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Don't Fear The Reaper Lyrics

All our times have come,
Here but now they're gone.
Seasons don't fear the reaper,
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain...
We can be like they are.
Come on, baby... don't fear the reaper.
Baby, take my hand... don't fear the reaper.
We'll be able to fly... don't fear the reaper.
Baby, I'm your man...

Valentine is done,
Here but now they're gone.
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity... Romeo and Juliet.
40,000 men and women everyday... Like Romeo and Juliet.
40,000 men and women everyday... Redefine happiness.
Another 40,000 coming everyday... We can be like they are.
Come on, baby... don't fear the reaper.
Baby, take my hand... don't fear the reaper.
We'll be able to fly... don't fear the reaper.
Baby, I'm your man...

Love of two is one,
Here but now they're gone.
Came the last night of sadness,
And it was clear she couldn't go on.
Then the door was open and the wind appeared,
The candles blew then disappeared,
The curtains flew then he appeared... saying don't be afraid,
Come on, baby... and she had no fear,
And she ran to him... then they started to fly.
They looked backward and said goodbye... she had become like they are.
She had taken his hand... she had become like they are.
Come on, baby... don't fear the reaper.
Song Info
Submitted by
shut On Dec 05, 2001
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Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

"Romeo and Juliet Are together in eternity... Romeo and Juliet."

They committed suicide, so this song does indeed promote suicide.

"Come on, baby... don't fear the reaper. Baby, take my hand... don't fear the reaper. We'll be able to fly... don't fear the reaper. Baby, I'm your man..."

This is coaxing...."come on baby, take my hand, don't fear, we'll fly, I'm your man"

"Came the last night of sadness, And it was clear she couldn't go on."

She had another bad night in her life. Could be anything to put you her in a bad way. She contemplated suicide before, but felt she couldn't go on any longer.

Then the door was open and the wind appeared, The candles blew then disappeared, The curtains flew then he appeared... saying don't be afraid, Come on, baby... and she had no fear, And she ran to him... then they started to fly. They looked backward and said goodbye... she had become like they are. She had taken his hand... she had become like they are.

She ran to him. They began to fly and SHE HAD BECOME LIKE THEY ARE. He was already in the land of the dead or undead....whatever you want to call it. This devil/reaper/vampire type/spirit appeared just when she had another bad night.

He is a deceiver using the romantic story of Romeo & Juliet to win her soul over to commit suicide.

Whatever religion you believe, suicide is not an option.

This song is about suicide and happens to in a beautiful melody, which many dark lyrics happen to have.

Just to clarify, the artists/band is delivering the message. They themselves are not promoting suicide...they are just used as a tool to deliver it on this one.

Not Valid

I agree 100% with this comment. To me its saying " Came the last night of sadness it was clear that she couldn't go....( this next line is very dark) The door was open and he appeared....she had taken his hand, she began to fly. To me its a song

My Interpretation

@soulfreedom the song is NOT about suicide:

"I felt that I had just achieved some kind of resonance with the psychology of people when I came up with that, I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of death as opposed to actively bring it about. It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners." — Buck Dharma, lead singer

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

In my estimation, this song is a narration directly from 'the grim reaper, ' coaxing a woman to ease into death. It seems that the singer is adopting 'Death's' personna as he is cajoling and comforting a woman about how easy dying can be when one's fear is allayed. I'm not certain about whether this is an instance of a woman's mulling over suicide or if its a natural end, (Came the last night of sadness, And it was clear she couldn't go on. ...), but i don't think that's the real issue. I believe it to be one of dispelling the trepidation surrounding our own deaths, as death is only part of the natural cycle of things, as plenty of people have already stated. (seasons don't fear the reaper.....).....and besides, the number of people dying is just another "40,000 men and women everyday..." ...so don't be afraid.....

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

All good things, or moments in life have either happened or passed us by, all chances and moments were here at one time, but they eventually go away, and never come back. Seasons change year in and year out, just like people change. Seasons experience death, leaves die, trees die, plants die, animals die, but they feel no fear for the fate that every change in the season holds. The same goes for the wind, sun, and rain. The Wind eventually stops blowing, the sun eventually stops shining, and the rain eventually stops falling. Once your own personal season, or wind, sun, or rain changes, or ends, you will not always be alone. You don’t need to be afraid, because the one person that has always been there for you in times of need will remain there for you in the very end. You will be able to wait for that person to take your hand, and walk with you into whatever your life after death may bring. Everybody will eventually pass on, and leave loved ones behind, only to be reunited again in a better place. There is nothing to be afraid of, and when your partner joins you in the afterlife, you two can fly away, to whatever place you always dreamed of going. Ultimately, in the end, the love of your life will always be there with you, in life, death, spirit, and soul.

