Seasons In The Sun
Williams Andy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 my friend, 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 hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

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

All our lives, 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 hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

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

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Andy Williams’ “Seasons in the Sun” describes the memories of a man as he prepares to die. He begins by saying goodbye to his trusted friend whom he had known since childhood. They had experienced everything together- from love and heartbreaks to childish mishaps. The thought of dying is hard for him, but the birds singing and the springtime signifies new beginnings. He hopes to be remembered and thought of whenever his friend sees pretty girls.

He then says goodbye to his father, who he perceives sees him as the black sheep of the family. His father tried to imbue in him the values of right and wrong, but he got carried away with too much wine and song. He imagines his father’s prayers following him to the afterlife, and his presence continuing to be in the laughter of children.

Lastly, he bids adieu to Michelle, a woman who brought him out of his darkness – “gave him love and helped him find the sun.” Every time he was down, she lifted him up and grounded him. However, her presence couldn’t help him when the universality of life eventually took over, the consolation of the starfish on the beach vanishing with the hills that they had climbed.

Line by Line Meaning

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend
Saying farewell to a loyal companion

We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Friendship that spans from childhood to adulthood

Together we've climbed hills and trees
Shared experiences of adventure and growth

Learned of love and ABC's
Discovered romance and basic knowledge

Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Weathered emotional pain and physical injury

Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die
Parting words acknowledging the difficulty of death

When all the birds are singing in the sky
The presence of life amidst death

Now that the spring is in the air
A time of rebirth and renewal

Pretty girls are everywhere
Beauty is abundant in the world

Think of me and I'll be there
A reminder of the impact and memory of the departed friend

We had joy, we had fun
Recalling happy moments in life

We had seasons in the sun
Different phases of life

But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time
Limited significance of past struggles

Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
Farewell to a father figure and request for guidance

I was the black sheep of the family
Feeling like an outsider or disappointment to loved ones

You tried to teach me right from wrong
Parental attempt at guiding child towards positive values

Too much wine and too much song
Indulgence in pleasure at the expense of wisdom

Wonder how I got along
Reflecting on life choices

Little children everywhere, when you see them, I'll be there
The innocent and pure nature of children and the lingering memory of the departed

But the wine and the song, like the seasons, have all gone
Enjoyment in life fades just as the passage of time does

Goodbye Michelle, my little one
Parting words to a loving partner

You gave me love and helped me find the sun
The presence of love and the positive influence of a partner

And every time that I was down
The support of a partner during dark times

You would always come around
Unwavering loyalty and commitment from a partner

And get my feet back on the ground
Providing stability and guidance during turbulent moments

With the flowers everywhere, I wish that we could both be there
Regret and longing for the presence of a departed partner during a vibrant phase of life

But the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach
The insignificance of aspirations in the grander scheme of life

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS