THE HIT HAMMER: Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"

Hit Number 1: March 2, 1974

Stay at Number 1: 3 Weeks

Ah yes, the old familiar song about untimely death, and saying goodbye to all your loved ones. On one hand, "Seasons in the Sun" can be one of those songs that can be a tear-jerker. It all depends on how you construct it. The narrator of the song is dying from an unknown cause, and he, in this version's case, says goodbye to his best friend, his father and Michelle, who is likely the narrator's daughter. I say it all depends on how the song is constructed, because it's very easy to turn "Seasons in the Sun" from a sincerely sad, emotional song to something overly saccharine and corny. Terry Jacks, of course, would eventually take this song to #1, but it had a bit of history to it before Jacks got ahold of it.

"Seasons in the Sun", in its earliest form, was a Belgian song called "Le Moribond". English lyrics would be given to the song in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen. In the song's Belgian form, it still shares the same plot to the English version, and was performed by Jacques Brel about a man who was dying of a broken heart. In this version, the narrator says goodbye to a close friend of his, a priest, an acquaintance and his wife that was cheating on him with said acquaintance. McKuen kept the original translations of the song, and it would then be recorded by The Kingston Trio, a group who has already appeared in this blog once. The Kingston Trio version was played some around the radio, and that's how Jacks first heard it. At the time, Jacks had a friend who was terminally ill with leukemia and thought that it would be perfect if he recorded the song, almost as a sign of respect towards his friend. He'd switch around the lyrics so that the narrator was saying goodbye to different people, which I'm guessing could possibly have been from the friend himself. That's actually unclear. What's also unclear is why Jacks isn't given a songwriting credit on the song, even though his version is unique from all others. It is what it is.

People probably label Jacks as a one-hit wonder, which isn't absurd, but it also wouldn't be accurate. Though their popularity was brief, Jacks was part of the group the Poppy Family, a group that featured Jacks' first wife, Susan, who sang lead vocals while Jacks played guitar and sang backup vocals. The Poppy Family never quite made it to #1, but in 1970, they got close with the heartstring tugger "Which Way You Goin' Billy?", a song about a guy essentially walking out on his girlfriend for no apparent reason. (It made it to #2. It's a 7) Just as the Poppy Family's success was brief, so was Terry and Susan's marriage. They would divorce in 1973, but still seem to be on good terms, which is always good to see. Even with the Poppy Family provided, "Seasons in the Sun" had to seem like it came out of nowhere for the music-buying public and maybe even Jacks himself. "Seasons in the Sun" isn't exactly a song you listen to and think "That's definitely a hit," but you never quite know what's going to stick in pop music. At this particular time, I guess people were in a real sappy mood.

I think I might take back what I said about "Seasons in the Sun" depending on its construction to make it work. I can't imagine a case where "Seasons in the Sun" isn't pure syrup. The song has some neat little things like an echo on Jacks' lead vocal towards the end of the song as well as a female backing choir giving some "oohs" and "ahhs." Jacks tries to sell his emotion on the song, which is smart, but he's not quite able to do it. For me, it's easy for me to mock. He sounds way too lost in the song, letting it dissolve into yet another generic early '70s soft rock song. But for some reason this plot is hard for me to take seriously. I get it, it's sad, and obviously this narrator is dying from something that can't be cured. He wants his loved ones to know everything he's been thinking. But hearing a slow-moving '70s soft rock song deliver it the way it does, it doesn't click with me. I don't hate it, and I wouldn't even say I dislike it. Just if you were to remove "Seasons in the Sun" from all existence, I don't think it would change the world. For better, or for worse.

As for Jacks, he'd never come close to accomplishing anything that was as big as "Seasons in the Sun". The approaching disco era shoved him even farther away from the music business, and I guess these days he's been involved in the environmental movement; something he's been doing since the '80s. He's also battled some health issues, beating prostate cancer and two strokes. But he's 77 now and still active. Good for him and I wish him well. I don't think anyone wants "Seasons in the Sun" to become a reality for him.

GRADE: 5/10

JUST MISSED:

Eddie Kendricks, who just recently appeared in this blog, made a bid for his second #1 hit, but it fell short, peaking at #2 behind "Seasons in the Sun". The name of the song is "Boogie Down", and just like "Keep on Truckin'", is another solid, funk rock banger. It's an 8.