10 Radio Friendly Songs About Dying

As far as songs about death go, Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks has one hell of a back story. The original version of the track was recorded by a Belgian artist called Jacques Brel, and was told from the perspective of an old man who was dying of a broken heart because he had found out that his wife was having an affair with his best mate.

The French lyrics, translated roughly into English, were: “Adieu, Francoise, my trusted wife, without you I'd have had a lonely life. You cheated lots of times but then I forgave you in the end, though your lover was my friend”. Poor lad. As if that wasn’t enough, the rumours were that Brel himself had written the song in a brothel in Tangiers. How very Burroughs-esque.

Thankfully, the English version got a bit of a rejig from American lyricist Rod McKuen, with Jacks dedicating the newer, less scandal-ridden song to a close friend who had been diagnosed with leukaemia and given just months to live. The track would go on to become a number one hit in the States, and a truly beautiful tribute to somebody so dear to the singer.

The story doesn’t quite end there though. With the money he made from the single, Jacks bought a boat that he christened the ‘Seasons In The Sun’, began a personal expedition down the west coast of Alaska where he found God and converted to Christianity, gave up music, and became a dedicated environmental activist. Top man.