1. The… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three artists by the name of The Fortunes.
1. The Fortunes were an English beat group. Formed in Birmingham, The Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the American and British Top Ten.
Following in the wake of Merseybeat, and the R&B of the Rolling Stones, The Fortunes added another dimension to the sound of pop, with their sophisticated orchestration, dual lead vocals and well worked counter-melodies.
The result was a succession of distinctive hits including "You've Got Your Troubles", "Here It Comes Again" (both 1965), and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again"; even continuing into the 1970s with more globally successful releases such as "Storm in a Teacup" and "Freedom Come, Freedom Go".
Originally a trio called The Cliftones, their first single "Summertime Summertime" went unnoticed, but the follow-up in 1964, "Caroline", was used as the signature tune for the influential Pirate Radio station Radio Caroline. The Fortunes had a steady succession of world-wide hits culminating in 1972, with the release of "Storm in a Teacup". During this period, The Fortunes were also one-time the voices for the US Coca Cola adverts ("It's The Real Thing").
Founding member, and lead vocalist, Rod Allen has continued fronting an ever changing version of The Fortunes since 1963.
The Fortunes were awarded a gold disc in 1987, for over 100,000 sales of their All The Hits and More album.
In March 1995 vocalist/keyboard/guitar player Bob Jackson was added to The Fortunes' ranks. Jackson, who was a former member of the group Badfinger, now leads the band through a tribute to his former group, including a version of the Badfinger-penned classic "Without You", made famous by Harry Nilsson, and more recently Mariah Carey. A more recent addition to The Fortunes present day personnel is Geoff Turton. He was originally a member of the Birmingham based band, The Rockin' Berries who had hits with "He's In Town" and "Poor Man's Son". He also had a certain amount of success under the 'nom de plume' Jefferson both at home and in the U.S..
The Fortunes continue to tour to this day, appearing on the nostalgia circuit. The U.K. line-up features those who appeared on their popular 1960s recordings; but there is also a touring US group that features none of the original hit-makers.
2. FORTUNES consists of Collin DuPree and his wife, Karsyn DuPree. They reside in the quaint yet somewhat happenin' Tyler, TX. Collin has been making music and touring the majority of his life with his family in a band called Merriment and Karsyn has performed with the band on one tour in 2014. Aside from the one Merriment tour, Karsyn has played several solo numbers in Tyler. By day, they run BLISSBRANCH, a lifestyle blog and online shop. The duo is in the process of releasing their first EP, with a record to follow later in the year.
3. Melbourne-based, New Zealand-born R&B / Electronic duo, FORTUNES; consisting of Conor McCabe on vocals and Barnaby Matthews on Production.
Seasons in the Sun
The Fortunes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Dear Émile, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air (spring is in the air)
Think of me and I'll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
All our lives, we had fun (we had fun)
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
Dear 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
I wonder how I got along
Dear Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air (spring is in the air)
Little children everywhere (children everywhere)
Think of me and I'll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
All our lives, we had fun (we had fun)
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
Dear Françoise, 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
Ha, though your lover was my friend
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
All our lives, we had fun (we had fun)
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
All our lives, we had fun (we had fun)
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time
All our lives, we had fun (we had fun)
We had seasons in the sun
The Fortunes's song Seasons in the Sun is a bittersweet song that reflects on the different stages of life. In the first verse, the singer bids farewell to their childhood friend, Émile, who they have known since they were young. Together, they had shared many memories of their youth, including climbing hills and trees and learning about love and the alphabet. Despite the difficulties they faced along the way, they persevered and grew up together. However, now that it's time to say goodbye, it's hard to accept that Émile is leaving when the birds are singing in the sky and spring is in the air.
In the second verse, the singer addresses their father, asking him to pray for their soul. They acknowledge that they were the black sheep of the family and made mistakes along the way. However, despite their shortcomings, they still long for their father's love and acceptance. The third verse is particularly heart-wrenching, as the singer addresses their wife, Françoise. Although she cheated on them multiple times, they still have forgiven her. This can be read as a commentary on the different types of love and how they can sometimes come at a cost.
Line by Line Meaning
Adieu Émile, my trusted friend
Farewell, my dear friend Émile who I always relied on
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
We have been friends since our childhood
Together we climbed hills and trees
We experienced adventures and challenges together, such as climbing hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
We learned about love and the basics of education
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
We suffered emotionally and physically as we grew up
Dear Émile, it's hard to die
My friend, it's difficult to leave this world
When all the birds are singing in the sky
As nature flourishes and the world rejoices
Now that the spring is in the air (spring is in the air)
As the season of renewal and rebirth arrives
Pretty girls are everywhere (girls are everywhere)
As women of beauty and youth surround us
Think of me and I'll be there
Remember me and I will always be with you in your memories
We had joy, we had fun
We experienced happiness and laughter in our lives
We had seasons in the sun
We had times of joy and happiness, and moments of life that flourished like the sun
But the hills we used to climb
The challenges we faced and conquered in our youth
Were just seasons out of time
Were just moments, and now they are gone
Dear Papa, please pray for me
Father, please pray for me as I pass away
I was the black sheep of the family
I was the family's troublemaker
You tried to teach me right from wrong
You attempted to guide me to make good choices
Too much wine and too much song
But I gave in to excess and indulgence
I wonder how I got along
I question how I was able to live my life this way
Little children everywhere (children everywhere)
As we enter springtime, children are present and full of energy
Dear Françoise, my trusted wife
My dear wife Françoise, who I deeply trusted and loved
Without you I'd have had a lonely life
Without you, my life would have been empty and meaningless
You cheated lots of times, but then
You were unfaithful many times, but despite that
I forgave you in the end
I chose to pardon you and move on to a better future together
Ha, though your lover was my friend
Although the person you betrayed me with was someone I trusted as well
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Brel, Rod Mckuen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TN
The Fortunes
Seasons In The Sun
Adieu, Emile, my trusted friend,
We've known each other since we were nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills and trees,
Learned of love and ABCs,
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Adieu, Emile, 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 ev'rywhere.
Think of me and I'll be there.
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
All our lives we had fun.
[We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,]
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
Adieu, 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,
I wonder how I got along.
Adieu, 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 ev'rywhere.
Think of me and I'll be there.
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
All our lives we had fun.
[We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,]
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
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.
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
All our lives we had fun.
[We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,]
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
All our lives we had fun.
[We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,]
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we used to climb
Were just seasons out of time.
All our lives we had fun.
[We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun,]
But the hills we used to climb
Dave W
The Fortunes were a hugely underrated band.
Leon Franssen
The best version of this song I've heard!
wjm963
Lubię takie klimaty - SUPER !!!
Boz Phiz
The best version of this song I've heard so far (and I've heard a few)...
Branko Lazarevic
This the best version ever!!!
John McHugh
I loved this version and could not understand why it was not a hit.
Dick Vermaas
it was, way back '69
Lee Ricky
It did entered the Dutch Chart at #17 on 12 Apr 69 and peak at #4 on 3 May 1969 for 2 weeks.
54musiclover
Why on earth was this not a bigger hit in 1969?. Terry Jacks cornered the market with his version but this comes a pretty close and excellent second.
Weka Anini
He did it 100% better for that time!!