Will Ferrell on SNL with Christopher Walken “More Cowbell”. Look it up and watch it. One of the best skits of all time. The cast on stage during it is epic too.
Christopher Walken played a character "Bruce Dickenson" I always thought he was supposed to be the lead singer of Iron Maiden of the same name, but its just a coincidence?
I believe the message of this song is to not leave this earth a minute before your time, but when your time does finally come, "Don't Fear the Reaper". I was afraid of death for most of my life, and I won't pretend that I don't still have some hint of fear. But four years ago I had a "windowmaker" heart attack, and based on various aspects of my particular case I only had about a 3% chance of survival. A nurse burst into tears after seeing my ECG results and ran out of the ER. I had every reason to think that I was about to die, and I really knew that death was by far the most likely result. And I have to tell you that I was as calm and at peace as I have ever been in my life. I suffer daily from panic disorder, generalized anxiety, and depression. But when I thought I was dying all that fear was gone. I can tell you that I lost maybe 90% of my fear of dying after that day. It took nearly dying to teach me this message: Don't fear the Reaper.
There is definitely more out there. I really believe life is school and as long as you live well and do unto others as you have done to you rewards will be waiting for you. 😊
Maybe, but it mentions Romeo and Juliet who I’d say absolutely went before their time. Maybe it’s just don’t be afraid to die for what you love or just realize that physically dying is far from the worst thing you can embrace
The name comes from a producer of theirs and Black Sabbath who wrote poetry and in it talked of aliens hiding what was happening on earth as the blue oyster cult. The symbol the character on the album is pointing to was the bands symbol they used and it is the alchemy symbol for lead as in heavy metal! The song was written by band member Buck Dharma after he was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia that made him think about what would happen if he died young. Song was released in 1976
Since you like this, you really need to check out “Radar Love” by Golden Earring. Just don’t drive while listening to it, it’s a guaranteed speeding ticket.
I have always loved this song! Blue Oyster Cult is an outstanding group. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” is so deep and beautiful, it hits on so many levels. This song has been in many movies. Stephen King used it in the start of his miniseries back in 1994 “The Stand”. Absolutely a perfect song to kick off a series about a lethal pandemic.
Exactly what this song always makes me think about since seeing that as a kid. Such a good book and miniseries and a good song. Just don't bother watching the modern remake of The Stand from a few years ago. They absolutely turned it into garbage.
It's my understanding that Buck Dharma, the lead singer, was diagnosed with an arrhythmia and began to think about dying young. Of course, he's still alive, but he wrote this about eternal love that goes beyond physical existence. I've always loved this song and now that I'm older I can relate. I worry about leaving my children too soon as well. I think that's natural.....but still scary.
A lot of people mistook the song as being about suicide, not being afraid to take your own life, claiming 50K was an actual statistic, but he came out and said it was just a number he made up.
@emerje0 Yeah, I remember someone telling me that when I was younger. I always felt it was the fear of death, not necessarily suicide. I guess people get different things from music...and that's ok.
@@lanceandmelanierogers6255 Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. My mother just had a mastectomy for stage 3 breast cancer.......Cancer is very difficult on everyone. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. (I hope that doesn't offend you)
I believe your right as i remember a interview Buck did on MTV back in the early 80s mentioning this also he stated he wrote it to his wife to explain how he was feeling
The two most famous blond actors in the last 50 years, Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, each played the role of the Reaper. Redford in a Twilight Zone episode and Pitt in "Meet Joe Black". I've got to say two things. 1. I don't fear the reaper at age 70. 2. I'm glad I knew this song way before the SNL skit.
This song is what turned me on to BOC. I loved hearing this song. At the same time, I questioned myself about liking a song with such a message. Another song of theirs that I really like is "Burnin' for You".
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a must-listen. Also, the symbol the man on the album cover is BOC's symbol, which alternatively represents the mythological titan Saturn or the alchemical symbol for lead.
I love being on this music journey with you! I’m only 31, but I grew up with this music and to me there is nothing like it and there never will be again. Keep up the great vids man! 👍🏻
The cross with the bent bottom is a symbol of reincarnation. Blue = melancholy Oyster = secretive/close Cult = fringe group in society Now you’re ready for their other classics like “Godzilla”, “Dominance and Submission”, “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll”.
