Seasons in the Sun

Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song ("The Dying Man") by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen, depicting a dying man's farewell to his loved ones. "Seasons in the Sun" became a worldwide hit in 1974 for singer Terry Jacks and reached Christmas number one in the UK in 1999 for Westlife.

Background and lyrics

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. American Rod 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. 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 acute leukemia 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.

Recording

According to Jacks, the Beach Boys asked him to be their producer during the sessions for the band's album Surf'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." The recording remained unreleased until the 2021 compilation Feel Flows.

Jacks recorded his rendition in Vancouver in 1973. The piano arpeggio parts and double bass parts in the third verse were performed by a young David Foster.

Release

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 on Bell Records), Canada, and the UK, selling over 14 million copies worldwide.

Jacks's version of "Seasons in the Sun" was released in the United States in December 1973 and entered the Billboard 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 nearly Memorial Day weekend. Jacks's version also spent one week on the Easy Listening charts. Billboard ranked it the number-two song for 1974. 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. In Canada, the single (released under Gold Fish catalog number GF 100) reached number one on the RPM 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 as one of the worst pop songs ever recorded and ranking number five in a similar CNN poll in 2006.

Jacks also released a German-language version in Germany with lyrics by Gerd Müller-Schwanke, titled "".

Charts

Weekly charts

Terry Jacks version

Chart (1973–1974)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)	1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)	1
Denmark	1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	1
France	1
Ireland (IRMA)	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	7
New Zealand (Listener)	1
Norway (VG-lista)	1
Portugal (AFP)	4
South Africa (Springbok)	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	1
UK Singles (OCC)	1
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	1
US Cash Box Top 100	1
West Germany (GfK)	1
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)	1

Year-end charts

Terry Jacks version

Chart (1974)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)	5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	1
Denmark	5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	40
South Africa (Springbok)	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	1
UK Singles	5
US Billboard Hot 100	2
US Cash Box Pop Singles	9

All-time charts

Terry Jacks version

Chart (1958-2018)	Rank
US Billboard Hot 100	220

Westlife version

Irish boy band Westlife released a cover of "Seasons in the Sun" in December 1999, as a double 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". The release became the UK's Christmas number-one single of 1999 – outperforming Cliff 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. The song was the 26th-best-selling single of 1999 in the UK.

Track listings

• United Kingdom & Ireland

1. "I Have a Dream" (Single Remix) – 4:06
2. "Seasons in the Sun" (Single Remix) – 4:10
3. "On the Wings of Love" – 3:22

• Australia

1. "Flying Without Wings" - 3:35
2. "I Have a Dream" (Remix) - 4:06
3. "Seasons in the Sun" (Single Remix) - 4:10
4. "Flying Without Wings" (Video) - 3:40

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000)	Peak position
Czech Republic (IFPI)	25
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	7
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	10
Germany (GfK)	24
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)	13
Ireland (IRMA)	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	10
Norway (VG-lista)	10
Scotland (OCC)	1
Spain (Top 40 Radio)	30
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	18
UK Singles (OCC)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
UK Singles (OCC)	26

Chart (2000)	Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	71
Ireland (IRMA)	45
UK Singles (OCC)	106

Other versions

• The first recording of the English-language version (lyrics by McKuen) was released on the 1963 album Time to Think by the Kingston Trio.
• The Fortunes released a version of the song as a single in the UK in April 1969.
• The Beach Boys recorded a version of the song in 1971, which remained unreleased until the 2021 box set Feel Flows was released.
• A cover version by Bobby Wright reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1974.
• Nirvana recorded a version in 1993, which is the final recording on the With the Lights Out box set, released in 2004.
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes recorded their version in 1997, featured on their album Have a Ball.
• Black Box Recorder recorded a version in 1998, which appears on the US version of their album England Made Me.
• Taiwanese boy band K One covered the song in 2005 as a track for their second studio album Love Power.

See also

• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

External links

• Seasons in the Sun at Super Seventies.
• "List of 'Le Moribond' covers", Brelitude.net
• "Goodbye, Papa, It's Hard to Die: The enduring appeal of an abominable pop song" (Slate.com, March 16, 2005)