Blue Oyster Cult: Don't Fear the Reaper Meaning

Song Released: 1976

Don't Fear the Reaper Lyrics

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.. 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...

1. anonymous

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   Feb 2nd 2008 !⃝

   I agree with those who interpret the song as saying death is not to be feared. It is a part of life. The imagery of the seasons, wind, and such make the song seem dreamy and authoritative. Too bad the writer doesn't take the next step and explain what allows us not to fear death. Accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour and living for him guarantees eternal life. Death, then, be not feared. Typical mainstream rock - great melody and musical composition, yet lacking the full truth.
2. anonymous

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   Jan 25th 2008 !⃝

   I think people tend to over analyze this song. It's not a song about suicide or a romance on the rocks. It's simply about living your life as best you know how and not being afraid to die.
3. anonymous

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   Jan 25th 2008 !⃝

   Ya, I agree with Aries26155. And who said anything about the devil? I'm pretty sure he wasn't mentioned at all here. (reaper not counting)
4. Aries26155

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   Dec 29th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about a women who has lost her mate and he comes to her asking her to come be with him forever in death and at the end of the song she does just that ...
   
   when he said "Don't Fear The Reaper " he was telling her not to fear death cause in death they could be together forever in the after life
5. anonymous

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   Nov 9th 2007 !⃝

   I get the idea the song is describing a relationship where the girl is breaking up. They had a season of love "valentine", then now the boyfriend is trying to convince her not to let the relationship end,the "reaper", the death of the relationship. The boyfriend is deluded into thinking that they will be together forever like "romeo and juliet", he's stuck on the fantasy and will not accept losing his "love". Losing is like death, that's why so much comparison. It's not over yet when the song is written, that's why the ending is his own spiritual poetic reassurance and plea to the girlfriend. The song seems very dark because he is fatally in love with this girl and he's experiencing the real wonderful feelings of love along with rejection. It's a feeling of love and death at the same time. The girl "doesn't want him any more". In the end He's fantasizing about staying together in a grand and glorious way, flying off together "two as one", forever together.The songwriter's a coward to make anyone believe it's anything more. Suicide? yea! He's got a pretty big head thinking that losing him would be like suicide.
6. anonymous

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   Oct 14th 2007 !⃝

   I think it's about love after death.
7. anonymous

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   Sep 16th 2007 !⃝

   Jim Jones only had about 1000 followers, and a few where able to escape.
   
   This is what Dharma had to say:
   
   “ I felt that I had just achieved some kind of resonance with the psychology of people when I came up with that, I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of it (as opposed to actively bring it about). It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners. "
8. tomg

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   Sep 8th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about a guy getting married. Both he and the chick are nervous, but they work it out at the end and join their lives. Nothing in this song is about death, the devil, etc.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. anonymous

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   Sep 8th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about marriage. The guy and girl are getting married, and they're having their doubts. I have this interpretation directly from a person previously associated with the band. No devil. It's all about taking that big step into marriage.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. joe

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    Jul 27th 2007 !⃝

    Sounds like it's about suicide. It's what I first thought. That's what the whole Romeo and juliet comparison would mean they both killed themselves. But the idea that it's about accepting death and the whole cycle of life makes a lot of sense too.
11. anonymous

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    Jul 10th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song may be about the massacre that took place at Jonestown the community that was the location of a mass suicide in the 70s. The 40,000 maybe followers of Jim Jones religion and I believe his last documented words to his followers were "don't fear the reaper."
12. Tee2481

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    Jan 23rd 2007 !⃝

    It sounds like The Reaper came to get this girl's soul after she has tried to end her life and says "We can be like they are!" meaning the spirits in heaven so don't be afraid to die. The band HIM does an awesome acoustic version of this song.
13. anonymous

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    Nov 27th 2006 !⃝

    I kinda picture a woman who is ill and suffering and afraid,finding the courage to let go-trust nature-and ultimately face her death fearlessly.
14. stublues

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    Feb 17th 2006 !⃝

    The band has said that this song is actually about the cycle of life and death. (40,000 men and and women every day, another 40,000 come in every day...) The main point is that you shouldn't fear death, since it is just a part of life. They said it is not about suicide, and although they can see where that interpretation could be drawn, it wasn't intended. By the way, they said the "40,000" number was just a guess. They did no research as to how many people are born and die on any given day...
15. hot_tamale_holly

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    Sep 17th 2005 !⃝

    This song, I believe, is about a girl whose lover has died or killed himself. He comes to her in dream/vision to convince her that they can still be together in death. He compares them to Romeo and Juliet, who are together in eternity. He wants her to become like "them" - people in the afterlife.
    
    "Came the last night of sadness-(the last night she could bear to be sad about his death)
    And it was clear that she couldn’t go on
    And the door was open and the wind appeared
    The candles blew and then disappeared
    The curtains flew and then he appeared-(He comes to her to take her to the afterlife with him)
    
    Saying don’t be afraid
    Come on, baby
    And she had no fear
    And she ran to him
    Then they 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 (She kills herself and joins him in eternity)

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