This song will remain relevant forever. People get so caught up in their fear of death that they forget to live. We all have the same destination, but it's everything before that that matters, not the end.
- the weird cross is the symbol the Blue Oyster Cult (BOC for short) uses as an insignia, it's on all their album covers somewhere. - SNL did a skit about this song, look up 'SNL More Cowbell' if you're interested. - Yeah BOC formed in the last 60s and got big in the 70s - other good songs by BOC include 'Godzilla' (inspired by the classic monster movies) and 'Veteran of the Psychic Wars'
The meaning of the song It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners." - Buck Dharma, lead singer. The song is about the inevitability of death and the foolishness of fearing it, and was written when Dharma was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age. BOC has several great songs. Burning For You, Veterans Of The Psychic Wars, Take Me Away, Joan Crawford, Shooting Shark, Godzilla to name a few. Saw them in 1981 with Foghat.
The first time I saw them was an outdoor festival with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The second time they were headlining. And the best show was 1st Annual Day of Rock & Roll in the Superdome. One of my favorite bands of that era.
This song has one of the most instantly recognizable guitar riffs of the 70s...two or three notes is all it takes to get a 70s teen like me rocking in anticipation!
Saw Blue Oyster Cult this past summer. When they sang this song, multiple people, including myself, yelled, “More cowbell!” Love this song, but SNL has definitely made it unforgettable.
Veterans of the Psychic Wars is the one you need to hear from Blue Oyster Cult! It was on a movie/cartoon called Heavy Metal! Amazing movie by the way!
I have always loved this song, to me it is a song of hope and a journey of eventual joy. There IS nothing to fear! B.O.C. has so many great songs, Godzilla Burning For You Astronomy E.T.I. So so many greats.
Does anyone remember the good old days when song lyrics were not readily available online? My funny mondegreen moment of the day came when I misheard the line "Seasons don't fear the reaper", as "Caesars don't fear the reaper". Kind of accidentally means nearly the same thing, as if to say, "He ain't afraid of dying; he's Julius effing Caesar!" I thought it was a weirdly cool line, until I found out my lame ears pseudo-invented it 🙄 Luckily I didn’t have the wiseguy friend correcting me moment. "Aaaaaactualy, he says "Seasons..." (instead I lucked into hearing a DJ talk about it on a radio show.) ...If no one is around, I still sing it my way 😂
This was very popular on the radio, it is a dynamite song, but in concert their song Godzilla was a killer! They would play the song and show Godzilla on the giant screen breaking through the power lines, it was AWESOME! Their showmanship was masterful.
Thank you. This was one of my fav groups in high school. I had completely forgotten about this group. Thank you for reminding me. I will be looking for more from this group to revive some old loves.
This song always hit me and stayed with me as live life to the fullest and stop fearing what might happen. Death being the ultimate but just everything in life. Emnbrace the little moments and everything life has to offer because it is fleeting. We tend to think too much at times.
I heard that the lead singer, Buck Dharma, thought he was going to die young and that it’s futile to fear death. It’s also about how love transcends death, even when our partners die. Many people assumed it was about s*icide, wrongly, due to the line about Romeo and Juliet. Buck Dharma is still alive so he was wrong about that. But he’s not wrong about love continuing after losing your partner, I still love my husband and still don’t know how I carry on each day. But if anyone is going through that, it does get slightly easier you just adjust to the “new normal “ it’s tough 💔
It's about a sad young couple -- like Romeo and Juliet -- choosing to end their sadness by dying together [take my hand] so they can be together in eternity and able to fly. It doesn't matter what the writer has said.
Love your interpretation of this song! Hearing the final lines of this song always force vivid images into my mind of a creepy vampire scenario: Lyrics are from memory & may not be exact but….. Came the last night of sadness & it was clear she couldn't go on / The door opened & the wind appeared / The candles blew & then disappeared / The curtains flew & then he appeared / Saying, “don't be afraid”-& she had no fear / And she ran to him - then they started to fly / They looked back & said goodbye - she had become like they are / She had taken his hand - she had become like they are This song is a masterpiece. It’s strange, intense, unique & beautiful.
