Pophistory: music, movies, history, and life.
Who knew that a line in Elton John’s song “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long Long Time)” was “burning out his fuse up here alone?” Volkswagen has some fun in this 2012 Passat commercial below by using the mysterious and somewhat awkward lyric written by Bernie Taupin:
Funny.
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“Seasons in the Sun” became a hit in 1974 for Terry Jacks. The song, however, originated as a French song and it later was covered by Nirvana.
Regular readers of Chimesfreedom might be surprised to learn that I did not grow up listening only to the hippest rock music on the planet. As a kid in the 1970s, I listened to a lot of AM radio, which gave me a steady diet of pop songs. For example, in 1974, Bob Dylan went on the road for the first time since 1966 and the Ramones were forming. And, one of the biggest hits of the year was “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks.
Then again, that year also featured endless radio plays of “Kung Fu Fighting,” “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” and Olivia Newton-John’s “I Honestly Love You.” Whether I like it or not, these songs and other similar songs from 1974 are all etched in my brain.
In the morbid song “Seasons in the Sun,” the singer is dying for an unknown reason. He addresses his father, his friend, and Michelle, who is either his lover, his daughter, or younger sister. He expresses his happiness that they had “seasons in the sun.” But he also laments that “the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone.”
Why was the song such a big hit? As I have written elsewhere, songs about dying may subconsciously make us happy in that they remind us to enjoy life. Or, as James Sullivan wrote in an excellent article about the song on Slate, “During those mid-Watergate weeks and months, the whole country seemed eager to wallow in tuneful misery.” Or maybe it was the catchy opening riff.
“Seasons in the Sun” was a reworking of a French song, “Le Moribond” (“The Dying Man”) by Jacques Brel. In Brel’s version, the singer addresses his wife in the final verse.
Check out Brel’s version and see how the original style of the song is much different than the poppy march-like American version.
Rod McKeuen, the pop poet of the time, wrote the English translation for “Seasons in the Sun.” And Terry Jacks — who was born on March 29, 1944 in Winnipeg, Manitoba — made some modifications.
Jacks then brought the song to The Beach Boys when he was producing one of their sessions. But the band decided not to release their happy-sounding version. Perhaps they had agreed to record the song based on the fact the title “Seasons in the Sun” sounds so much like a Beach Boys title. Their decision not to release the song, though ended up being good for Jack. he then recorded his version, which became a big hit.
Here is the point in the article where I admit that I owned the 45 record of “Seasons in the Sun.” But I do not think it ruined my taste in music.
Better men have survived an embrace of the charms of the song. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain loved the song, and it was the first 45 record he ever bought. It did not seem to hurt his taste in music.
As for Terry Jacks, he never had another big hit like “Seasons in the Sun.” He recorded a few songs that had some success in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. He went on to be a record producer and work as an environmentalist, and he is still alive. [2023 UPDATE: In 2016, Jacks suffered through two strokes but survived.]
But apparently it has been a long time since Jacks recorded new music. So “Seasons in the Sun” was largely his season in the sun as far as music success goes. But at least he had one big season.
So as we enter December and will soon welcome a new season later this month, we wish you a good winter. (Speaking of seasons, if you are seeking more depressing songs like “Seasons in the Sun,” check out this post on depressing holiday season songs. And remember, if you are not a fan of the upcoming season, one season always goes into another. And the holiday season is over in less than a month.)
What do you think of “Seasons in the Sun”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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Last week, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber granted a reprieve to a condemned man and announced that he would do the same for any scheduled execution during the remainder of his term in office. Gov. Kitzhaber asked state officials to consider other options besides the death penalty and explained, “I simply cannot participate once again in something that I believe to be morally wrong,” Gov. Kitzhaber further explained that as a licensed physician he had taken an oath to “do no harm.” In making his emotional announcement, Gov. Kitzhaber told how he was haunted by the fact he had allowed Oregon’s only two modern executions.
Whether one agrees with Gov. Kitzhaber or not, one must respect someone who is willing to admit he erred in the past and who takes a moral stand. Gov. Kitzhaber recognized that the trend around the world in recent years has been toward taking a moral stand against state killings when other options, like life in prison, exist. Recognizing there are a number of problems with the American death penalty, Gov. Kitzhaber is putting a moratorium on Oregon executions to allow the state to reconsider whether or not it wishes to continue executing people.
The immediate reprieve stopped the execution of 49-year-old Gary Haugen, who had waived his appeals and wished to be executed. Haugen’s attorney noted that the condemned man, desiring his own execution, would not be happy with the reprieve.
Haugen was within two weeks of his scheduled execution, but Johnny Cash performed a song going further in imagining a condemned man counting down the final 25 minutes before his execution. The song, “25 Minutes to Go,” was written by Shel Silverstein, who also wrote Cash’s hit song, “A Boy Named Sue.” One may hear Silverstein’s sense of humor even in a song like “25 Minutes to Go.” The song’s author may be best known for his children’s books, including The Giving Tree
In the following video, someone has put together some cool illustrations to go with Johnny Cash’s performance of “25 Minutes to Go” from his famous performance
You also may watch Cash in another live performance in a video on YouTube. Johnny Cash was another gutsy man like Gov. John Kitzhaber. I miss him.
Bonus Johnny Cash-related Death Penalty News: Johnny’s daughter Roseanne Cash is reuniting with her ex-husband Rodney Crowell for an anti-death penalty concert in Nashville on December 19. John Hiatt will also perform.
