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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Seasons In The Sun
Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song Le Moribond ("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. It 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 passed away 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, 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," 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 second 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 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 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 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 "In den Gärten der Zeit".

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada — 312,000
France — 300,000
United Kingdom (BPI) Gold 500,000
United States (RIAA) Gold 3,000,000
Summaries
Worldwide — 8,000,000

Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Westlife version

"Seasons in the Sun"
Single by Westlife
from the album Westlife
A-side
Released13 December 1999 (1999-12-13)
StudioPWL Studios (London)
Length4:06
LabelBMG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)TTW
Westlife singles chronology
"Flying Without Wings"
(1999) 		"I Have a Dream" / "Seasons in the Sun"
(1999) 		"Fool Again"
(2000)
Music video
"Seasons in the Sun" on YouTube

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 and also became the final number-one single of the 1990s.

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

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
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 18
UK Singles (OCC) 1

Other versions

There were actually three different versions released in the UK in 1974, two of which were on the BELL label. At least two (including the Terry Jacks version), and possibly all three, charted.

See also

References

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