Don't Fear The Reaper Lyrics

Lyric discussion by JayoftheDead 

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.

@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.