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Seasons in the Sun Lyrics

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 A B C's
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 its 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 wine and the song like the sesons have all gone

All our lives we had had fun
We had sesons in the sun
but the hill that we climbed were just seasons out of time

(repeat last to fade)
Song Info
Submitted by
alexandra_ On Nov 12, 2004
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41 Meanings

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Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

Terry Jacks did not write it or translate it. Jacques Brel wrote "Le Moribond" in French. It was a song from a dying man to his unfaithful wife and friends. Rod McKuen translated it into English as "Seasons in the Sun". This translation was covered by four or five bands including The Kingston Trio. Terry Jacks changed the last verse without permission, taking out the references to adultery. As for why the narator is dying, ever since i was small i've thought it was written from the perspective of a man in a cell, condemned to death (deprived of the joys of spring and "black sheep of the family"). Lovely song.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

I've always imagined this being sung by someone about to be executed, standing on the scaffold, asked if they have any last words. (I probably just have a dark mind)

It makes me cry a little every time though

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

haha. Not actually. T J was a music producer. He worked with the beach boys. He heard some song or story by a (french? that'd make since he's from montreal) composer or author. The tale was one of a young man confronting an untimely death, maybe a terminal illness. T J thought is was beautiful and pitched it to the beach boys who rejected it. HE took matters into his own hands and entered the pantheorn of one hit wonders witht this gem which stuck on the canadian charts for ages and has found its way into countless compilations and cover bands.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

Life is fragile and unpredictable and unforgiving. There are no words for how fast it goes or how we turn into ash overnight.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

It's about death, I'm guessing. I loved this song as a child. It was so popular and got so much air time. Now I'm wondering why it was so popular; I guess we weren't bright enough to understand the dark lyrics;) Geesh. And it took me decades to understand what a 'pearl necklace' was :) For shame!

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

beautiful

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

ah, when i listened to this i thought of a man who is writing his suicide note - trying to be more cheerful than he should be about it and feeling a bit guilty for leaving everyone and thinking of all the things he'll miss. ridiculously sad.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

I love this song. My aunt sang it when i was visiting her in the hospital. she passed away a few days ago. and now its all i listen to.

And as for it being better when NIRVANA plays it, wrong. NIRVANA sounds like shit. Baked off their ass they couldnt even remember most of the words.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

I've always read that Jacques Brel wrote this song about a condemned man on death row who murdered his wife and her lover and this is his lament to his former life. In the Brel version the wife is named Francoise, her lover is Emile and is father is Papa. And the song while extremely fast in tempo, is very dark and foreboding.

Cover art for Seasons in the Sun lyrics by Terry Jacks

It's about death, I don't try to specualate the manner of death, just someone realising the inevitability of it.