Gershwin began composing Summertime in December 1933, attempting to create his own spiritual in the style of the African American folk music of the period. It is sung multiple times throughout his opera, Porgy and Bess.

Gershwin's Summertime, is one of the most often covered songs in popular music, with almost 3,000 different versions recorded. This version, in A minor, is a tone lower than the original B minor version, but by far the most popular key for performance.