Watergate Archives - chimesfreedom

On March 30, 1974, John Denver’s song “Sunshine on My Shoulders” became his first number one hit. The song — co-written by Denver, Dick Kniss, and Mike Taylor — first appeared on the album Poems Prayers & Promises in 1971. After originally appearing as a B-side to “I’d Rather Be a Cowboy (Lady’s Chains),” the song was then re-released as an A-side single in 1973.

Denver’s previous single, “Rocky Mountain High” was a hit too, but it only went to number nine in 1973 on the Hot 100 chart. The timing may have had something to do with the popularity of “Sunshine on My Shoulder.” The song about sunshine warming you up might be popular as winter was coming to a close in March.

There is another reason the timing may have helped the song’s popularity. The sad-sounding song might might have received a boost from the fact that the nation was in a melancholy mood as the Watergate scandal dragged on in 1974.

Another reason that “Sunshine on My Shoulders” may have gotten a boost to be Denver’s first number one song is that in 1973 the song had appeared in a TV movie, “Sunshine,” which starred Cliff DeYoung and Cristina Raines. The sad sound of the song perfectly fit the storyline, about a woman who learns she has terminal cancer and then starts to tape record a journal for her musician-husband and their daughter.

In the movie, which later led to a short-lived TV series, Cliff DeYoung sings “Sunshine on My Shoulders.” You may hear the version DeYoung, who was in a band before he began his acting career, on YouTube (around the five-minute mark).

More recently, Carly Rae Jepson covered the song for a new generation. Her version appears on her 2008 album Tug of War.

Despite the sad sound of the original version, the lyrics are more uplifting than depressing. Things cannot be too bad if the singer promises, “If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today.” Further, the only crying is from sunshine in the eyes. And most of the time sunshine makes the singer high.

Denver, who passed away in October 1997, explained in 1974 that he wrote “Sunshine on My Shoulders” because he was feeling down and “wanted to write a feeling-blue song.” But he realized that the song ended up being more optimistic than he had originally intended. The song “is what came out.”

What is your favorite John Denver song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

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.

“Seasons in the Sun”

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.

Origins of “Seasons in the Sun” From “Le Moribond”

“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.

Legacy of “Seasons in the Sun”

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.