“Summer of ’69”

“Summer of ’69” is one of the old familiar songs that accompanies the Water’s Edge Hotel disco during the Killary flood. Its role is brief but telling: among music chosen to summon shared memories, it gives the gathering a moment of exuberant release while the waters continue to rise outside.

Selection and Setting

The unnamed narrator gathers old familiars for the disco, naming ABBA, The Pretenders, and Bryan Adams among the selections. After returning to the function room, the narrator announces that the group might as well have a disco. “Summer of ’69” belongs to this deliberately nostalgic playlist rather than appearing as an isolated reference.

Place in the Disco

The song marks the most energetic turn in a sequence of dancing. The group dances slowly and sensuously to “Chiquitita,” and with tearful nostalgia to “Brass in Pocket”; to “Summer of ’69,” they punch the air. The progression makes the song the playlist’s high-energy release, following slower and more reflective moments.

Contrast and Significance

The exuberance takes place against the flood’s encroachment. The six Belarusians sit on the top stair as the water reaches halfway up the stairs, while loose items drift through the lobby below. The narrator returns to the function room and serves pints. In that context, “Summer of ’69” helps make the disco a temporary refuge: the group can recover familiar dance steps and shared musical memories even as the hotel’s ordinary security is being overtaken by water.