Wouldn't it be great if life actually worked that way?

Not Valid

Wouldn't it be great if the world didn't give birth to people like you?

Not Valid

Well that was obnoxious of you SaintHak. I agree with Gondring

Not Valid
Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

To everyone that took Buck Dharma's words the wrong way. He chose his words carefully: "I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something. That was not my intention at all." That doesn't mean the song ISN'T about suicide, and he never said it isn't. It's just not an ADVERTISEMENT for suicide - which I totally agree with. I also completely believe him when he says DFTR is a love song. It's about two people, in love, that make a suicide pact. So he wasn't PROMOTING suicide, but he did write a song about it.

My Interpretation

Exactly....they themselves are not promoting suicide. They are telling the story. Good point to take in with ANY lyrics from ANY artist/band.

Not Valid

@JayoftheDead So its supposed to be about a man whose wife finally joins him in the afterlife, not because of suicide or drugs.

How exactly did his wife finally join him in the afterlife? I wonder?

@JayoftheDead Honestly, that is "word smithing". When you are a successful rock band, and your lyrics romanticize the suicide of a couple, even comparing it to Romeo and Juliet, you are indeed promoting suicide. The lyrics make it sound like suicide is a reasonable, peaceful, even beautiful solution. You can't write a song that makes it sound like things turned out great for a couple who committed suicide, and then say you're not promoting it.

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

What he said.

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

I went to a BOC concert and was killed by their amazing laser light show! Damn BOC!

@Muzzy Oh my god, you killed Muzzy! You bastards!

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

This was written by lead guitarist Donald Roeser, also known as Buck Dharma. This was rumored to be about suicide, but it actually deals with the inevitability of death and the belief that we should not fear it. When Dharma wrote it, he was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age and if he would be reunited with loved ones in the afterlife. Due to the lyrics, some people thought they were a satanic band. People turned out to protest their concerts. Some of the lyrics were inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. In Shakespeare's play, Romeo swallows poison when he believes Juliet is dead. Juliet responds by taking her own life. This led many people to believe the song was about suicide, but Dharma was using Romeo and Juliet as an example of a couple who had faith that they would be together after their death. For the lines that begin, "40,000 men and women," Dharma was guessing at the number of people who died every day.

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

im pretty sure this song is about his penis named the reaper

@cja0127 I gave you a plus, but I wonder if the song wouldn't then be called "Don't fear the Raper"?

@cja0127 Dong fear the Reaper

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

please people, it's not about suicide...i know it does sound like it is but Buck Dharma said it isn't and is still very upset people still misinterpret, or that they ever had to begin with...who are we to disagree with the meaning of a song with the guy who wrote it...it's about not being afraid of death by natural causes...the number 40,000 was picked b/c it sounded good, apparently it was astonishingly close to the actual statistic for suicides per day...

ZimbobDan, I am upset with Donald Roeser. He is "upset" that people think that the song might be about suicide. What does the silly bollocks mean then if it isn't about suicide ?

Not Valid

@ZinbobDan And I've got some swamp land in Florida... 40,000? Romeo and Juliet? All the imagery about how death is the answer? Songwriters do this all the time - create a song about something edgy, and just avoid acknowledging that in public so they don't get castigated by the public. They know their fans "get it", and it becomes their little inside joke.

Cover art for Don't Fear The Reaper lyrics by Blue Öyster Cult

You guys are right, for the most part. It is a song about how death is a natural part of life, and since it inevitably happens to everyone and evewrything (even the seasons winds and rain) there is no reason to be afraid when your time comes.

There are only two things I don't get. One is the whole "love of two is one" line. What does that mean? The other is the whole thing with Death talking to a dying girl as if they were lovers; is that just to be creepy and poetic, or is there something I've missed?

Someone explain it to me, please.

@tuvia love of two is one = real love unites