Three more Blue Oyster Cult songs that I think are absolutely outstanding. "The Golden Age of Leather" which if you read the lyrics appears to be about a pact of veterans who became a motorcycle gang for a final, self-destructive night, "Veteran Of the Psychic Wars", which seems to dig deeply into how PTSD would feel to a science-fiction or fantasy veteran, and lastly, just for the sheer, lumbering monstrous fun of it, "Godzilla"
B.O.C. was one of my favorites bands growing up, saw them 3 times in Boston. When I was 17 --I developed panic disorder/agoraphobia, this song helped me a lot. The fear, I felt was unbelievable -daily-crippling and I became housebound for a few months. I could never see the futility of fighting fear, until you realize that death is inevitable and unknowable- just as the seasons. So let fear take you, don't hold it back--and when it does-it will eventually let you go. So the fear you feel/felt is actually the fear of feeling fear, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it helped me understand a lot about myself.
This came out when I was a little girl and this album was “out there”, at the time. But, what clever lyrics and such a bop. They also have a song called Godzilla. It is fun.
There’s two remastered live performances from the eighties on UA-cam. These are “ Astronomy “ and “ Veteran of the Physic Wars “ . There’s also some from 2012 and 2014 and assorted other but the first two mentioned are are the best ones to look at.
Blue Oyster Cult are one of the most underrated and criminally overlooked bands in history. Most people see them as a band with 3-4 radio hits and nothing else but their discography is HUGE and they were all musicians of the highest caliber. And yeah. People mistook this as a song about self-harm or somesuch but the actual meaning is more hopeful. It's the idea that when we accept that we're not caught up on how limited our time is, we can spend that time on the ones we love and enjoy it to the fullest. The "hooked cross" is the band's logo and it's based partly on the alchemical symbol for lead or the planet Saturn.
BP very perceptive reaction - I loved it - in my view the middle transition with guitar solo is the soul/ spirit moving through the veil, seeing the being, taking its hand and fearlessly flying away into the eternal beyond wherever it goes ……… I was 16 yo when I first heard this track still love it - the best double live album I ever heard was BOC On your knees or on your feet - it informs what BOC are about - pure authentic musicianship - one of top 5 all time fav bands - just love them for 50 Yrs!!!!!!
The name is from a collection of poems that the founder and manager of the band wrote called “ The Soft Doctrine of Imaginos” . Their 1987 album called Imaginos is based on this story. These poems were also bases for many of their songs. There are two songs that are based on the band name. The original one is called “Subhuman” and the other is “The Blue Oyster Cult “ both are similar but the latter is a reworked version of the first.
I got this 8trak as a teen and played the crap out of this in my very very used hand me down 65 Oldsmobile. Still have the vinyl, the 8trak & Olds finally crap out. 😂
Yes im 53 y/o and the 70s and 80s were the best, im glad i lived it. I have been watching your show for the past few months and your my new favorite reaction show. Keep up all the great videos and I will keep watching.
Such a great band with all kinds of influences rock, metal, prog and some psychedelic. Check out their song Godzilla. You'll want to do a live version. That symbol is simply the band logo
The symbol is called the hook cross. It’s a symbol that was adopted by the band after the first album. The band’s first album cover was done by a somewhat famous artist that was friends with the band. They asked him if he could do an album cover for the first album and he did it. In the middle of the cover he put this symbol. The band liked it so they left the symbol on the cover and adopted it for the band as part of the lore of the band.
They used to play small clubs (while still fairly big) as Soft White Underbelly. They were my second concert ever & they played with Black Sabbath and it was called Black & Blue back in 1979. First concert was Boston in Boston in 1978. The good old days!
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" also came from Pearlman's Imaginos cycle, explored most extensively on the 1988 album of the same name. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by Winston Churchill in describing Italy during World War II. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" is a group of aliens who had assembled secretly to guide Earth's history. "Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release..."[44]
They use to pre tour in bars to get ready for their tours, as soft white underbelly. Anyway some people I hung out with were disc jockeys. So I knew. I asked some other friends to come out and see this band. They were super stoked. 400 people capacity bar what a treat
There are some songs where the drummer gets out his guitar and all five of them JAM. They are a great band. Legend is the lead was diagnosed with a medical problem, and he wrote this.👍
The lead vocalist on this song was Buck Dharma whose voice is so light and airy. The song was actually written by the other vocalist Eric Bloom who co-wrote it with legendary fantasy writer Michael Moorcock (yes, that's actually his real name) who created the Elric of Melnibone book series. Michael actually was a hard rock/metal musician and did songwriting aside all his fantasy novels. If you want to check out the other side of Blue Oyster Cult, I'd suggest you check out Veteran of the Psychic Wars which has Eric on vocals. It's so different but amazing the same way this song is.
