I’m referring to the 70’s hit by Blue Oyster Cult. I LOVE this song. I think it has some of the best bass and drums of any song I’ve ever heard. I particularly like that beat in the background (it sounds like pock pock pock pock) I don’t know what the instrument that makes that sound is called, but I know it looks like copper pipe.
But my big issue is the lyrics. The phrase “don’t fear the Reaper” is pretty easy to fathom, but what about the rest of it? “40,000 men and women every day”?? What’s that about? Is the whole song about committing suicide, and 40,000 people do that everyday?
I’ve heard this song is quoted by Stephen King somewhere. Where? What part? In what context? I’ve helpfully reproduced the lyrics below. (Probably violating a law or two in the process.)
Don’t Fear The Reaper – by Blue Oyster Cult [redacted by manhattan]
40,000 men and women everyday…Like Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday…Redefine happiness
Another 40,000 coming every day…We can be like they are
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
[Edited by manhattan on 08-18-2000 at 01:36 PM]
Do a Web search. There’s some site out there on which BOC explains the song. From what I recall, the “40,000” is just a number they picked out of a hat.
Ah, one of the classics. I like Shooting shark better for both imagery and impenetrability, though.
As for what it all means…I think that that is VERY open to interpretation.
It was used by Stephen king in both the book and the movie ‘The Stand.’ It plays at the very beginning of the movie as the soundtrack to which the fatal disease is released into the world.
I always thought the song was about a guy singing to a girl about committing suicide with him. “C’mon baby, don’t fear the reaper, baby take my hand, we’ll be able to fly, etc.” You know, like Romeo and Juliet…they both committed suicide, ya know.
The 40,000 men and women–it’s probably more than that these days that kill themselves. I don’t like the song because of what it is singing about…too creepy for me.
Same thing with that Ozzy song where he sings about suicide with Lita Ford…can’t remember the name of that one.
Uh, yeah. I’ve been way too lax about this lately. As this site is owned by people who make their money by creating intellectual property, surely you can understand that they would not want to be a party to stealing that property from others.
I’ve redacted the lyrics as best I can to conform with the fair use doctrine.
Folks, please do not interpret my previous failings in this regard as blanket permission to go reproducing copyrighted material on this website.
I thought the lyrics are pretty clear. The song is about suicide pacts among teenage lovers. I’ve always been amazed at the lack of controversy over this song; I can’t think of any other pro-suicide songs that get this kind of airplay.
as anyone who watched christopher walken’s last appearance on SNL could tell you, that DOCK DOCK DOCK sound is a cow bell. “you know what it needs? more cowbell…”
I am quickly getting obsessed with this song. I’ve listened to it about 6 times today. I should be over it soon, but I’ve figured out a few things. The last verse, where it says:“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 curtains flew then he appeared…saying don’t be afraid”
I think this is definitely about the Reaper coming for a young girl. But this still leaves the seond verse somewhat open to interpretation. Does anyone know when this song came out originally?
Hope manhattan doesn’t jump on me for quoting that…
In my younger days when I would write songs, I found very few people got the same message I was trying to convey.
Remember also in the 70s, especially the early 70s, some of the great rock acts, Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the dude from the Doors(his name escapes me for the moment), even to a lesser degree Mama Cass, all lived life on the edge. That is what a lot of the harder edge rock of the 70s was about. Don’t fear the reaper was more of an “ERA” thing.
If I remember correctly, the reference to the song is on the first page of the book.
In the movie, they started to play it after the MP and his family left the compound.
Later on in the movie, one of the other characters was a singer and his first hit was *Baby I’m Your Man/i] which incidentally is a line from Don’t Fear the Reaper.
I assume there is a connection there but I may be wrong.
I remember a radio interview on Redbeard (a weekly syndicated musical tribute with interviews) where they interviewed the one who wrote the song (Buck Dharma?). He was adamant about it not being a siucide song, claiming he was moved by the death of a friend.
Well, surely you wouldn’t mind if I provided a url=“