Seasons in the Sun

I came across this song while researching for the Top 10 List. Seasons in the Sun was a remake of the Belgian song by Jacques Brel "Le Moribund" or "The Dying Man". This better known English version was recorded by Terry Jacks in 1974.

I find it interesting that, while the English version was a remake, Jacks changes a lot of the meaning of the song.

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We've known each other since we're nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or trees.
Learned of love and ABC'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.
When you see them 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 get along.
Goodbye, Papa, it's 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, all have 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 bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers ev'rywhere.
I whish 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 starfishs on the beach



Now compare those words to that of the original. (Sorry not the best video but it has English subtitles, which, as I speak no French, I found very helpful.)

In the French version of this song, it was meant to be understood that this was a man about to commit suicide (although he doesn't quite come out and say it). In Jacks version, he could have been dying of anything. Jacks also takes out the infidelity that plays a huge part in the French version.

I think Jacks takes all of the bite out of the song. When I first read the words to Le Moribund, I thought it seemed like a suicide note. The singer is saying goodbye to some of the people in his life and seems to be almost blaming others. Seasons in the Sun didn't seem like this at all. Just a man saying goodbye. Not nearly so dark.

Posted by Amber Wollesen, MD on Monday, June 8, 2009

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