This was released when I was a senior in high school, so that would put it around '75 or '76. It was quite popular at the time, and a number of my friends were really into it. Last I saw they're still going strong, and a fun one of theirs you may want to check out is "Godzilla'.
BP, very insightful commentary. The writer (Buck Dharma) was in his late 20s and was diagnosed with a heart condition. Still alive today still playing live shows. If they come near you, go see them. Master musicians. The Reaper is a top-ten song for BOC, but you still haven't heard their best songs!
I saw BOC a few years ago in a small converted movie theater. Man, was it great! Buck Dharma can still shred. The place went nuts when Buck said" something big is coming this way". Everyone stood up and yelled GODZILLA!!!!
Coming to terms with our own mortality liberates us, so we can better enjoy the time that is given to us. Celebrate our connections, appreciate every moment. Even the tiniest, seemingly insignificant moments are to be treasured.
One of the greatest classic rock songs of all time. Period.
This.
Will Ferrell on SNL with Christopher Walken “More Cowbell”. Look it up and watch it. One of the best skits of all time. The cast on stage during it is epic too.
I forgot about that one. Now I have to go watch it. Lol
As soon as the music started all I could think of was "I'm gonna need more cowbell!"
Christopher Walken played a character "Bruce Dickenson" I always thought he was supposed to be the lead singer of Iron Maiden of the same name, but its just a coincidence?
I saw an interview with Christopher Walken where he talked about constantly getting asked in restaurants if he wanted more cowbell.
I thought it was about Nazareth "hair of the fog: dog i meant
I believe the message of this song is to not leave this earth a minute before your time, but when your time does finally come, "Don't Fear the Reaper". I was afraid of death for most of my life, and I won't pretend that I don't still have some hint of fear. But four years ago I had a "windowmaker" heart attack, and based on various aspects of my particular case I only had about a 3% chance of survival. A nurse burst into tears after seeing my ECG results and ran out of the ER. I had every reason to think that I was about to die, and I really knew that death was by far the most likely result. And I have to tell you that I was as calm and at peace as I have ever been in my life. I suffer daily from panic disorder, generalized anxiety, and depression. But when I thought I was dying all that fear was gone. I can tell you that I lost maybe 90% of my fear of dying after that day. It took nearly dying to teach me this message: Don't fear the Reaper.
Agreed. As a kid, I was scared. This song opens the curtain. We don’t know what is beyond, but if you believe in the beyond, don’t be afraid.
❤
There is definitely more out there. I really believe life is school and as long as you live well and do unto others as you have done to you rewards will be waiting for you. 😊
Maybe, but it mentions Romeo and Juliet who I’d say absolutely went before their time. Maybe it’s just don’t be afraid to die for what you love or just realize that physically dying is far from the worst thing you can embrace
It is peaceful
Talent, pure talent. No autotune, no junked up mess. Just talent.
Blue Oyster Cult "Burning for you", another great one ❤
That one along with Godzilla. Very catchy songs. :)
Go Go Godzilla!!!
Wooooo
Yes, definitely!
I played that song for my 4 year old grandson who loves it…. He will randomly start singing “ oh no there goes Tokyo “ ❤😂
@@autumnwaters574 Best line ever!
Yessssssss
I saw them live with Black Sabbath. Black and Blue. A night I'll never forget.🎉🎉
I was there, Sister! Weird combo of bands, awesome night!
My two favorite groups.
once "rock & roll" gets into your soul - it never leaves
I love this group. The song is so good. It's from 1975 or 76. Thanks for listening. Another fabulous reaction.
More cowbell!!!
You beat me to it 😆
🤣🤣
😂😂
Ha...ha...ha...........
I can’t hear this song and not laugh.
The name comes from a producer of theirs and Black Sabbath who wrote poetry and in it talked of aliens hiding what was happening on earth as the blue oyster cult. The symbol the character on the album is pointing to was the bands symbol they used and it is the alchemy symbol for lead as in heavy metal! The song was written by band member Buck Dharma after he was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia that made him think about what would happen if he died young. Song was released in 1976
Since you like this, you really need to check out “Radar Love” by Golden Earring. Just don’t drive while listening to it, it’s a guaranteed speeding ticket.
