Seasons in the Sun

For the 2012 book about British history, see Dominic Sandbrook.

"Le Moribond"
Song by Jacques Brel
from the album Marieke
Released	1961
Recorded	February 22, 1961
Genre	Chanson
Length	3:06
Label	Philips
Songwriter(s)	Jacques Brel

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

Song history

The first version of the song, recorded by Jacques Brel, tells of a man dying of a broken heart. It was sung in a marching tempo and shows the man saying his last farewells to a priest, his best friend, and his wife, named as Francoise, who cheated on him.

"Seasons in the Sun"
File:Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks.jpeg Image of Germany 7" vinyl cover
Single by Terry Jacks
from the album Seasons in the Sun
B-side	"Put the Bone In"
Released	December 1973
Recorded	1973
Genre	Pop
Length	3:24
Label	Bell
Songwriter(s)	Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen
Producer(s)	Terry Jacks
singles chronology
"Concrete Sea" (1972) "Seasons in the Sun" (1973) "If You Go Away" (1974)
Music video
"Seasons in the Sun" on YouTube

Terry Jacks recording

The American poet Rod McKuen translated the lyrics to English. In 1964, The Kingston Trio first recorded an English version of Seasons in the Sun, which was later heard by Terry Jacks and became the basis for his rendition.

Jacks thought that the original version by Jacques Brel was too macabre and he rewrote the lyrics, inspired by a friend who was suffering from leukemia and died four months after the release of his version. Unlike the Jacques Brel version, Jacks' rendition instead tells of a dying man giving his last words to his loved ones. In the first verse the dying man gives his last words to his friend, whom he had known since childhood and reminisces the happy times they had such as playing together ("climbed hills and trees"), friendships with others ("skinned our hearts and skinned our knees") and studying together ("learned of love and ABC's"). The second verse has him addressing his father, who tried to give him 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 vices and revelry ("too much wine and too much song"). The final verse shows him addressing "Michelle", possibly his daughter or niece, and stating how she lifted his spirit up in times of despair.

Jacks recorded "Seasons in the Sun" in Vancouver in 1973 with his then-wife Susan Jacks. They made the decision to record the song when The Beach Boys, who had recorded a version with Terry Jacks producing, decided to abandon their recording.

Jacks released his version as a single in 1973 on his own label, Goldfish Records. "Put the Bone In", an original composition about burying a deceased pet dog, was included as the B-side. The single soon topped the record charts in the U.S. (where it was released on Bell Records), in Canada, and the UK, selling over 14 million copies worldwide.

Jacks's version was released in the United States in December 1973, and made the Billboard Hot 100 a month later. On March 2, 1974, the song began a three-week run at number one atop the Hot 100, and remained in the top 40 until almost Memorial Day weekend. Jacks's version also spent one week on the Easy Listening charts. Billboard ranked it as the number two song for 1974. Although he released several other singles that were moderately successful in Canada, "Seasons in the Sun" would become Jacks's only major solo hit in the United States. In Canada, the single (Gold Fish GF 100) reached number one on the RPM Magazine charts January 26, 1974, and remained there four weeks.

Though the song enjoyed contemporary success, modern criticism takes a dimmer view, considering it overly sentimentalized. Jacks's version has been held up as an example of bad music, such as 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, "In den Gärten der Zeit".

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1973–74)	Peak position
Australia (KMR)	1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	2
Canada RPM Top Singles	1
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary	1
Denmark	1
France	1
Germany (Official German Charts)	1
Ireland (IRMA)	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	7
Norway (VG-lista)	1
South Africa (Springbok)	1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	1
New Zealand	1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	1
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	1
US Cash Box Top 100	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1974)	Rank
Australia	5
Canada RPM Top Singles	1
Denmark	5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	40
South Africa	6
Switzerland	1
UK	5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Cash Box	9

All-time charts

Chart (1958-2018)	Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	220

Other versions

• The first recording of the English-language version (lyrics by McKuen) was released on 1963 album Time to Think by The Kingston Trio.
• The Fortunes recorded the song for a 1968 single.
• The Newmen, an Irish vocal group, released a version in 1969 on Dolphin Records (DOS37) with 'Bonnie Bonnie' on the B side.
• Colombian duet Ana y Jaime released a Spanish version called Estaciones en el Sol.
• Pearls Before Swine included a version of the song on their album City of Gold in 1971, with lyrics reflecting the darkness of Brel's original version.
• A cover version by Bobby Wright reached the Top 40 of the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in 1974.
• Hong Kong English pop and Cantopop band The Wynners cover version in 1974 album Listen to the Wynners and Alan Tam as the vocal.
• Klaus Hoffmann recorded a German version of "Le Moribond", titled "Adieu Emile", in 1975.
• Too Much Joy recorded the song for their 1988 album Son Of Sam I Am, and it became a regular part of their live shows.
• Westlife made their cover version in 1999 and included it on their album Westlife.
• Nirvana also recorded the song, which was released in the box set With the Lights Out.

See also

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

External links

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Seasons in the Sun" article dated 2005-12-10, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

• 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)
• Lyrics of Andy Williams cover at MetroLyrics