“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” has also been featured on a number of ‘greatest hits’Īlbums as well as a few of Blue Öyster Cult’s live projects. When did “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” come out?ġ976 as the lead single from Blue Öyster Cult’s album “Agents of Fortune”. This perception is glued to the song that that in the years since its release, it has been heavily utilized largely by horror franchises. That is to say that if one were to actually study the background of the track, such as Buck Dharma having been diagnosed with a heart condition around the time he penned it, then the fact that it is based on the idea of not being afraid to die becomes a lot more obvious. But if one were to listen to it without such knowledge, it is understandable how they can misconstrue the lyrics as actually promoting the idea of dying. Does “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper Promote Death?Īt the end of the day, by and large, people still see “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” as a song advocating death. This verse serves as a narrative centered on the singer actually witnessing a loved one (particularly a female) passing away. And the alternative-ending chorus can be understood as she meeting up with her romantic partner in the afterlife. Or as Buck Dharma put it in explaining the meaning of the song, she actually goes back for him. However, to the naked eye it reads more like as if she is embracing death, as in accepting the reaper as her buddy. This becomes a bit more apparent in the third verse. This is actually intended to point to is a love that transcends the mortal plane. Interpreted the song as being an advocacy of such actions, especiallyĬonsidering that it states “we can be like they are”. However, the idea Of these individuals died from suicide. Thus some listeners have logically Juliet”. “Romeo and Juliet” is a romantic tragedy in which basically both So by highlighting the stories of two other fictional characters, “Romeo and Uses a somewhat unconventional approach in relaying this message.

Blue oyster cult don't fear the reaper