Ditto TobyMac's. "IGNITION"
Many songs do that for me!
LEE ANN WOIMACK "Hope You'll Dance"
Oh hell yeah I got 2 from listening to that song
Oh, I can cut up something big while driving if Radar Love comes on! LOL
My absolute favorite guitar solo, hands down.
I have always loved this song! Blue Oyster Cult is an outstanding group. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” is so deep and beautiful, it hits on so many levels. This song has been in many movies. Stephen King used it in the start of his miniseries back in 1994 “The Stand”. Absolutely a perfect song to kick off a series about a lethal pandemic.
Such a great movie series 👏
I completely agree. It totally set the mood for that series.
It had a small hearing in Halloween.
Exactly what this song always makes me think about since seeing that as a kid. Such a good book and miniseries and a good song.
Just don't bother watching the modern remake of The Stand from a few years ago. They absolutely turned it into garbage.
That transition out of the solo is one of the best transitions I've ever heard. It still gives me chills.
No doubt, one of the best transitions ever. I have to put on a sweater before listening to it!
It's a classic, with just the right amount of cowbell.
vastly underrated band. Fantastic guitar work. One of the best ever.
It's my understanding that Buck Dharma, the lead singer, was diagnosed with an arrhythmia and began to think about dying young. Of course, he's still alive, but he wrote this about eternal love that goes beyond physical existence. I've always loved this song and now that I'm older I can relate. I worry about leaving my children too soon as well. I think that's natural.....but still scary.
A lot of people mistook the song as being about suicide, not being afraid to take your own life, claiming 50K was an actual statistic, but he came out and said it was just a number he made up.
@emerje0 Yeah, I remember someone telling me that when I was younger. I always felt it was the fear of death, not necessarily suicide. I guess people get different things from music...and that's ok.
From someone that 59 stage 4 cancer.. well said
@@lanceandmelanierogers6255 Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. My mother just had a mastectomy for stage 3 breast cancer.......Cancer is very difficult on everyone. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. (I hope that doesn't offend you)
I believe your right as i remember a interview Buck did on MTV back in the early 80s mentioning this also he stated he wrote it to his wife to explain how he was feeling
The two most famous blond actors in the last 50 years, Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, each played the role of the Reaper. Redford in a Twilight Zone episode and Pitt in "Meet Joe Black". I've got to say two things. 1. I don't fear the reaper at age 70. 2. I'm glad I knew this song way before the SNL skit.
This song is what turned me on to BOC. I loved hearing this song. At the same time, I questioned myself about liking a song with such a message. Another song of theirs that I really like is "Burnin' for You".
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a must-listen. Also, the symbol the man on the album cover is BOC's symbol, which alternatively represents the mythological titan Saturn or the alchemical symbol for lead.
♥
The live version.
I love being on this music journey with you! I’m only 31, but I grew up with this music and to me there is nothing like it and there never will be again. Keep up the great vids man! 👍🏻
The cross with the bent bottom is a symbol of reincarnation.
Blue = melancholy
Oyster = secretive/close
Cult = fringe group in society
Now you’re ready for their other classics like “Godzilla”, “Dominance and Submission”, “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll”.
Go, go, Godzilla! :)
American Heritage Dictionary, fifth Edition:
Cult
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.
This song is an absolute masterpiece!
This song will remain relevant forever. People get so caught up in their fear of death that they forget to live. We all have the same destination, but it's everything before that that matters, not the end.
- the weird cross is the symbol the Blue Oyster Cult (BOC for short) uses as an insignia, it's on all their album covers somewhere.
- SNL did a skit about this song, look up 'SNL More Cowbell' if you're interested.
- Yeah BOC formed in the last 60s and got big in the 70s
- other good songs by BOC include 'Godzilla' (inspired by the classic monster movies) and 'Veteran of the Psychic Wars'
Hell, this song has convinced me that as long as you go with the Reaper, then you should be safe.
The meaning of the song
It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners." - Buck Dharma, lead singer. The song is about the inevitability of death and the foolishness of fearing it, and was written when Dharma was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age.
BOC has several great songs. Burning For You, Veterans Of The Psychic Wars, Take Me Away, Joan Crawford, Shooting Shark, Godzilla to name a few.
Saw them in 1981 with Foghat.
