Coming up….one of the greatest one hit wonder of the 70s..a song about a man dying of a broken heart that evolved into a tribute to a childhood friend dying of cancer that became the biggest selling single in Canadian History. Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks became one of the most celebrated pop songs of the 20th century. It was actually rejected by the Beach Boys the story of this enduring classic is coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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It’s time for another edition of our series Bottled Lightening where we celebrate a song that was king for a day or for many days. We honor artists and bands and that one glorious hit they had that rocketed up the charts…and for reasons unknown didn’t have another hit. We all know them for the term one hit wonder but we try to step beyond that and celebrate them as Lightening in a bottle. Today we focus on a song that is both happy and quite dark. It’s a song that deserves a thorough breakdown… Today we take a walk though “Seasons in the Sun”- a song that was bottled lightening for Canadian singer/ songwriter Terry Jacks in 1973.
While I was preparing for this feature, I remembered a conversation that I was Having with my business partner a while back, he told me a story that really hit home. He said the he attended a funeral some years back, for the father of one of his best friends. The deceased was also like a father to him. As the casket was being carried away to the burial site after a very emotional service, he said that there was an eerie silence… And then…all of a sudden, the birds in the nearby trees began to sing, their chirping slowly getting louder and louder, until the flock was in harmony like a beautiful choir.
For a moment, the birdsong was all that you could hear. In that moment… he said that he remembered feeling a peacefulness that he had never experienced before. He said that It was almost as if the birds were there to comfort him and the others that were there… the bird were conveying the message that this dear decreased man was at rest, and that precious life was ready to move forward… I was astounded when he told me about this, because I had a similar experience which I’ll share later… but this feeling immediately took me back to the gripping lyric in Verse 2 of “Seasons in the Sun” : “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…
Before “Seasons in the Sun” found its way to Terry Jacks, the song had a very unorthodox journey that began with Belgian singer/ composer & actor, Jacques Brel. Sitting at a table inside a brothel located in Tangier, Morocco, Brel wrote a tragic song about a man dying of a broken heart he titled “Le Moribond”, translated in English as “The Dying Man”
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Wow! I'm sooooo glad you finally did this story! Seasons in the Sun is one of the all time greatest Canadian / world hits! Thanks
When I was a teenager in late 1970's, my best friend had a heroin addiction (his dad was a junkie). He'd kicked the habit with my help (I didn't use drugs) but then relapsed and made the tragic mistake of shooting up at his former dosage…he overdosed and died. I've always associated this song with losing him.
We were trusted friends since roughly age 9…we had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun…I was his "Michelle" getting his feet back on the ground…his dad (the opposite of "right from wrong" teaching his son to shoot up), the wine (dope) and the song, like the seasons have all gone.
It was a bitter present for my birthday and one that took years to move on from emotionally. It's still hard to listen this beautiful song.
You are awesome. There is no doubt in my mind how proud your father would feel hearing you credit him as the wellspring of your amazing story-telling talent. I do, of course, remember this song very well and how deeply I felt it as I would sing along.
Loved this song since I was about 12. Thanks for the memory 😊♥️
I could not stand the song back then, and I still feel the same way. I honestly couldn't understand why it received as much air play as it did.
One of the first songs I remember hearing out side of nursery rhymes. I didn't really get he meaning at the time but always thought of someone reminiscing about their childhood. Glad that they had that time together but sad it was over. Thinking on it now, I still feel the same but rather than a young man having grown up and gone on to college or something, it was now about an old man coming to the end of his life and wishing his friends were still there.
Not often I comment on these but this one I felt I just had to. Great song.
What a great personal story, Adam. As you and I both know, we do our best to be a positive influence and raise our kids to become good, responsible adults. As parents, our success is often measured by how well our kids turn out. When our kids grow to love something we love too, like music, it provides a wonderful common ground to share throughout our lives. If they are fortunate enough to turn that into a career, that's icing on the cake. Your dad had to be proud of what you've become as well as being pleased with his job as a father because of how you've turned out. Your passion for and knowledge of music is obvious and impressive. To your dad, "Well done, sir!"
Great episode Professor!
Ah, Rod McKuen… a man who always brought two words to my mind. EDUCATED HACK! Other actual music lovers have said it better about this song. Wimpy! CRINGEWORTHY! But it’s also been said, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American Public.” I don’ know WHAT to say about those other countries.
The Beach Boys were getting into a more Blues oriented style in the 1970s. Seasons in the Sun would have fit their earlier more popular style. Whatever the Beach Boys were trying to achieve in the 1970s to my knowledge wasn't very successful. They aren't remembered as a 1970s Radio hit band . They wouldn't have a popular song again until the mid 1980s with a cover of California Dreaming. They made a mistake not releasing Seasons in the Sun , it would have been a popular song for them.
I remember seeing the poppy family in the golden palace on fourth avenue in Vancouver in the sixties, a very enjoyable act and Susan was drop dead gorgeous of course I was a young lad than.
