“Seasons in the Sun” is one of my favorites from way back. I remember hearing it in my childhood and my friends used to sing it. As time passed, other artists adapted the song to their own music genre – and so we got the “Westlife” version.
Enjoy This Video of Seasons in the Sun Lyrics Sung by Westlife
Lyrics are below the song – so sing along if you feel inclined
Seasons in the Sun Lyrics Sung by Westlife
Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We’ve known each other since we’re nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or 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.
When you see them 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 get 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, all have 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 bird 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
Some Facts About the Song Seasons in the Sun Lyrics and Music
“Seasons in the Sun” is an English-language adaptation of the song Le Moribond by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel with lyrics by American singer-poet Rod McKuen. It became a worldwide hit in 1974 for Canadian singer Terry Jacks and became a Christmas Number 1 in 1999 for Westlife. The Jacks version is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) physical copies worldwide.
The song is a dying protagonist’s farewell to relatives and friends.
Original French version – and Earlier English Translations
The original French-language song included sarcasm and references to the speaker’s wife’s infidelity – but these are not present in Terry Jacks’ English-language adaptation. Jacks’ recording was released in Canada and the United States early in the year and rose to number one in America by March 2. Earlier recordings had been released by The Kingston Trio with the first cover version of McKuen’s translation in 1963 and the British band The Fortunes in 1968.
Terry Jacks version
The song was recorded in Vancouver in 1973. Susan and Terry Jacks, of Poppy Family fame, made the decision to record the song when the Beach Boys, who were considering recording a version with Terry Jacks producing, decided to abandon their recording. Jacks recorded it instead and later released it on his own label Goldfish Records. It immediately topped the record charts in the U.S. (where it was released on Bell Records), Canada, and the UK, selling over 14 million copies worldwide.
Jacks’ version was released in the United States in December 1973, and made the Billboard Hot 100 a month later. On March 2, 1974, the song began a three-week run at No. 1 atop the Hot 100, and remained in the top 40 until almost Memorial Day weekend. Jacks’ version also spent one week on the Easy Listening charts. Although he released several other singles that were moderately successful in Canada, “Seasons in the Sun” would become Jacks’ only major solo hit in the United States.
In later years, the tune has received some criticism with individuals calling it one of the worst pop songs ever recorded, ranking number five on a CNN poll in 2006.
The Westlife version from their self-titled debut album Westlife has sold over 650 000 copies in UK so far.
