Is there a cooler song than Don’t Fear the Reaper, by Blue Öyster Cult? That infectious guitar riff, the mesmerizing (haunting? hypnotizing?) vocals, and, of course, the indispensible cowbell! What’s not to like?
Well, maybe the lyrics. “Don’t fear the reaper,” that is to say, “don’t fear the grim reaper” - death? Okay, I don’t really have a problem with that, because what good will trepidation do when facing our mortality? But what’s with the bit about Romeo and Juliet being together in eternity, and by implication not fearing the fate that famously tragic couple brought upon themselves when they chose auto-homicide? Is the singer trying to seduce his girlfriend to kill herself when he sings “Come on baby, don’t fear the reaper,” or what’s going on here?
Actually, it’s not nearly that bad, at least according to the writer of the song, “Buck Dharma.” But before we delve more into the niceties or meanities of the song, here are the lyrics of Don’t Fear the Reaper:
All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
We can be like they are
Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper)
Baby, take my hand (don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)
Baby, I'm your man
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
Valentine is done
Here but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity (Romeo and Juliet)
40, 000 men and women everyday (like Romeo and Juliet)
40, 000 men and women everyday (redefine happiness)
Another 40, 000 coming everyday (we can be like they are)
Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper)
Baby, take my hand (don't fear the reaper)
We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)
Baby, I'm your man
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew and then disappeared
The curtains flew and then he appeared
Saying don't be afraid
Come on, baby (and she had no fear)
And she ran to him (then they started to fly)
They looked backward and said goodbye (she had become like they are)
She had taken his hand (she had become like they are)
Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper)
Back to the writer of the song, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, and what he said about the lyrics.
First, though, Roeser’s nickname, or stage name (“Buck Dharma”) always makes me think of a pair of Jacks, namely London and Kerouac (Buck is the name of the canine protagonist in Jack London's The Call of the Wild, and “Dharma Bums” is the title of a novel by Überbeatnik Jack Kerouac).
So as to the seemingly dark subtext in the lyrics, Roeser/Dharma says that he was appalled when some heard in the lyrics of his song a promotion of suicide. He says that the lyrics are really about eternal love and the inevitability of death. Okay, then; I guess I’ll buy that. If he meant otherwise, why would he lie about it?
So what we have here, it seems, is an awesome tune with some misunderstood lyrics.
What we also have, though, is a song that is probably more famous for its use of cowbell than for the fact, for instance, that it was Rolling Stone magazine's 1976 song of the year.
The reason many people think “cowbell!” or “more cowbell!” when they hear the song is because of this 2000 skit on SNL featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken
That skit, fantastical and exaggerated as it is, actually had some basis in truth, as the producer suggested they use cowbell, which the band at first objected to.
Without further adieux or adon’t, here is the original studio version of the song:
Blue Öyster Cult original:
Buck Dharma tells the story of the song and what was behind it here:
There are several live versions of the song available, too; an especially noteworthy one was done in 1997 by The Buck Dharma Band, which was recorded at a benefit concert for a young cancer patient:
For more on that benefit concert, read this.
Here’s one more live version of the song:
I don’t think any other band could adequately cover Don’t Fear the Reaper in the traditional sense, but there are a couple of what I would call interpretations of the tune (rather than covers) which are very interesting.
First, who would have thought that it could work with harps? Check it out:
Camille and Kennerly Kitt (“The Harp Twins”):
Similarly, perhaps the last musical genre you might think of as being a match for Don’t Fear the Reaper would be Bluegrass, and yet it works suprisingly well:
In conclusion, I always loved the song, but was a little creeped out by the lyrics; but no more, as I’m no longer ignorant about the songwriter’s intent and mindset.
Albums with the Versions linked to above
Don't Fear The Reaper: The Best Of Blue Öyster Cult
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Fear-Reaper-Best-%C3%96yster/dp/B00004HYKZ/garrphotgall-20
Blue Öyster Cult - 45th Anniversary - Live In London
https://www.amazon.com/45th-Anniversary-Blue-%C3%96yster-Cult/dp/B088BCKPJ3/garrphotgall-20
Harp Attack – by Camille and Kennerly
https://www.amazon.com/Harp-Attack-Remastered-Camille-Kennerly/dp/B01MRNWVNT/garrphotgall-20
The Bluegrass Tribute to Classic Rock Volume Two (“Pickin’ On” series)
https://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-Tribute-Classic-Rock-Two/dp/B001BWJRZA/garrphotgall-20
Previous installments of the series “The Name of That Tune” are:
#1: The End of the World: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/the-end-of-the-world
#2: City of New Orleans: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/city-of-new-orleans
#3: Hobo’s Lullaby: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/hobos-lullaby
#4: Ghost Riders in the Sky: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/ghost-riders-in-the-sky-a-cowboy
#5: Sixteen Tons: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/sixteen-tons
#6: The Battle of New Orleans: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/battle-of-new-orleans
#7: The Big Rock Candy Mountain: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/big-rock-candy-mountain
#8: Pachelbel’s Canon In D Major: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/pachelbels-canon-in-d-major
#9: Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos): https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/deportee-plane-wreck-at-los-gatos
#10: Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina: https://ramblingnotesofageezer.substack.com/p/dont-cry-for-me-argentina