Released: July 7, 1998

Songwriter: Keren Woodward Tony Swain Steve Jolley Siobhan Fahey Sara Dallin

Producer: Cutfather Joe Belmaati

[Verse 1]
Hot summer streets
And the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile
But the air is so heavy and dry

[Verse 2]
Strange voices are saying
(What did they say?)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort
This heat has got right out of hand

[Chorus]
It's a cruel (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone, you're not the only one, it's a cruel...

[Verse 3]
The city is crowded
My friends are away
And I'm on my own
It's too hot to handle
So I got to get up and go

[Chorus]
It's a cruel (cruel), cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone, you're not the only one, it's a cruel...
Cruel (cruel), cruel summer
(Leaving me) Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone, you're not the only one, it's a cruel...


[Bridge]
Mmm, now don't you leave me
Mmm, now don't you leave me
Now don't you leave me, come on, come on
Mmm, now don't you leave me
Mmm, now don't you leave me
Now don't you leave me, come on, come on

[Chorus until Fade]
It's a cruel (cruel), cruel summer (cruel summer)
Leaving me here on my own (Leaving me here on my own)
It's a cruel (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone, you're not the only one, it's a cruel...
Cruel (cruel), cruel summer
(Leaving me) Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel (it's a cruel), cruel summer
Now you're gone, you're not the only one, it's a cruel...
It's a cruel (cruel), cruel summer

Ace of Base

Ace of Base Is a Swedish pop group who scored a string of international hits in the early-to-mid 1990s. They’re best known for their upbeat reggae-tinged dance-pop songs, including “The Sign”, which was the biggest hit of 1994, according to The Billboard US chart.

The group’s core lineup consisted of producers Ulf “Buddha” Ekberg and Jonas “Joker” Berggren, along with singers Malin “Linn” Berggren and Jenny Berggren (the three Berggrens are siblings). In the early ’90s, their debut single “Wheel of Fortune” became a hit in Scandinavia, which led to the group connecting with producer Denniz Pop (who would later spawn the careers Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and Max Martin).

After the group’s 1992 debut Happy Nation became an international hit (going on to sell 21 million copies), it was re-released in North America in 1993 as The Sign. Three singles from the album became top five pop hits in the US, including “All That She Wants” (#2), “Don’t Turn Around” (#4), and “The Sign” (#1 for six weeks). The Sign went on to sell over 10 million copies.