The sun was directly overhead on the longest day of the year. No shadows. I pushed a button on my phone. My neighbor Swamp Rabbit leaned back in his broken rocking chair, waiting to hear some songs that would blot out the present and help him relive happy summer memories.

“Swimsuit Issue” by Sonic Youth played and “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden.

“Turn that shit off.” he said, choking on his beer. “Sounds like the end of the world.”

“I’m just messing with you,” I said. “That’s not from my feel-good list.”

I made an adjustment and “Sunny Afternoon” played. It’s like lying on a beach chair in a cool breeze, watching the waves roll in. Swamp Rabbit drank up and smiled, but “Melt” by Barney Cortez and “Girl” by Beck seemed to unsettle him. He’s of a certain age, so it takes him a long time to warm up to songs he hasn’t heard a million times.

“Under the Boardwalk” reminded him of a cheap date in Wildwood, NJ. “Warmth of the Sun” brought tears to his eyes. Or maybe his allergies did that.

“This is great,” he said. “These songs are so good, they bring back memories of stuff that probably didn’t even happen.”

“Those are the best kind,” I replied.