The first time I saw them was an outdoor festival with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The second time they were headlining. And the best show was 1st Annual Day of Rock & Roll in the Superdome. One of my favorite bands of that era.
Love this song!
Burning for you is a great song too!
Now do the SNL skit on this song. More cowbell
When I hear this song, the SNL skit is the 1st thing I think of....lol. More Cowbell!!!
Same here,My friend.I can’t dissociate the song from the skit.Greetings from France.😊🇫🇷🤝🇺🇸😎
I've got a fever...
@@salvatorebaleno9807 and the best way to cure it is more cowbell
@@salvatorebaleno9807 😆 🤣 😂
They are appearing on 11/2/24 in Des Plaines Illinois. I will be attending. Can't wait.
Have a great time, Pamela!
I'm in Des Plaines. IL right this second as I am typing this. Didn't know they were appearing here.
This song has one of the most instantly recognizable guitar riffs of the 70s...two or three notes is all it takes to get a 70s teen like me rocking in anticipation!
Saw Blue Oyster Cult this past summer. When they sang this song, multiple people, including myself, yelled, “More cowbell!” Love this song, but SNL has definitely made it unforgettable.
This song is awesome but I did notice it needs “More Cowbell “ !😂😂😂
One of the best solos ever! Straight shreddin🤘🏽
Veterans of the Psychic Wars is the one you need to hear from Blue Oyster Cult! It was on a movie/cartoon called Heavy Metal! Amazing movie by the way!
Was awesome in Heavy Metal!
That whole soundtrack is great!
@@donnamcmanus7360 I agree!!!
If you were to make a mixed tape or CD of only 15 songs of classic rock this song has to be on it. This is exactly what classic rock is.
Amen
I have always loved this song, to me it is a song of hope and a journey of eventual joy. There IS nothing to fear!
B.O.C. has so many great songs,
Godzilla
Burning For You
Astronomy
E.T.I.
So so many greats.
*Guess what...I have a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!!!*
This is just one of those songs that you love from the first fraction of a second, pure awesomeness.
Does anyone remember the good old days when song lyrics were not readily available online?
My funny mondegreen moment of the day came when I misheard the line "Seasons don't fear the reaper", as "Caesars don't fear the reaper".
Kind of accidentally means nearly the same thing, as if to say, "He ain't afraid of dying; he's Julius effing Caesar!"
I thought it was a weirdly cool line, until I found out my lame ears pseudo-invented it 🙄
Luckily I didn’t have the wiseguy friend correcting me moment. "Aaaaaactualy, he says "Seasons..." (instead I lucked into hearing a DJ talk about it on a radio show.)
...If no one is around, I still sing it my way 😂
Gotta put this one on your playlist!
Saw this group in concert a few weeks ago. Still sound exceptional.
This was very popular on the radio, it is a dynamite song, but in concert their song Godzilla was a killer! They would play the song and show Godzilla on the giant screen breaking through the power lines, it was AWESOME! Their showmanship was masterful.
Thank you. This was one of my fav groups in high school. I had completely forgotten about this group. Thank you for reminding me. I will be looking for more from this group to revive some old loves.
This song is so FIRE! It's an "immediately turn up the radio" song,
Love this classic, Cities of flame and rock & roll is one of their best.
Love this song!!! Know there is more out there after this. Life is school. When you pass over its reward. Live well. 😊
It's a perfect month of October song. From the Fall season to eerie Halloween.
This song always hit me and stayed with me as live life to the fullest and stop fearing what might happen. Death being the ultimate but just everything in life. Emnbrace the little moments and everything life has to offer because it is fleeting. We tend to think too much at times.
yes, overthinking makes you stagnate.
I heard that the lead singer, Buck Dharma, thought he was going to die young and that it’s futile to fear death. It’s also about how love transcends death, even when our partners die.
Many people assumed it was about s*icide, wrongly, due to the line about Romeo and Juliet.
Buck Dharma is still alive so he was wrong about that.
But he’s not wrong about love continuing after losing your partner, I still love my husband and still don’t know how I carry on each day. But if anyone is going through that, it does get slightly easier you just adjust to the “new normal “ it’s tough 💔
It's about a sad young couple -- like Romeo and Juliet -- choosing to end their sadness by dying together [take my hand] so they can be together in eternity and able to fly.
It doesn't matter what the writer has said.
"The Blue Öyster Cult hook-and-cross logo was designed by Bill Gawlik in January 1972, and appears on all of the band's albums."
