“Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks

In 1974, Canadian singer Terry Jacks’ folksy song “Seasons in the Sun” topped the U.S. charts, ranking No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 for the year. Nearly half a century later, it’s still a popular standard at funerals and bids the joys of life a fond farewell:

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 A-B-Cs
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
Think of me and I’ll be there

Jacks’ version was based on a much more complicated French song, “Le Moribond,” by Belgian singer and poet Jacques Brel. The original lamented the singer’s impending death and recognized those who would care for his wife in his absence — as her friend, her confidant, or her lover. In doing so, it acknowledged both the joys and upsets the singer would be leaving behind — and so was, in a way, more honest. A version by the Beach Boys, which Jacks produced in 1973 but the group didn’t release, also included the story of the wife’s affair. When Jacks decided to go ahead with his own remake, he chose, for better or for worse, to take a sunnier bent:

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

Later, the song was covered by Seattle grunge band Nirvana, whose lead singer, Kurt Cobain, wrote in his diary that Jacks’ “Seasons in the Sun” had made him cry. But not everyone appreciated the tune’s evolution. One critic claimed it had transformed from “bleak song to sentimental mush” and compared it to “whining.”

“Seasons in the Sun” Remains Popular Funeral Tune

Many years later, “Seasons in the Sun” continues to hit a chord for those nearing death or who’ve lost loved ones, as comments on the YouTube video make clear. “When you get to the end of your life you’ll understand,” one user, identified as Alyss Seer, said his aunt with congestive heart failure advised him after crying over the song.

Another, Ivonne Benalcazar-Hott, wrote: “My mom told me to play this song at her funeral and wear a big pink dress … and I did. The people there told me it was inappropriate but I just cranked the volume up. Love you mom.”

You can listen to “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks below.