What do you think of Johnny Cash’s “25 Minutes to Go”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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If you have been too busy pepper spraying shoppers trying to grab that toy you want, here are some of the pop culture stories from the week that you might have missed.
——— Music ———
No Depression featured an interesting story about a recent encounter with Garth Hudson of The Band.
No Depression also featured a nice review of Glen Campbell on his final tour.
Chimesfreedom sends our best wishes to The Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb, who is fighting liver cancer.
The Rolling Stones are releasing an expanded reissue of Some Girls, including a song with John Fogerty.
“Does this mean I can play whatever I want?” — Ozzy Osbourne on getting his own music channel on SiriusXM Radio.
“What I do is more like a poke in the ribs than a kick in the face.” – Weird Al Yankovic in Chicago Tribune profile.
Influential jazz drummer and bandleader Paul Motian passed away last week. RIP.
“Cracklin’ Rosie, get on board!” Neil Diamond will tour this summer to support a greatest hits CD.
If you are a fan of The Swell Season, check out this interview with Marketa Irglova about The Swell Season, the new documentary on the band, and her new solo CD.
WhatCulture! has a review of William Shatner’s new CD, Seeking Major Tom. Below is Shatner’s version of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” with his face in the sky of this crazy official video.
——— Movies ———-
“He’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.” — Christopher Nolan revealing some information on the upcoming The Dark Night Rises, which begins eight years after the last Batman film. 
Slate listed its top five bad movie songs.
Scarlett Johansson will direct a film adaptation of a Truman Capote novella, Summer Crossing.
A new Woody Allen documentary prompted several stories. One article on the film quoted director Robert Weide on Woody Allen: “He doesn’t think of himself as a great artist.’’ Meanwhile, Salon ranked Woody Allen’s 10 Greatest Films. Personally, I think it is a crime that the list does not include Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Kermit the Frog went to the White House on Tuesday. Also, this past week saw country music day at the White House, which included Kris Kristofferson and Lyle Lovett.
The Artist, a new silent film, opened this week to rave reviews.
An international Laurel and Hardy appreciation society meets every week in California near the Hal Roach Studios.
“The Muppets are sweet and subversive.” — Los Angeles Times review. In another Muppets-related story, Slate discussed “Mahna Mahna” and how music from an Italian soft-core film became the Muppets’ catchiest song.
——— Television ———
Elizabeth Shue will become a regular on “CSI” starting in February, replacing Marg Helgenberger.
CBS signed up Survivor for two more seasons with Jeff Probst as host and executive producer.
Katy Perry will host Saturday Night Live on Dec. 10.
——— Other News ———
Two former death row inmates whose convictions were each overturned after years on death row were married last week.
Finally, the UC Davis Pepper Spray Cop is now a funny Internet meme. Follow this link if you wish to skip the article and go straight to some very funny photos of the Pepper Spray Cop in unique situations, showing the strength of using humor to fight the powers.
What was your favorite pop culture story this week? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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In a previous Thanksgiving post, we examined one of my favorite albums, Marty Stuart’s The Pilgrim (1999). But in celebrating Thanksgiving, we cannot forget that sitting across from the Pilgrims at that first Thanksgiving, were Native Americans. And, fortunately for us, Marty Stuart recorded Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota (2005). Yes, I realize that the Lakota Sioux were not the Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving, but neither was the Pilgrim from The Pilgrim. But we are using the holiday as an excuse to discuss these two excellent CDs.
On Badlands, Stuart interweaves country music with Native American themes and music to tell about the the Lakota culture and the betrayal by white men. AllMusic describes Badlands as “an album that is unsettling, provocative, morally instructive, and deeply satisfying musically as a country record that sets the bar higher than it has been set in a long, long time.”
Stuart clearly intended the album as a tribute to the spirit of the Lakota, who adopted him into their tribe. In “Trip to Little Big Horn,” he tells the story of Custer’s Last Stand as a dialogue with a ghost. “I saw 100 years of Indians, dancing in the sun / I felt the Indian power. The battle is still won / The battle is still won.”
The title song of the album is excellent, as Stuart predicts, “Well it’s a church without a steeple / But in the heart of its people / Good will come again, to the Badlands.” The three men referenced by the song “Three Chiefs” are Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse. Stuart uses the song to find a connection between Native American spirituality and his own beliefs. After recounting the suffering of the “prophets to their people,” he recounts, “The truth is hard to find./ No cross, no crown.”
Another song, “Casino,” addresses a more recent Native American issue: “Card sharks take my money, whiskey puts me in jail/ An oasis of misery, I know it so well.”
The CD covers a broad span of history, including Little Big Horn, Wounded Knee, casinos, and even a visit to the reservation by President Clinton in “Broken Promise Land.” But Stuart also remembers that it is an album, not a book, and the story and the music augment each other, never interfering with the other. While the album has not captured me the way that The Pilgrim has, Badlands shows that Marty Stuart is one of the best writers and performers in country music today. He continues the legacy of artists like his friend Johnny Cash, who recorded his own concept album about Native Americans in Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian
Badlands received overwhelmingly positive reviews. It is a very good album that also tells an important story. While it really has nothing directly to do with Thanksgiving, the holiday is a good time to also remember the Sioux and the other Native Americans across the continent on that first Thanksgiving day, waiting for the force that would sweep across the land.
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