The Nostalgic Meaning Behind “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire has no shortage of classic jams, but the Chicago soul group’s 1978 hit “September” has endured beyond the month, decade, and genre in which it originated. A funk touchstone, the sugar-sweet track remains timeless because its nostalgic sentiment has never felt out of season.

Changing the Minds of Pretenders

Maurice White begins by recalling a specific date. But the date has more to do with how well it sings than with any significance. (And prioritizing feel over literal meaning became a recurring theme, as you’ll hear in the chorus.)

Do you remember,
The 21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders,
While chasing the clouds away.

The couple here is in harmony with one another. There’s no friction, just dancing and singing and deep funk.

Our hearts were ringing,
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night, remember,
How the stars stole the night away, oh, yeah.

Then, Earth, Wind & Fire reach maximum bliss in the chorus, creating an anthem out of elated gibberish.

Hey, hey, hey
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September.
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day.

The Happiest-Sounding Song in the World

In 1978, White invited then-unknown songwriter Allee Willis to write with him in the studio. When she arrived, the band had already worked out what became the intro to “September”.

“And I just thought, ‘Dear God, let this be what they want me to write!’ ’Cause it was obviously the happiest-sounding song in the world,” she told NPR.

My thoughts are with you,
Holding hands with your heart to see you.
Only blue talk and love, remember,
How we knew love was here to stay.

Guitarist Al McKay wrote the chord progression, and over the next month, White and Willis used starry imagery and simple words to portray the song’s tender nostalgia—though the writing session wasn’t as effortless as the band’s eternal groove.

White’s gibberish in the chorus bugged Willis. She wanted him to change it, but that wasn’t going to happen—it didn’t matter what “ba-dee-ya” meant.

She said, “I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him, which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.”

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images