Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian songLe Moribond ("The Dying Man") by singer-songwriterJacques Brel,[2] with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer-poetRod McKuen,[3] depicting a dying man's farewell to his loved ones. "Seasons in the Sun" became a worldwide hit in 1974 for singerTerry Jacks and reachedChristmas number one in the UK in 1999 forWestlife.
The first version of the song was recorded by Brel. Set to a marching rhythm, it tells the story of a man dying of a broken heart, as he bids farewell first to his close friend Emile, then to a priest, followed by an acquaintance named Antoine, and finally to his wife, who has cheated on him numerous times with Antoine. Despite being aware of Antoine's role as his wife's lover, he wishes him no ill and instead asks him to take care of her. AmericanRod McKuen translated the lyrics into English. In 1964,the Kingston Trio became the first to record an English version of "Seasons in the Sun", which was later heard by Terry Jacks and served as the foundation for his rendition.
Jacks altered nearly one-sixth of McKuen's lyrics, later claiming that all of the words were his own.[4] He considered the original version and its translations to be "too macabre". The inspiration for the rewritten lyrics came from his close friend Roger, who was suffering from acuteleukemia and died four months later. Jacks's rendition, later dedicated to his friend, features the dying man (in the spring season) delivering his last words to his loved ones with whom he shared his life, echoing the themes of the original. However, unlike Brel's version, the man does not die heartbroken; instead, he reflects on the rights and wrongs of his actions in life as he passes away peacefully.
In the rewritten version, the man first addresses a close friend he has known since childhood, reminiscing about the happy times they shared, such as playing and studying together ("climbed hills and trees", "learned of love and ABC's") and their friendships with others ("skinned our hearts and skinned our knees"). He then turns to his father ("Papa"), who endeavored to provide him with a good upbringing and exert a positive influence on his undisciplined life ("I was the black sheep of the family," "You tried to teach me right from wrong," "wonder how I got along"), which included overindulgence, vices, and revelry ("too much wine and too much song"). Finally, the man addresses a "little one" named "Michelle" (possibly a daughter or young lover), recounting how she had lifted his spirits during times of despair. At the end of each verse, he reassures all three that he is always present in spirit when they visit familiar places or encounter certain people.[5]
According to Jacks,the Beach Boys asked him to be their producer during the sessions for the band's albumSurf's Up. On 31 July 1970, they attempted a rendition of "Seasons in the Sun", but the session did not go well, and the track was never completed. Later,Mike Love told an interviewer: "We did record a version [of 'Seasons'] but it was so wimpy we had to throw it out. ... It was just the wrong song for us."[6] The recording remained unreleased until the 2021 compilationFeel Flows.[7]
Jacks recorded his rendition inVancouver in 1973.[citation needed] The piano arpeggio parts and double bass parts in the third verse were performed by a youngDavid Foster.[8]
Jacks released his version as a single in 1973 under his own label, Goldfish Records. The B-side featured "Put the Bone In", an original composition about burying a deceased pet dog. The single quickly topped the record charts in the US (where it was released onBell Records), Canada, and the UK,[9] selling over 14 million copies worldwide.[5]
Jacks's version of "Seasons in the Sun" was released in the United States in December 1973 and entered theBillboard Hot 100 a month later. On 2 March 1974, the song began a three-week run at number one atop the Hot 100 and remained in the top 40 until nearlyMemorial Day weekend. Jacks's version also spent one week on theEasy Listening charts.[10]Billboard ranked it the number-two song for 1974.[11] Although Jacks released several other singles that were moderately successful in Canada, "Seasons in the Sun" would remain his only major solo hit in the United States.[12] In Canada, the single (released under Gold Fish catalog number GF 100) reached number one on theRPM magazine charts on 26 January 1974, where it remained for four weeks.
Though the song enjoyed contemporary success, some modern critics take a dimmer view, considering it overly sentimental. Jacks's version has been cited as an example of bad music, having been listed asone of the worst pop songs ever recorded and ranking number five in a similar CNN poll in 2006.[13]
Jacks also released a German-language version in Germany with lyrics by Gerd Müller-Schwanke, titled "In den Gärten der Zeit".[14]
Irishboy bandWestlife released a cover of "Seasons in the Sun" in December 1999, as adouble A-side with "I Have a Dream" and as a triple A-side in Australia, including both "I Have a Dream" and "Flying Without Wings".[53] The release became the UK's Christmas number-one single of 1999 – outperformingCliff Richard's charity single "The Millennium Prayer", which landed at No. 2 – and marked the group's fourth UK number-one single. It continued to maintain its position into January 2000, spending a total of 17 weeks on the UK chart.[54] The song was the 26th-best-selling single of 1999 in the UK.
^McKuen, Rod (8 April 2000)."Remembering Jacques Brel".Flight Plan. Retrieved20 February 2020.My first experience with Brel consisted of doing an unauthorized adaptation of 'Le Moribund', which I called 'Seasons in the Sun'... I subsequently learned that Brel had received my recording...
^Blokhuis, Leo (2006):Grijsgedraaid. Liedjes en lijstjes uit de popgeschiedenis. Amsterdam: Anthos. p. 153 (in Dutch)ISBN90-414-1112-7
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