Love your interpretation of this song! Hearing the final lines of this song always force vivid images into my mind of a creepy vampire scenario: Lyrics are from memory & may not be exact but…..
Came the last night of sadness & it was clear she couldn't go on / The door opened & the wind appeared / The candles blew & then disappeared / The curtains flew & then he appeared / Saying, “don't be afraid”-& she had no fear / And she ran to him - then they started to fly / They looked back & said goodbye - she had become like they are / She had taken his hand - she had become like they are
This song is a masterpiece. It’s strange, intense, unique & beautiful.
The best song for the opening scene of a tv series about a deadly flu. IYKYK
The Stand...was a great intro.Also partially played in Halloween movie
Three more Blue Oyster Cult songs that I think are absolutely outstanding.
"The Golden Age of Leather" which if you read the lyrics appears to be about a pact of veterans who became a motorcycle gang for a final, self-destructive night, "Veteran Of the Psychic Wars", which seems to dig deeply into how PTSD would feel to a science-fiction or fantasy veteran, and lastly, just for the sheer, lumbering monstrous fun of it, "Godzilla"
B.O.C. was one of my favorites bands growing up, saw them 3 times in Boston. When I was 17 --I developed panic disorder/agoraphobia, this song helped me a lot. The fear, I felt was unbelievable -daily-crippling and I became housebound for a few months. I could never see the futility of fighting fear, until you realize that death is inevitable and unknowable- just as the seasons. So let fear take you, don't hold it back--and when it does-it will eventually let you go. So the fear you feel/felt is actually the fear of feeling fear, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it helped me understand a lot about myself.
I was 15 when when this song came out and it is still the best BOC song! When someone says classic rock. This song comes to mind!
This was the first concert I ever went to as a teenager. WOW! What a show it was.
This came out when I was a little girl and this album was “out there”, at the time. But, what clever lyrics and such a bop. They also have a song called Godzilla. It is fun.
Omg I seen them in concert in the 80's and they were fantastic 😊
There’s two remastered live performances from the eighties on UA-cam. These are “ Astronomy “ and “ Veteran of the Physic Wars “ . There’s also some from 2012 and 2014 and assorted other but the first two mentioned are are the best ones to look at.
Blue Oyster Cult are one of the most underrated and criminally overlooked bands in history. Most people see them as a band with 3-4 radio hits and nothing else but their discography is HUGE and they were all musicians of the highest caliber. And yeah. People mistook this as a song about self-harm or somesuch but the actual meaning is more hopeful. It's the idea that when we accept that we're not caught up on how limited our time is, we can spend that time on the ones we love and enjoy it to the fullest. The "hooked cross" is the band's logo and it's based partly on the alchemical symbol for lead or the planet Saturn.
Continue to be reminded of the great music I grew up with…
Always loved this song.👍
Thanks for reacting
They released a live album called Some Enchanted Evening. All bangers. And, yes Godzilla is on there .
One of my all time favorites 😊
BP very perceptive reaction - I loved it - in my view the middle transition with guitar solo is the soul/ spirit moving through the veil, seeing the being, taking its hand and fearlessly flying away into the eternal beyond wherever it goes ……… I was 16 yo when I first heard this track still love it - the best double live album I ever heard was BOC On your knees or on your feet - it informs what BOC are about - pure authentic musicianship - one of top 5 all time fav bands - just love them for 50 Yrs!!!!!!
The name is from a collection of poems that the founder and manager of the band wrote called “ The Soft Doctrine of Imaginos” . Their 1987 album called Imaginos is based on this story. These poems were also bases for many of their songs. There are two songs that are based on the band name. The original one is called “Subhuman” and the other is “The Blue Oyster Cult “ both are similar but the latter is a reworked version of the first.
I got this 8trak as a teen and played the crap out of this in my very very used hand me down 65 Oldsmobile. Still have the vinyl, the 8trak & Olds finally crap out. 😂
One of the all time best songs. Especially featuring the cowbell.
This song is a classic! Definitely on my gym playlist!! First time I heard this song was in the original “Halloween”!!
Same here, when Annie and Laurie are smoking a joint in Annie's car 😄
@@logancreed5041 yep! Exactly 👍🏽
My afternoon mix tape kept in my car started with this, listened to it nearly every day driving home.
