Terry Jacks – Seasons In The Sun

todayDecember 17, 2019 423 12 2

Oldies '70s

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“Seasons in the Sun” is a single from the album with the same title from 1973, by Terry Jacks. Charted #1 in US and UK.

Originally “Le Moribond” (“The Dying Man”),  was written and performed in French by the Belgian poet-composer Jacques Brel in 1961. The American poet Rod McKuen translated the lyrics to English, and in 1964 The Kingston Trio released the first English-language version of the song. This is the version Terry Jacks heard, which became the basis for his rendition.

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Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun (Original Video HD)
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun

The original version by Jacques Brel is rather macabre, but Jacks had an earnest inspiration for his reworking of the song: his good friend developed leukemia, and was given just six months to live.

Before releasing this song, Terry Jacks had considerable success in his native Canada as half of the duo The Poppy Family with his wife, Susan. He was friends with The Beach Boys, who asked him to produce a song for them – something Jacks was honored to do. Terry played them his arrangement of “Seasons in the Sun” and suggested they record it, since he thought it would sound great with their harmonies and with Carl Wilson singing lead.

Terry flew to Brian Wilson’s house and they began working on the song. Wilson had always been their producer, and could spend months working on a song if he wanted to perfect it. These were Terry’s sessions, but Brian tried to take over.

The sessions weren’t a complete wash for Jacks, however. He worked with Al Jardine on the backing vocals and came up with an arrangement he would use when he recorded the song himself.

“Seasons in the Sun” is the story of a dying man, bidding farewell to loved ones who have shared his life. Shortly before Terry’s recording came out, Jacques Brel retired, at the peak of his popularity. Fans around the world were stunned, but the composer would give no reason. Finally, the truth was revealed: after a quiet, six-year battle against cancer, Brel succumbed to the disease and died on October 9, 1978.

Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun


Inițial „Le Moribond” („The Dying Man”), aceasta piesă a fost scrisă și interpretată în franceză de poetul-compozitor belgian Jacques Brel în 1961. Poetul american Rod McKuen a tradus versurile în engleză, iar în 1964 Kingston Trio a lansat prima versiune în limba engleză a melodiei. Aceasta este versiunea auzită de Terry Jacks, care a devenit baza versiunii sale.

Înainte de a lansa această melodie, Terry Jacks a avut un succes considerabil în Canada natală, ca  duo The Poppy Family cu soția sa, Susan. Era prieten cu The Beach Boys, care i-a cerut să producă o melodie pentru ei – lucru pe care Jacks a fost onorat să îl facă. Terry le-a arătat aranjamentul său pentru „Seasons in the Sun” și a sugerat să-l înregistreze, întrucât a crezut că va suna grozav cu armoniile lor și cu vocea lui Carl Wilson.

Terry s-a dus în California și împreună cu Barry Wilson au început să lucreze la melodie. dar în timpul sesiunilor, Brian a  încercat să preia melodia și compoziția, ceea ce nu a fost pe placul lui Terry. Așa, că melodia a rămas neterminată. În final Terri a lansat melodia singur, melodie care a devenit un hit international.

“Seasons in the Sun” este povestea unui muribund, care își ia rămas bun de la cei dragi cu care și-a împărțit bucuriile și tristețile vieții. Cu puțin timp înainte de înregistrarea lui Terry, Jacques Brel s-a retras, la apogeul vârful sale. Fanii din întreaga lume au fost uimiți, dar compozitorul nu a oferit niciun motiv. În cele din urmă, adevărul a fost dezvăluit: după o luptă liniștită, de șase ani împotriva cancerului, Brel a cedat bolii și a murit la 9 octombrie 1978.

Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun

Versuri:
Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we’ve climbed hills and 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 spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and 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 got 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 have all gone
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all 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 birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

 

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