Seasons in the Sun
{{short description|English-language adaptation of the song "Le Moribond"}}
{{about||the album by Terry Jacks|Seasons in the Sun (album)|the 2012 book about British history|Dominic Sandbrook}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = {{lang|fr|Le Moribond|italic=no}}
| cover = Jacques_Brel-Le_Moribond_(1961_single_cover).jpg
| alt =
| caption = 7" vinyl single cover
| type = song
| artist = Jacques Brel
| album = Marieke
| released = 1961
| recorded = 22 February 1961
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Chanson
| length = 3:06
| label = Philips
| writer = Jacques Brel
| producer =
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Seasons in the Sun
| cover = Seasons_in_the_Sun_-_Terry_Jacks.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = German 7" vinyl cover
| type = single
| artist = Terry Jacks
| album = Seasons in the Sun
| B-side = Put the Bone In
| released = December 1973
| recorded = 1973
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Pop
- soft rock{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/billboard-top-soft-rock-hits-1974-mw0000594730|title=Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits: 1974|via=AllMusic}}
| length = 3:24
| label = Bell
| writer = Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen
| producer = Terry Jacks
| prev_title = Concrete Sea
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = If You Go Away
| next_year = 1974
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|-tPcc1ftj8E|"Seasons in the Sun"}}}}
}}
Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song {{lang|fr|Le Moribond|italic=no}} ("The Dying Man") by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel,{{cite web |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/brel-d15.html |title=30 years since the death of Jacques Brel: his life, his art, his legacy |publisher=World Socialist Web Site |date=December 2008 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506083028/https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/12/brel-d15.html |url-status=live }} with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen,{{cite web |url=https://www.rodmckuen.org/flights/080400.htm |quote=My first experience with Brel consisted of doing an unauthorized adaptation of 'Le Moribund', which I called 'Seasons in the Sun'... I subsequently learned that Brel had received my recording... |first=Rod |last=McKuen |title=Remembering Jacques Brel |date=April 8, 2000 |work=Flight Plan |access-date=February 20, 2020}} 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.Blokhuis, Leo (2006): Grijsgedraaid. Liedjes en lijstjes uit de popgeschiedenis. Amsterdam: Anthos. p. 153 (in Dutch) {{ISBN|90-414-1112-7}} 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 died 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 ("Papa"), 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" (possibly a daughter or young lover), 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.{{Cite web |date=27 September 2023 |title=Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/terry-jacks/seasons-in-the-sun |website=songfacts.com |language= |access-date=28 September 2023 |archive-date=1 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001231214/https://www.songfacts.com/facts/terry-jacks/seasons-in-the-sun |url-status=live }}
== 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."{{cite book|last=Badman|first=Keith|title=The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm|url-access=registration|year=2004|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-0-87930-818-6|pages=273–274}} The recording remained unreleased until the 2021 compilation Feel Flows.{{cite web |last1=Iahn |first1=Buddy |title=THE BEACH BOYS 'FEEL FLOWS' BOX SET DETAILED|url=https://themusicuniverse.com/beach-boys-feel-flows-box-set-detailed/ |website=The Music Universe |access-date=June 2, 2021 |date=June 2, 2021}}
Jacks recorded his rendition in Vancouver in 1973.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} The piano arpeggio parts and double bass parts in the third verse were performed by a young David Foster.{{Cite web |date=24 June 2022 |title=Wereldhit 'Seasons in the Sun' is van niet zomaar een Belg |url=https://radio1.be/lees/wereldhit-seasons-in-the-sun-is-van-niet-zomaar-een-belg |website=radio1.be |language=nl}}
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,{{cite book |first= David |last= Roberts |year= 2006 |title= British Hit Singles & Albums |edition= 19th |publisher= Guinness World Records Limited |location= London |isbn= 1-904994-10-5 |page= 299}} 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.{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=123}} Billboard ranked it as the number two song for 1974.{{cite web |url=http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/songoftheyear/ |title=Number One Song of the Year: 1946-2015 |website=bobborst.com |access-date=August 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420175438/http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/songoftheyear/ |archive-date=April 20, 2018 |url-status=dead }} 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.Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Hits: 1955-2006, 2007. 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.{{cite news |first=Todd |last=Leopold |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/25/worst.songs/index.html |title=The worst song of all time, part II - Apr 26, 2006 |publisher=CNN |access-date=2014-02-01 |archive-date=5 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405182810/http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/25/worst.songs/index.html |url-status=live }}
