“Seasons in the Sun” was weirdly played at a wedding reception I was at last weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever intentionally listened to it, but I remember it being one of those songs my mum warbled along to on long car journeys. It was probably on one of her then husband’s eight-track cartridges along with Billy Gentry’s Ode to Billie Joe.
“Seasons in the Sun” has often been voted one of the worst songs of all time by listeners who complain about its predictable melody and saccharine-sweet lyrics. It’s true, there are some terrible versions of it. Westlife’s 1999 Christmas number one version is bad, but nowhere near as painful as The Fortunes’ 1968 cover, or worse, James Last’s 1998 version. But is it really one of the worst songs of all time? I don’t think so.
“Seasons in the Sun” was a worldwide hit for Canadian singer Terry Jacks in 1974, but it’s actually an adaptation of the 1961 song “Le Moribond” (The Dying Man) by the Belgian singer Jacques Brel. But what’s the best-ever version of “Seasons in the Sun”? I listened to every version available on Apple Music, so you don’t have to. Here are my top five, ranked by arrangement, originality, and vocal performance.
Jim Bob was the singer of indie punk band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine—another band I’ve never listened to—and he recorded “Seasons in the Sun” for his 2021 mini-album. The instrumentation and distorted vocals are why this version made my top six.
| Arrangement | |
|---|---|
| Originality | |
| Vocals |
The Beach Boys started recording Seasons in the Sun in 1970, but only released it in 2021, feeling that their version was “wimpy.” The verses are sung with some sadness, which fits the feel of the original version, but the overall feeling is upbeat, which doesn’t. In a nod to Jacques Brel, the lyrics include French names. “Adieu Émile, my trusted friend”
| Arrangement | |
|---|---|
| Originality | |
| Vocals |
Raisa Khan is a young producer, songwriter, and keys player based in London, and her version is the most musically original and interesting of all the English language versions I’ve listened to.
| Arrangement | |
|---|---|
| Originality | |
| Vocals |
The version of Seasons in the Sun that I and most people remember was released in 1973 by Canadian singer Terry Jacks. Singer-poet Rod McKuen rewrote the lyrics, but they weren’t the only thing he changed. In this now-famous version, the man dies peacefully at the end, the story stops being tragic, and the arrangement loses every bit of the tension of Jacques Brel’s Le moribond. Terry Jacks also released a version in German.
| Arrangement | |
|---|---|
| Originality | |
| Vocals |
Seasons in the Sun started as Le Moribond (“The Dying Man”), which was written and performed by Belgian singer Jacques Brel in 1961. In it, a man dies of a broken heart, but before he does, he says “Adieu” to his priest, his wife, and his friends. During the song, we find out his wife has cheated on him with his friend Antoine. It’s a sad story made even tragic by Brel’s angry and bitter-sounding performance.
| Arrangement | |
|---|---|
| Originality | |
| Vocals |
But, Brel’s studio version of Le Moribond still isn’t the best I’ve. For that, listen and watch this live version from French television in the 1960s. It’s quite simply fantastique!
Goodbye Émile, I loved you
Goodbye Émile, I loved you, you know
We sang the same wines
We sang the same girls
We sang the same sorrows
Goodbye Émile, I’m going to die
It’s hard to die in spring you know
But I go to the flowers with peace in my soul
Because since you're as good as white bread
I know you will take care of my wife
And I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
I want us to have fun like crazy
I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
When will I be put in the hole
Goodbye Curé, I loved you
Goodbye Curé, I loved you, you know
We weren’t on the same side
We weren’t on the same path
But we were looking for the same port
Goodbye Priest, I’m going to die
It’s hard to die in spring you know
But I go to the flowers with peace in my soul
Because since you were his confidant
I know you will take care of my wife
And I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
I want us to have fun like crazy
I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
When will I be put in the hole
Goodbye Antoine, I didn’t like you very much
Goodbye Antoine I didn’t like you very well you know
I’m dying to die today
While you are alive and well
And even stronger than boredom
Goodbye Antoine, I’m going to die
It’s hard to die in spring you know
But I go to the flowers with peace in my soul
Because since you were her lover
I know you will take care of my wife
And I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
I want us to have fun like crazy
I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
When will I be put in the hole
Quand c’est qu'on m’mettra dans l’trou
Goodbye my wife I loved you very much you know
But I take the train for the Good Lord
I’m taking the train before yours
But we all take the train we can
Goodbye my wife I’m going to die
It’s hard to die in spring you know
But I go to the flowers with my eyes closed, my wife
Because since I often closed them
I know you will take care of my soul
And I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
I want us to have fun like crazy
I want us to laugh, I want us to dance
When will I be put in the hole