groovin'

Life was ecstasy for the Young Rascals when they took this groovy little romp to the top of the charts.  Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati wrote 'Groovin''  about weekend getaways with their girlfriends.  Cavaliere recalls:  "I met this young girl and I just fell head over heels in love. I was so gone that this joyous, wonderful emotion came into the music. 'Groovin'' was part of that experience. If you look at the story line, it's very simple: we're groovin' on a Sunday afternoon because Friday and Saturdays are when musicians work. The simplicity of it is that Sundays you could be with your loved one. And the beauty of is this joyous bliss that at that time I equated with a person, but that's the beauty of music - when it's an example of what you do it lasts forever. You're in love forever because of that moment in time that you captured, and that's what was happening with 'Groovin''."

 'Groovin'' was produced by the band with session musician Chuck Rainey playing the Latin bass line.   The Cuban groove was not well-liked by the folks at Atlantic Records.  Cavaliere says New York DJ Murray the K convinced record company executives to release it as a single:  “To tell you the truth, they didn’t originally like the record because it had no drum on it.  We had just cut it, and he came in the studio to say hello. After he heard the song, he said, ‘Man, this is a smash.’ So, when he heard that Atlantic didn’t want to put it out, he went to see Jerry Wexler and said, ‘Are you crazy? This is a friggin’ number one record.’ He was right, because it eventually became number one for five straight weeks.”  Actually, 'Groovin'' spent two weeks at number one and was pushed to number two  for one week by Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' before regaining the  top spot for another two weeks.  

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon.
Really, couldn't get away too soon.
I can't imagine anything that's better.
The world is ours whenever we're together.
There ain't a place I'd like to be,
Instead of movin' down a crowded avenue,
Doin' anything we like to do.

There's always lots of things that we can see.
We can be anyone we'd like to be.
All those happy people we could meet,
Just groovin' on a Sunday afternoon.
Really, couldn't get away too soon.

No, no, no, no, no.
ah-ah-ha, ah-ah-ha, ah-ah-ha.

We'll keep on spendin' sunny days this way.
We're gonna talk and laugh our time away.
(Ah-ah-ah.)
I feel it coming closer day by day.
Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly,

Groovin', (reelin' and rollin'),
Really, couldn't get away to soon.
No-no-no, no.
Groovin'. un-huh, uh-huh.
Groovin' ay-ay.