Jacks also released a German-language version in Germany with lyrics by Gerd Müller-Schwanke, titled "{{lang|de|In den Gärten der Zeit|italic=no}}".[http://www.45cat.com/record/2008249 "In den Gärten der Zeit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822143016/http://www.45cat.com/record/2008249 |date=22 August 2019 }} at 45cat.com
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
Weekly charts
{{col-2}}
Year-end charts
All-time charts
| class="wikitable"
|+ Terry Jacks version |
| align="left"|Chart (1958-2018)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary |title=Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2019-11-04 |archive-date=3 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803021324/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary |url-status=live }}
| style="text-align:center;"|220 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|nocert=true|type=single|artist=Terry Jacks|title=Seasons in the sun|relyear=1974|salesamount=312,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1975/Billboard%201975-07-19.pdf|magazine=Billboard|title=Singles Sales Do Not Mean Profit: Casino|page=70|first=Martin|last=Melhuish|issn=0006-2510|date=July 19, 1975|accessdate=April 10, 2023}}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|nocert=true|type=single|artist=Terry Jacks|title=Seasons in the sun|relyear=1974|salesamount=300,000|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.top-france.fr/html/annuel/1974.htm|title=TOP – 1974|work=40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles|author=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP)|editor=Fabrice Ferment|access-date=April 10, 2023|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111050835/http://www.top-france.fr/html/annuel/1974.htm|archive-date=January 11, 2021|via=Top-France.fr|oclc=469523661}}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Terry Jacks|title=Seasons in the sun|relyear=1974|certyear=1974|id= 5738-2995-1|accessdate=April 10, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Terry Jacks|title=Seasons in the sun|relyear=1974|certyear=1974|salesamount=3,000,000|salesref={{cite book|title=Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory|url=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL120558W/Million_selling_records_from_the_1900s_to_the_1980s|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1985|publisher=Arco Pub.|quote=Bell Records pickep up the rights for U.S.A. an it sold over three million there alone.|isbn=0668064595|page=453|access-date=10 April 2023|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008231820/https://openlibrary.org/works/OL120558W/Million_selling_records_from_the_1900s_to_the_1980s|url-status=live}}}}
{{Certification Table Summary}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|nocert=true|type=single|artist=Terry Jacks|relyear=1974|salesamount=8,000,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64|magazine=Billboard|title=Jacks: Remembrance of the Past|page=64|first=Martin|last=Melhuish|issn=0006-2510|date=October 26, 1974|accessdate=April 10, 2023}}}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
Westlife version
{{Infobox song
| name = Seasons in the Sun
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Westlife
| album = Westlife
| A-side = * "I Have a Dream"
- (double A-side)
- "Flying Without Wings"
- (triple A-side, Australia)
| released = {{Start date|1999|12|13|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1999/Music-Week-1999-12-11.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting 13 December, 1999: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=11 December 1999|access-date=26 July 2021}}
| recorded =
| studio = PWL Studios (London)
| venue =
| genre =
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=06}}
| label = BMG
| writer = * Jacques Brel
| producer = TTW
| prev_title = Flying Without Wings
| prev_year = 1999
| title = I Have a Dream
| title2 = Seasons in the Sun
| next_title = Fool Again
| next_year = 2000
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Xdv83MFJd7U|"Seasons in the Sun"}}}}
}}
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."{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1635786-Westlife-Flying-Without-Wings-I-Have-A-Dream-Seasons-In-The-Sun|title=Westlife - Flying Without Wings / I Have A Dream / Seasons In The Sun|year=1999 |via=www.discogs.com}} 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.
