Seasons in the Sun
Black Box Recorder Lyrics


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Goodbye to you, my trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along
Goodbye Papa it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them, I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone

Goodbye Michelle, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye Michelle, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone

All our lives we had fun
We had seasons in the sun




But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

Overall Meaning

In "Seasons in the Sun," Black Box Recorder sings about saying goodbye to loved ones and cherishing the memories they made together. The first verse is directed towards a childhood friend, expressing gratitude for all the life experiences they shared together. These experiences include climbing hills and trees, learning about love and ABC's, and falling down and getting back up again. The chorus then reflects on a time of joy and fun, of "seasons in the sun," but also acknowledges that these seasons were out of time since they couldn't be relived.


The second verse is directed towards the singer's father, who was disappointed in their choices but still loved them regardless. The singer reflects on how their father tried to teach them right from wrong but their love of wine and song proved too strong. Despite their mistakes, the singer knows that their father loved them and it's hard to die knowing how beautiful the world still is. The chorus then repeats, acknowledging that the wine and the song of their youth can't be relived.


The final verse is dedicated to Michelle, who had a profound impact on the singer's life. Michelle helped the singer find love and sunlight whenever they were feeling down. The chorus repeats twice, the last line acknowledging that life is fleeting and all the fun times they shared were just seasons in the sun.


Line by Line Meaning

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend
Farewell to a long-time companion, with whom countless memorable moments have been shared


We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Our friendship goes way back to a much simpler time


Together we've climbed hills and trees
We have been through thick and thin, shared experiences and bloodlines stuck together in solidarity


Learned of love and ABC's
We discovered love, mastered our alphabets, and life's essential lessons


Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
We went through heartbreak and physical injuries alike


Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die
Saying bye to my buddy is hard and overwhelming


When all the birds are singing in the sky
An impactful moment of farewell in perfect weather, with all of nature in harmony


Now that the spring is in the air
Right now, even the air feels light and cheerful with the warmth of spring


Pretty girls are everywhere
In every sight, pure beauty and elegance; angels seem to flutter all around


Think of me and I'll be there
I will always be there with you no matter what, just always remember me


We had joy, we had fun
We shared moments of exhilaration and excitement


We had seasons in the sun
Those moments were very special and memorable


But the hills that we climbed
However, the uphill rode we had trodden was simply a matter of time


Were just seasons out of time
It was an easy walkway to the top


Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
A final farewell to a father who cared and tried his best to keep me on the right path


I was the black sheep of the family
I was not the same as my siblings: unique, misunderstood, and not entirely accepted


You tried to teach me right from wrong
I know that you tried to teach me the right way, tried your best to make me understand


Too much wine and too much song
But my indulgence in wine and song proved too much for me


Wonder how I got along
I guess I really couldn't cope


Little children everywhere
In this last goodbye, children are around with the new beginning of the season all around


When you see them, I'll be there
I will be with you every time you see a child, will constantly be in your heart and mind


But the wine and the song
However, the perfect moments I had were because of wine and the beat of a song


Like the seasons have all gone
As it always is in life, such times go away with the shifting of seasons


You gave me love and helped me find the sun
My dearest Michelle, you were my saving grace to help me find the way to love and light


And every time that I was down
Whenever life knocked me off track


You would always come around
You were still always there with your unwavering love and support


And get my feet back on the ground
You were my rock to lean on, the one to always set me back on track


With the flowers everywhere
In this last goodbye, nature's bounty is on breathtaking display


I wish that we could both be there
I wish we could still be together, even just to admire these little moments


But the stars we could reach
We were just reaching for the stars


Were just starfish on the beach
But they were unreachable and impossible to grasp


All our lives we had fun
Our lives were filled with laughter and celebration


But the hills that we climbed
However, the struggles we faced and overcame were somewhat meaningless


Were just seasons out of time
They were just fleeting moments in our lives




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Brel, Rod Mckuen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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