This song paints a picture of being teenagers, hitting it off at a dance, spending time together at the beach a lot, and getting engaged, only for it to eventually go south.
Sock Hops were popular in the 1950s. They were school dances where kids showed up and took their uncomfortable school shoes off to dance and unwind in a gymnasium or somewhere similar on campus. The singer describes the time he and his lover bumped into each other (possibly literally) at the Sock Hop and he spilled soda pop on her dress as a meet cute of sorts even though they'd supposedly known each other from being neighbors for years prior ("I didn't recognize the girl next door").
He pleads with her to take his hand and walk with him on the beach, possibly to reconcile or reminisce ("...give me your hand/give me something that I can remember"). The song goes on to describe their summer(s) being together where she'd be a beach bunny getting a tan and he'd be out surfing and having fun. Before they graduated, however, he proposed to her on a whim while they drove up to San Jose (which is a 6-hour drive. The song doesn't make it clear WHY they drove to San Jose except to maybe just "get away" from everything.)
The true end of the song is when the singer states "I guess you don't remember anything," which indicates those were the good ol' days and their life together isn't as great as it was when they were in high school. Considering sock hops were popular in the 1950s and went out of style by the 1970s, and the song was written in 1974, it's safe to say this is a relationship that's on its last legs and the two members have been together possibly for as long as decade.
This song paints a picture of being teenagers, hitting it off at a dance, spending time together at the beach a lot, and getting engaged, only for it to eventually go south.
Sock Hops were popular in the 1950s. They were school dances where kids showed up and took their uncomfortable school shoes off to dance and unwind in a gymnasium or somewhere similar on campus. The singer describes the time he and his lover bumped into each other (possibly literally) at the Sock Hop and he spilled soda pop on her dress as a meet cute of sorts even though they'd supposedly known each other from being neighbors for years prior ("I didn't recognize the girl next door").
He pleads with her to take his hand and walk with him on the beach, possibly to reconcile or reminisce ("...give me your hand/give me something that I can remember"). The song goes on to describe their summer(s) being together where she'd be a beach bunny getting a tan and he'd be out surfing and having fun. Before they graduated, however, he proposed to her on a whim while they drove up to San Jose (which is a 6-hour drive. The song doesn't make it clear WHY they drove to San Jose except to maybe just "get away" from everything.)
The true end of the song is when the singer states "I guess you don't remember anything," which indicates those were the good ol' days and their life together isn't as great as it was when they were in high school. Considering sock hops were popular in the 1950s and went out of style by the 1970s, and the song was written in 1974, it's safe to say this is a relationship that's on its last legs and the two members have been together possibly for as long as decade.