Dharma was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, which got him thinking about his mortality and inspired the song. "I thought I was going to maybe not live that long," he said in a Songfacts interview. "I had been diagnosed with a heart condition, and your mind starts running away with you - especially when you're young-ish. So, that's why I wrote the story. It's imagining you can survive death in terms of your spirit. Your spirit will prevail."
Buck Dharma described this as "a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners." He was taken aback when he learned that many listeners heard it as a song encouraging suicide; it advocates courage in the face of death but in no way suggests we should actively bring it about. In his Songfacts interview, he explained: "It's not about suicide, although people kind of get that from the Romeo and Juliet reference. But BÖC's lyrics have always been... not obtuse, but deep. They're certainly open to interpretation, and everybody seems to have their own thoughts about what stuff means. We purposely let people do that - draw their own conclusions from the lyric."
The Reaper
Blue Öyster Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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)
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)
Blue Öyster Cult's "The Reaper" is a song about death, but not in the traditional sense of death being something to be feared. The song encourages listeners to not be afraid of death because it is a natural part of life and something that everyone eventually has to face. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song with the line "All our times have come, here but now they're gone". It emphasizes the fleeting nature of life, highlighting that life is a momentary experience that is ephemeral.
The second and third verses allude to literary references, mentioning the story of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Valentine's Day". The lines "40,000 men and women everyday, like Romeo and Juliet, 40,000 coming everyday, redefine happiness" serve as a reminder that death is a common occurrence and that everyone is mortal, therefore one can either live in fear of death or live life to the fullest.
The song's chorus is the most memorable part, inspiring listeners to embrace life and have no fear. The line "We'll be able to fly, Baby, I'm your man" can be interpreted as a metaphor for flying beyond the limits of life and death with the support of a loved one. Ultimately, the song suggests that death is not something to be feared but rather something that should be accepted as a natural part of life.
Line by Line Meaning
All our times have come
We have arrived at the moment of truth
Here but now they're gone
The present is fleeting and ephemeral
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Death is an inevitability that transcends the seasons
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
The natural forces of the universe are indifferent to death
We can be like they are
We too can accept and embrace our mortality
Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper)
Death is not to be feared
Baby, take my hand (don't fear the reaper)
Let me guide you through the transition
We'll be able to fly (don't fear the reaper)
We will transcend the physical realm
Baby, I'm your man
I will be with you until the end
Valentine is done
The day of love has passed
Here but now they're gone
Love is also ephemeral
Romeo and Juliet
A tragic love story
Are together in eternity (Romeo and Juliet)
Love may transcend even death
40,000 men and women everyday (like Romeo and Juliet)
Countless people experience love and loss every day
40,000 men and women everyday (redefine happiness)
We must redefine what it means to find happiness in the face of death
Another 40,000 coming everyday (we can be like they are)
More and more people will come to accept the inevitability of death
Love of two is one
True love is a unity of two individuals
Here but now they're gone
But love, like life, is transient
Came the last night of sadness
The final, melancholic night of life
And it was clear she couldn't go on
The inevitability of death became clear
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
A portal to the afterlife opened up
The candles blew and then disappeared
The physical world began to fade away
The curtains flew and then he appeared
Death himself came to claim her
Saying don't be afraid
Reassuring her that death is not to be feared
And she had no fear
She let go of her fears and embraced her fate
Then they started to fly
Her spirit was liberated and she began to soar
They looked backward and said goodbye (she had become like they are)
She had found acceptance and liberation in death
She had taken his hand (she had become like they are)
She had crossed over to the other side
Come on, baby (don't fear the reaper)
Death is not to be feared
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L.
Written by: Donald Roeser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@finalistburrito2499
I scrolled for a long time trying to find lyrics. I didn't find 'em, so here you are!
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 then disappeared
The curtains flew 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
@markalexander3659
Still one of my very favourite verses of all time:
Came a last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on!
Then the door was opened and the wind appeared,
The candles blew and then disappeared,
The curtains flew and then he appeared,
Said "Don't be afraid,
Come on, Baby"
And she had no fear
And she ran to him
And 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!
@pedro-q1b5c
@@arafel1776sid & darla meme😂
valentine is gone people know they gone
just say it don't be Alfred (she mad to him)☝️😁
40.000 thousend man & women everyday (breeding fun fish everyday)
want to be like they are
(she mad to him)
ah baby IM your man 🤗🫂
love of two is one poeple know they gone
very memorable Sarwono☝️😅
@docdurdin
I was 26 when this came out, I'm 73 now and I still have no fear.
@plicketyplunk
I'm a member of the same club! Cheers to you!
@cliffordkinnear9705
I was 15, no fear either,.............
@docdurdin
@@plicketyplunk Looks like we could stat a club, lol.
@docdurdin
@@cliffordkinnear9705 It's officially a club.
@bradforddrake8633
I've cheated Reaper Death at least 5 times in my life & have found that when you stare the devil in the face and show him you have no fear you will survive and win!
@dyldotheape2841
This song is 45 years old and still a fucking bad ass peice of music
@luisaperozo9306
Bruh your music would be worser than a preschooler screaming
@kromlosgin9374
true!! XD
@sketchysketchist
Needs more cowbell.