My message is-this song is about Romeo and Juliet. Don’t be afraid to die. If they are together for eternity means everything will be ok.
this will always be one of my favorite songs!
This is the song from the iconic & funny SNL skit, "More Cowbell." LOL! 🎵
Thankx BP 😊.Listen to Burnin' for You. It is a banger. You will love it. Thanks for the vids.
One of my all-time favorite songs of the last 50 years. I heard them perform this live at one of the "Day on the Green" concerts in the late 1970s.
Exactly, I was there as well. Man, I miss those great concerts in the bay area.
Yes im 53 y/o and the 70s and 80s were the best, im glad i lived it. I have been watching your show for the past few months and your my new favorite reaction show. Keep up all the great videos and I will keep watching.
I came across this song for the first time in the Michael J Fox movie The Frighteners from the 90's. Hysterical movie, great tune!
Such a great band with all kinds of influences rock, metal, prog and some psychedelic. Check out their song Godzilla. You'll want to do a live version. That symbol is simply the band logo
Another 70's masterpiece fantastic instrumentations, lyrics and great vocals.
The symbol is called the hook cross. It’s a symbol that was adopted by the band after the first album. The band’s first album cover was done by a somewhat famous artist that was friends with the band. They asked him if he could do an album cover for the first album and he did it. In the middle of the cover he put this symbol. The band liked it so they left the symbol on the cover and adopted it for the band as part of the lore of the band.
What we need here is more cowbell
I agree. Lol
They used to play small clubs (while still fairly big) as Soft White Underbelly. They were my second concert ever & they played with Black Sabbath and it was called Black & Blue back in 1979. First concert was Boston in Boston in 1978. The good old days!
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" also came from Pearlman's Imaginos cycle, explored most extensively on the 1988 album of the same name. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by Winston Churchill in describing Italy during World War II. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" is a group of aliens who had assembled secretly to guide Earth's history. "Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release..."[44]
They use to pre tour in bars to get ready for their tours, as soft white underbelly. Anyway some people I hung out with were disc jockeys. So I knew. I asked some other friends to come out and see this band. They were super stoked. 400 people capacity bar what a treat
There are some songs where the drummer gets out his guitar and all five of them JAM. They are a great band. Legend is the lead was diagnosed with a medical problem, and he wrote this.👍
They had multiple vocalists as well
Interpretation is spot on.
Very underrated but highly skilled band and over looked musicians and singers.
Im 62 years old... and every time I hear this.. I become a crazy 14 year old again.. jumping around my living room!!!! An absolute classic!!!!!
The lead vocalist on this song was Buck Dharma whose voice is so light and airy. The song was actually written by the other vocalist Eric Bloom who co-wrote it with legendary fantasy writer Michael Moorcock (yes, that's actually his real name) who created the Elric of Melnibone book series. Michael actually was a hard rock/metal musician and did songwriting aside all his fantasy novels. If you want to check out the other side of Blue Oyster Cult, I'd suggest you check out Veteran of the Psychic Wars which has Eric on vocals. It's so different but amazing the same way this song is.
Perfectly used at the beginning of the original miniseries "The Stand".
This was released when I was a senior in high school, so that would put it around '75 or '76. It was quite popular at the time, and a number of my friends were really into it.
Last I saw they're still going strong, and a fun one of theirs you may want to check out is "Godzilla'.
BP, very insightful commentary. The writer (Buck Dharma) was in his late 20s and was diagnosed with a heart condition. Still alive today still playing live shows. If they come near you, go see them. Master musicians. The Reaper is a top-ten song for BOC, but you still haven't heard their best songs!
I saw BOC a few years ago in a small converted movie theater. Man, was it great! Buck Dharma can still shred. The place went nuts when Buck said" something big is coming this way". Everyone stood up and yelled GODZILLA!!!!
Coming to terms with our own mortality liberates us, so we can better enjoy the time that is given to us. Celebrate our connections, appreciate every moment. Even the tiniest, seemingly insignificant moments are to be treasured.
Saw BOC live, what an experience. Insanely talented musicians, mesmerizing sound with no gimmicks
Saw them live when I was about 14! They had a “laser light” show that blew my mind in ‘77 or ‘78! Great song, great band! ❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
Favorite song for ever ❤
I saw them in concert back in the 70s. 😊
I saw them approx 6-7 years ago and they rocked !