
It’s the kind of song that gently accompanies those slightly sentimental moods of a summer evening.
Sparklers feat. Lila IkutaSato Chiaki
This is a song that brings back that special summertime-night exhilaration.
Released ahead of the June 2023 album “BUTTERFLY EFFECT,” it’s a poppy dance tune with a comfortably infectious rhythm.
The vocals by Chiahi Sato and Lila Ikuta hint at the beginning of a faint love story.
Words like “festival” and “ice cream that won’t melt” are brimming with summer sparkle, while the bittersweet wish for a night that you never want to end resonates in your heart.
Give it a listen when you want to feel the flutter of romance and the tenderness for a summer that’s slipping away!
Live the summerRyokushokushakai
This track captures both a cider-like, effervescent freshness and a gritty determination that keeps pushing on, even covered in mud.
Released in July 2020, it was also chosen as the theme song for tvk’s “RIDE OF KANAGAWA 2020 High School Baseball,” and is included on the album SINGALONG.
Haruko Nagaya’s words vividly portray the sparkle of summer and the single-minded pursuit of a goal.
It’s quintessential Ryokuoushoku Shakai: lyrics that shoot straight to the listener’s heart and an energetic sound that’s truly outstanding.
If you want to make your summer memories even more special, this is the perfect cheer song for you!
StarmineDa-iCE
This is a song by Da-iCE that mirrors the grandeur of a fireworks display and the fleeting brilliance of a single spark with the arc of life.
Released digitally in August 2022, it was written and composed by member Taiki Kudo.
Its passionate message—never giving up, challenging yourself again and again, and coloring your future with your own hands—resonates alongside a festive, lively sound.
On a summer night, when you want to lift your spirits or need the courage to take on a challenge, listening to it will surely give you strength.
Also included on the album “SCENE.”
LIFEkimaguren
A song whose acoustic tones resonate pleasantly.
In this piece by Kimaguren, we who tend to hide our true feelings in everyday life are asked, “Who are you living for?” The straightforward words feel like the voice of your own heart.
Lyricist KUREI poured in the earnest feelings he held amid management hardships, and the gentle yet powerful message strikes a chord.
Released in May 2008 as their second major single.
In addition to being featured in an au commercial, it was also adopted as the approaching train melody at Keikyu Zushi Line’s Shin-Zushi Station starting in November that same year.
It’s perfect for a summer drive.
Music HourPorunogurafiti
It’s a feel-good summer song that sounds like it’s coming straight from the radio! This track by Porno Graffitti was released in July 2000 as their third single.
It was featured in a commercial for Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Pocari Sweat.
The playful lyrics, like a radio host calling out to listeners, deliver that bubbly summer feeling.
The charm lies in how you can forget the complicated stuff and simply let yourself be carried by the joy of the music.
Listen to it on a summer drive or at a beach party with friends, and your memories are sure to shine even brighter.