Adam, wonderful video. The stories behind the songs you tell sometimes move me as much as the song itself. Your personal connection to this song touched me so much and made me think about my own sainted father. We had some harsh words just before he passed on that I will always regret but I also felt his forgiveness right before he graduated to Heaven. This video of your, and now this song, brought it all back for me and brought a tear to my eye, though in a positive way. Thanks so much!
this one gets me…
I heard many Terry Jacks songs on early 70s AM radio starting with 'I'm gonna capture you', but Canadians heard more of Canadian songwriters the way Americans heard more American ones. He was the main songwriter in 'The Poppy Family' (who had a big hit with 'Where Evil Grew') with his sister Susan who later had a few hits, probably unknown outside Canada. Jacks' follow up hit was 'If You Go Away', with which Sinatra had a bit hit.
Great video, Much Appreciation! I believe you will find much comfort in this song from an unknown artist Michael Anthony Perna. "My Father and Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahodlw0ga0E When I first heard it, it brought tears to my eyes thinking of my father. Hes an outstanding LA pianist/producer, I believe you will truly enjoy! Best of luck and thanks again for your great heart felt videos.. (>‿◠)✌
Thanks for this episode. i remember when this song came out, and i found it quite haunting. For me, this song seemed to that it was told from the point of view of someone young dying. I love what you did with this episode, it gave it another perspective for me. How one sees art like this is always one of the marvels of life. We each see the same thing from different perspectives; its the parts of the song we first focus on when hearing the music. I went back and listened to this song again, and realized that for me, i heard the song as coming from someone on death row. Back in the 60's and 70's, it was not uncommon to hear that in the media and being a teenager then, i heard this as someones last night on earth, seeking some form of absolution. Really brings back a flood of memories.
One of the ten worst songs of all time. Cringeworthy. Awful.👎👎👎👎👎👎
Wow, what memories. Probably the 1st song I can remember as a child being able to sing along with in the radio in the back of my parents paneled station wagon. This song is probably why I've always gravitated towards melancholy songs.
That song was everywhere all the time, and then, all of a sudden no one played it. Like everyone would gag if they did
Well I am going to have to say this is now my favorite memory of this song it was popular when I was a child and it was and of course we always relate relate to things through music but yours is very touching
…we stuck peanuts up our bums…
Terry Jacks had sang many hits in Canada, concrete sea & where evil grows are couple more classics.
Thank you, Adam! You make me think far beyond the songs I’ve known for so very long.
I have a memory like yours and your friend. At my dear sister-in-law’s graveside service, I looked to the sky and saw two beautiful bald eagles flying overhead. I took it to be my wife’s parents taking Susan to heaven with them. Thank you for your gift of storytelling and all the work you put into each of your stories. This song is so much deeper than I had even known. Thanks again. 3C&tT,mF!
Terry Jacks' greatest moment was "Where Evil Grows" with The Poppy Family. Check it out – it's an AMAZING psyche-pop song.
I had the single, one of the first records I ever owned
I still have this 45. I remember this being one of my favorite songs as a kid. Seasons in the Sun, Andrew Gold's Lonely Boy, and Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle…..they all made me cry, and still have the power to evoke strong emotions even today. This video sure brought back memories of listening to this gem as a youngster. Thanks for featuring it!
I'm really glad you did this one Prof as I've always had mixed feelings about this song. Obviously it's a catchy tune and a terrific 70's pop reminiscence but years ago long before the internet I'd read somewhere it was about a guy committing suicide and saying goodbye to his cheating wife and her lover. Thinking of that while listening to the song really made it quite a depressing experience. I was always a little miffed at the coward for giving up and letting the b@$+ards win.
Terry's tribute to his friend in the lyrics reconstruction, while sad, isn't depressing. You've completely rejuvenated this song for me releasing my hesitation to include it in any of my 70's mixes.
Thanks!
I always thought this song was about a young man about to commit suicide and was saying goodbye to the ones that he loved.
Bread “Everything I Own”
Paul Overstreet “Seeing My Father in Me”
Two other great songs
Hello, Professor: I've been watching you for a while now since I got a smart tv for Christmas. I have wondered what makes a song like this a one hit wonder. Usually when I hear that, I can immediately think of a few other hits that the artist had and in this case, I think of the several solo hits that Terry had here in Canada. Does this term apply if the song in question was the artist's only number one hit? Would you know if his wife, Susan was singing background vocals in this song? I'm sure I heard her. In my opinion, she had one of Canada's best female singing voices. Another song that was on the same album as The Poppy Family's 'Which Way You Goin' Billy' and was also a hit is a song called 'That's Where I Went Wrong'. This one is definitely worth checking out.
Saddest song ever.
Jaques (whose first name is actually pronounced Zhaak) Brel was famous for being a chanson singer. Brilliant adaptation by Terry Jacks. Both songs are uniquely their own.
Are you from Blackfoot? I've lived in Pocatello sense 94. I knew my first time visiting here that this is where I wanted to live.
Seasons in the Sun was my favorite song when I was a kid. I'm not sure if I realized what it was really about, but I loved it
This was my favorite song when I was 8 years old, it had that mix of happiness mixed with a deep, longing sadness which captured me even as a 8 year old in 1974. Thanks for covering this. And for me Terry's remains the ultimate version.
Loved it, teared up… all the crappy feelings men aren't supposed to have… lol