“Don’t Fear the Reaper” Lyrics & Meaning (Blue Oyster Cult)

There have been many interpretations of the Don’t Fear the Reaper lyrics meaning.

One interpretation even suggests that the song encourages suicide.

It even got to the point where songwriter Buck Dharma had to set the record straight.

It is actually a life-affirming song.

So what do the lyrics mean exactly?

Keep reading to find out. We’re going to look at the inspiration behind the song and at the meaning of the lyrics, as explained by the songwriter himself.

 

Don’t Fear the Reaper Lyrics & Meaning

Don’t Fear the Reaper is a song by the band Blue Oyster Cult that was released in 1976. It’s a classic rock song that’s best known for its memorable guitar riff and intriguing lyrics.

It was written by the band’s lead guitarist, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser. The song speaks about the inevitability of death and encourages us not to fear it, but to accept it as a part of life.

The song has become one of Blue Oyster Cult’s most famous songs and has earned various accolades and huge popularity. It is regularly covered by other artists and has been featured on the soundtracks of movies.

It was so popular that it was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 20 weeks and reached a peak of number 12. It was the band’s highest charting song, but it peaked even higher in Canada, where it reached number 7 on their charts.

The single failed to chart in the U.K. when it was first released, but an edited version reached number 16 on the country’s charts in 1978. The critical reaction to the song was mainly positive, with many even labelling it a masterpiece.

The song gained even more recognition in 2000 when it was used on Saturday Night Live as a comedy sketch called More Cowbell. It was a six minute sketch that was about a fictionalized recording of Don’t Fear the Reaper. Will Ferrell wrote the sketch and it was well received by the band, with Buck Dharma saying it was fantastic and something he would never get over.

The song even became great inspiration for others. Stephen King said the song inspired him to write The Stand, with lyrics even cited in his novel. Terry Pratchett has alo referenced the title of the song in a couple of his novels. It has also been featured in TV shows such as Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and 1899.

 

Don’t Fear the Reaper Lyrics

 

Verse 1

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

Chorus

(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

Verse 2

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

Chorus

(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

Verse 3

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
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 she 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)

 

Don’t Fear the Reaper Meaning

Inspiration for Don’t Fear the Reaper initially came from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Roeser wanted the song to focus on the ideas of love and mortality.

The somewhat cryptic lyrics have led to many interpretations of the song, with many people even saying that Don’t Fear the Reaper encourages suicide.

Roeser even had to set the record straight and tell the public that the song isn’t about suicide. but about the cycle of life and death and the eternal love that comes with it.

Roeser made it apparent the song is about eternal love by actually quoting Romeo and Juliet in the lyrics. The lyrics go “Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity.” He used this famous couple to describe people who wanted to be together in the afterlife.

Roeser wrote the song due to his own health conditions. He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat at a young age, which caused him to think about his own mortality as his mind started to run away with him, thinking that he might not have that long to live.

He stated, “I thought I was going to maybe not live that long,” and “I had been diagnosed with a heart condition, and your mind starts running away from 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.”

 

Don’t Fear the Reaper Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that some people interpreted the Don’t Fear the Reaper lyrics meaning to be about suicide. I mean, the songwriter did take inspiration from arguably the most famous play about suicide ever written.

But the song is actually about the opposite of suicide, in a way. The writer was facing his own mortality and wrote the song as a way to deal with the idea that he might not be around long. It was a way for him to continue to live his life, not a suggestion that people kill themselves.