I’ve been intending to redux this one for several months now … actually since last March when I saved a draft of it, but then never got around to actually playing it here! Tonight, I am behind on everything … responding to comments, writing my morning post, emails, and sleep! So, what better time for a redux of this song by Terry Jacks? Hope you enjoy it!
Little did I know until tonight that this song initially had quite a different set of lyrics in the beginning! The song was initially titled Le Moribond (The Dying Man) and was written in French by Jacques Brel, a Belgian songwriter. Since the original lyrics and concept are a bit disgusting, I won’t put them on this post, but if you’re the curious sort, you can find them at Songfacts.
Terry Jacks re-worked the song, changing the lyrics in honour of his best friend who had recently died of leukemia. The song was released in 1973, topping the charts in both the U.S. and the UK, and it became the largest selling single in Canadian history.
Seasons in the Sun
Terry Jacks
Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we’ve climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABCs
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Goodbye my friend, it’s hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I’ll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time
Goodbye papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along
Goodbye papa, it’s hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them, I’ll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
Goodbye Michelle, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye Michelle, it’s hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
All our lives we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
Songwriters: Rod McKuen, Jacques Roman Brel
Powerful song and one that went against the pop trend of love, love, love (one for professional melancholics)
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It’s sad but pretty. I vaguely remember it but it was probably popular during a time I was very busy. Thanks, Jill. 🙂 — Suzanne
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My pleasure, Suzanne! I know exactly what you mean … sometimes I come across a song that was #1 for weeks, and I don’t recall it. But then, I think what I was doing at that time … raising kids, going to grad school, working 3 jobs … no wonder I didn’t have time to stay on top of the music!
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Yes, it had a somewhat deeper meaning, I think. I’ve always loved this one … glad you liked it, Paul!
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One that has stayed with me.
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I know this song, and i LOVE it! :-)) Thank you, Jill! You’d made my day, äh evening! Michael
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I’m thrilled that I finally played one you know!!! And I’m so glad you like it!
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😉
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Jill, this one is OK, but not one of my favorites. It was a little too bubble gummish. It also was a little overplayed, which lent itself to my feelings about it. Keith
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I wasn’t surprised at all to find that neither you nor Clive liked it much, but somehow I never thought of this one as ‘bubblegum’ … it seemed to have a deeper meaning than most bubblegum music. Ah well, at least you’re not left with an earworm, right? 😉
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Jill, true. I gave myself an ear worm the other day with the song “Superman” which has a haunting effect. Keith
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The song ‘Superman’ didn’t ring a bell, so I Googled and as soon as it began to play, I thought, “How could I have forgotten — I always loved that song!” So now you’ve shared your earworm with me … gracias!
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Jill, I reposted this old one using the Superman song and sent it out in an email. People like the reflective lyrics.
https://musingsofanoldfart.wordpress.com/2021/02/10/the-better-part-of-me-a-reprise/
Keith
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Ah yes … I remember that post! I do like both the lyrics and the music … might play that one on my music post after February when I’m sticking with Motown!
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Nooooooooo. This is one of those songs that act like a tick, burrowing into my brain, repeating on a loop. I don’t know why I know it so well but every note, word, and nuance is etched into me. No matter; will just rock out to some other tunes, like, stat, until it’s dislodged. (Now, weirdly, I’m thinking of a song from “South Pacific”, “Gonna wash that man right out of my hair”, except, instead of man, it’s song, and instead of hair, it’s head. Sometimes it’s scary in my head. “Get the picture?”)
Hugs and cheers
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Ohhhh dear Michael … you have given me my first laugh of the day/evening/night!!! Thank you! And I apologize (sort of) for the earworm, but I’m sure that by now you’ve managed to wash that song right out of your head, and send it on its way! Got the picture! And I really do ‘got the picture’, for I can picture Mitzi Gaynor singing that!!! Big hugs and cheers to you, my friend!
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I so love this song, Jill. Thank you. 😀
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I’m so glad! It doesn’t seem to resonate with some, so I’m glad you liked it!
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It probably won’t surprise you to know that I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it now. I had a friend who bought it, though: she couldn’t understand why I laughed at the B-side, which was about burying a dead dog 😉
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I never listened to the B side, unusual for me, but then I never bought the A side. Despite the fact Terry Jacks was a fellow Canadian, this being one reason for it being such a hit in Canada, it was far too maudlin for me.
But can someone please tell me why reworking foeign-language songs, or television shows, movies, books, etc. Is not plagiarism? Yet putting three similar note into the same order on two different songs is. (My Sweet Lord was found guilty of plagiarising One Fine Day!) What a piece of crap!
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Heh heh … nope, it didn’t surprise me one bit that neither you nor Keith much cared for this one. Ahhhh … I wasn’t familiar with the B-side! Well, I’ll see if I can do some better tonight! Sorry … I’m a bit behind on comments … been just a tad under the weather.
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The B-side may have been different over there – I’m not sure how you guys would have responded to a song about a dead dog 😉
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I can only speak for myself, but a song about a dead dog would break my heart and have me in a puddle of tears. 😥
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I’m sorry, but it had the opposite effect on me: I just found it nauseatingly maudlin. Maybe if he’d done it better…
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And now you’ve got my curiosity piqued and I will have to go find this song … tomorrow … er, later today. Been knee deep in taxes for the last several hours, and now it’s after 3:00 a.m., so … later today. Do you remember the name of the song?
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It has another more obvious meaning than the alleged dead dog theme, which in my youthful innocence may have passed me by. It’s called ‘Put The Bone In’ 😉
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Say no more! Just the title tells me what that other, more obvious meaning is! 🤣
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I love this song
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I’m so glad!!!! I didn’t know you ever popped in on my music posts! Thanks!
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I do, occasionally
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Thanks!
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