"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was released on Blue Öyster Cult's fourth studio album, Agents of Fortune, in the spring of 1976. The song was released as a single in July of the summer of '76. The song made it to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....(in the long list of songs that shoulda made #1, this tune has got to be in the very top of that list!) It was of course the biggest hit the band ever had and grew to classic stature in a few short years...where it shall remain. A stone classic for the rock ages!
I made a video for this song years ago when I knew even less about making videos than I do today, and it for the last 5 or 6 years it's one of three old autumn-time videos that I keep promising to finish for a Halloween upload (Cheap Trick's "Gonna Raise Hell" and Rush's "Witch Hunt" are the other two)...every year I fail to get one done. So very happy to finally have probably the worst of those early offenders uploaded with new effects and high resolution audio (yeah, KZfaq compression and all (though I'm among those who swear that if you play the video in HD, the audio sounds very much better than most compressed sources...who knows?)....but one day, maybe high resolution audio will be available. That will be a great day for KZfaq and music fans.
I checked out three high resolution versions; including a great sounding vinyl version, but I favored this one sourced from a rip from my old Super Audio CD in 176Khz/24bit.
Even though I got the video done Halloween evening, I really wish I'd had more time to limit the styles some...I was going in about 3 different directions, but ended up just smashing it all together. I'm pretty happy with the result, and at least maybe it won't get as mixed up as the last one by having the audio removed, then allowed, then removed, constant changes to the restrictions for viewing, etc. The one seems to have finally stabilized somewhat (but the damage was done and it's basically nearly non-existent as far as KZfaq rankings). Maybe you guys can help this one float and not sink to the bottom? As always, it's up to you guys to keep it alive.
I hope you enjoy the show....what a song, it deserves a full studio production, but it got my home computer giving her all she's got! LOL! Happy Halloween 2020...who needs costumes....especially in the USA. ;-)
[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 fly, don't fear the reaper
Baby I'm your man
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
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, 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
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
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
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
Come on baby, don't fear the reaper