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Given that '70s soft rock bands tended to produce breezy tunes, arguably best listened to on sunny days, it's understandable that this type of music is often synonymous with the summer. For instance, the publication American Songwriter recently released a list of "3 soft rock songs that defined summer for millions of Americans in 1974."
The list, published on July 18, featured the 1974 soft rock songs Chicago's "Call Me," America's "Tin Man," and “Another Park, Another Sunday”off the Doobie Brothers' fourth album, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits.
While "Another Park, Another Sunday" is a quintessential easy-listening song, it does depict heartbreak following the end of a romance. In an interview with Songfacts, the band's singer, Tom Johnston, was asked, "Is 'Another Park, Another Sunday' based on events that happened to [him]?" Johnston confirmed that "Yeah, that was."
"That was based on breaking up with a girlfriend. And that's basically what that was all about. Including the park and all the rest of it," continued Johnston.
In addition, Johnston said that he thinks radio stations didn't play the song, which secured the number 32 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the year it was released, because of some of its lyrics.
"You know, that was a single, and actually got put out, and was doing real well, and then it got yanked off the radio for the line, 'And the radio just seems to bring me down,' because the song being played reminded me of the girl. But radio took it as, 'Oh, yeah? The radio brings you down, huh? Well, guess what?' – yank," said Johnston, now 77, while speaking to Songfacts.
During the interview, Johnston shared that "Another Park, Another Sunday" was among several Doobie Brothers songs that didn't take him too much effort to write. According to Johnston, "Listen To The Music" (1972), "Greenwood Creek" (1971), "Growing A Little Each Day" (1971), and "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" (1973) also "seemed to just come naturally."
"I always feel like I'm a conduit when things like that are going on. I'm just the one putting it down on paper and playing the chords. But wherever it's coming from was out of the ethersphere somewhere," explained the musician.