=Track listings=
- United Kingdom & Ireland
- "I Have a Dream" (Single Remix) – 4:06
- "Seasons in the Sun" (Single Remix) – 4:10
- "On the Wings of Love" – 3:22
- Australia
- "Flying Without Wings" - 3:35
- "I Have a Dream" (Remix) - 4:06
- "Seasons in the Sun" (Single Remix) - 4:10
- "Flying Without Wings" (Video) - 3:40
=Charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1999–2000)
!Peak |
|---|
| Czech Republic (IFPI){{cite web|url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/radio.htm|title=Hitparada radia – 8/2000|publisher=IFPI CR|language=cs|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303224417/http://www.ifpicr.cz/radio.htm|archive-date=3 March 2000|access-date=21 January 2024}}
| style="text-align:center;"|25 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wg0EAAAAMBAJ&q=westlife |title=Billboard - Google Books |via=Google Books |date=29 January 2000 |access-date=1 April 2014}}
| style="text-align:center;"|7 |
| {{single chart|Finland|10|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=30 November 2010}} |
| {{single chart|Germany|24|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|songid=4129|access-date=20 January 2020}} |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2997129#page/n11/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (02.3– 09.3 2000)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=12|date=3 March 2000|access-date=6 February 2021}}
| style="text-align:center;"|13 |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|1|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=20 January 2020}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|10|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=30 November 2010}} |
| {{single chart|Norway|10|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=30 November 2010}} |
| {{single chart|Scotland|1|date=19991219}} |
| {{single chart|Sweden|15|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=30 November 2010}} |
| {{single chart|Switzerland|18|artist=Westlife|song=I Have a Dream / Seasons in the Sun|access-date=30 November 2010}} |
| {{single chart|UK|1|date=19991225|access-date=11 February 2019|refname="ukwestlife"}} |
== Other versions ==
- The first recording of the English-language version (lyrics by McKuen) was released on the 1963 album Time to Think by the Kingston Trio.{{cite web |last1=Eder |first1=Bruce |title=The Kingston Trio - Time to Think |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/time-to-think-mw0000859317 |website=AllMusic |access-date=21 November 2018 |archive-date=22 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122052203/https://www.allmusic.com/album/time-to-think-mw0000859317 |url-status=live }}
- The Fortunes released a version of the song as a single in the UK in April 1969.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
- The Beach Boys recorded a version of the song in 1971, which remained unreleased until the 2021 box set Feel Flows was released.
- A cover version by Bobby Wright reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1974.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs|title=Country Music: Top Country Songs Chart|magazine=Billboard|date=2 January 2013|access-date=2019-08-14|archive-date=21 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121163923/https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs|url-status=live}}
- Nirvana recorded a version in 1993, which is the final recording on the With the Lights Out box set.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes recorded their version in 1997, featured on their album Have a Ball.{{cite web |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/11487 |title=Seasons in the Sun by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes |website=SecondHandSongs |access-date=19 May 2023 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519132022/https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/11487 |url-status=live }}
- Black Box Recorder recorded a version in 1998, which appears on the US version of their album England Made Me.{{cite web |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/88535 |title=Seasons in the Sun by Black Box Recorder |website=SecondHandSongs |access-date=3 October 2023 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519132033/https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/88535 |url-status=live }}
- Taiwanese boy band K One covered the song in 2005 and was included as a track for their second studio album Love Power.{{Citation |title=Apple Music 上K ONE的专辑《勇敢去爱》 |date=2005-05-13 |url=https://music.apple.com/cn/album/%E5%8B%87%E6%95%A2%E5%8E%BB%E6%84%9B/1064833365 |access-date=2025-03-10 |language=zh-Hans-CN}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-seasonsinthesun.ogg|date=2005-12-10}}
- [http://www.superseventies.com/1974_3singles.html Seasons in the Sun] at Super Seventies.
- [http://www.brelitude.net/Covers/chansons/moribond.htm "List of 'Le Moribond' covers"], Brelitude.net
- [http://www.slate.com/id/2114863/ "Goodbye, Papa, It's Hard to Die: The enduring appeal of an abominable pop song"] (Slate.com, March 16, 2005)
{{Jacques Brel}}
{{Westlife songs}}
{{UK Christmas No. 1s in the 1990s}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom
Category:Songs written by Jacques Brel
Category:Songs written by Rod McKuen
Category:The Kingston Trio songs
Category:Vikingarna (band) songs
Category:Me First and the Gimme Gimmes songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:Number-one singles in Finland
Category:Number-one singles in Germany
Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Number-one singles in Norway
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Scotland
Category:Number-one singles in Switzerland
Category:UK singles chart number-one singles
Category:Bertelsmann Music Group singles
Category:Philips Records singles