Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a vibrant picture of spring's arrival, a welcome guest after a harsh winter. The opening lines immediately establish a tone of joyous relief, personifying summer as a gentle presence that has overcome the season's harshness. This sets the stage for a celebration of nature's renewal and the end of a difficult period.
The central tension lies in the contrast between the past hardship of winter and the present bounty of summer. The "long nights blake" and "wintres weders" are explicitly shaken off, replaced by the "sonne softe" and the singing of "smalle foules." This shift highlights the profound impact of seasonal change on the natural world and, by extension, on the emotional state of the observer.
The craft here is in the direct address and the vivid, almost tangible imagery of nature waking up. The repetition of "Now welcome, somer" acts as a refrain, reinforcing the central theme of greeting and celebration. The mention of "Saint Valentine" and the "smalle foules" recovering "his make" (their mate) grounds the abstract concept of renewal in specific, relatable natural phenomena, emphasizing the return of life and companionship.
These lyrics resonate because they capture a universal human experience: the deep satisfaction of emerging from darkness into light, from struggle into ease. The simple, direct language and the celebratory tone evoke a feeling of shared relief and optimism, making the arrival of summer feel like a personal triumph over adversity.
View Artist