Rod McKuen R.I.P.

[bob_32_116]

He died a couple of weeks back, but his passing does not seem to have generated much attention.

I know he was a poet, and one that most critics did not take seriously, but I only know him as a songwriter. It's true that some of this songs could be rather saccharine, but others could be very beautiful. He did not have a great singing voice, his songs were best delivered by other people, notably Frank Sinatra who recorded an album of McKuen songs called "A Man Alone". They sound as though they were written for him..

I always liked these two songs of mcKuen's, performed by Jimmie Rodgers:




The latter song has also been covered by, of all people, the Arctic Monkeys.

[Speare-shaker]

He wrote the original lyrics to the song that became Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun." God, how I hated that song!!! But judging from how much the lyrics had changed from McKuen's original, he probably hated it too.

[bob_32_116]

He wrote the original lyrics to the song that became Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun."

Well, yes and no. The song was one originally written in French by Jacques Brel, and was one of many that McKuen adapted by translating into English.

The trade worked both ways; some of McKuen's lyrics were translated into French and recorded by Brel.

[Speare-shaker]

The original lyrics were about a dying man forgiving in unfaithful wife by revealing that he too was unfaithful to her. I don't know what Jacks had in mind when he re-wrote it but was terrible. i heard he first offered the song to the Beach Boys and they wouldn't touch it.

[Oreb]

One of my favourite albums as a kid was the soundtrack to the movie of 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown'. That was packed with really good songs.

He had a world-view that we are way too cool to adopt these days: acceptance and kindness. It's our loss.

[JKL2000]

He wrote the original lyrics to the song that became Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun." God, how I hated that song!!! But judging from how much the lyrics had changed from McKuen's original, he probably hated it too.

That song was torture. Why the f were radio stations playing it back then?

[JJ88]

^I actually like the song but that version isn't up to much. There's an even more baffling one done by boy band Westlife with them grinning away at times in the video!

[Speare-shaker]

JKL2000, I think it was an era of corny songs. A lot of inexplicably weird and bad songs shot to the top. Remember "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen which, on top of being a rather pointless song, was ripped off from Rachmaninoff. Then there was "Alone Again Naturally" which contained lyrics that made "Gloomy Sunday" sound like a commercial spot for Abilify. Goes back to Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" I suppose. Schmaltz sells. Mediocrity wins the day. The so-easily-fooled masses just can't get enough of that stuff. Well, I have to go watch "50 Shades of Gray"--talk to you later.

[Progbear]

The original lyrics were about a dying man forgiving in unfaithful wife by revealing that he too was unfaithful to her. I don't know what Jacks had in mind when he re-wrote it but was terrible. i heard he first offered the song to the Beach Boys and they wouldn't touch it.

I believe it was Bruce Johnston who wanted to do it but the rest of the band members said “no.” And good for them!

[Speare-shaker]

"Billy Don't Be Hero" was another crapper. "The Night Chicago Died" was another. The funny thing is that these songs were advertised on k-tel type record offers when they were popular but I never actually heard the full songs until decades after--except Jacks' song because I was in a friend's mother's car once and that came on the radio and it was the only time I heard it until 2007 or so when someone at work sent it to me in the email as a gag. One listen and I never wanted to hear it again.

[bob_32_116]

^^^ In case anyone reading the above post is misled, I need to point out that Rod McKuen had nothing to do with "Billy Don't be a Hero" or "The Night Chicago Died".