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One of the most famous classic rock songs of the 1970s is Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” The song’s morbid imagery led some fans to believe it’s a song about suicide. Despite this, a writer of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” said it’s about transcendent love.

Blue Öyster Cult with guitars during the "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" era

Blue Öyster Cult with guitars | Michael Putland / Contributor

Blue Öyster Cult’s ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ is about the afterlife

Buck Dharma is a member of Blue Öyster Cult. He performed vocals on “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and co-wrote the song. 

During a 2022 interview with MusicRadar, Dharma explained the meaning of the track. “It’s a love story that transcends the death of one of the partners and then they get back together again in another plain,” he said. “It’s not about suicide, although I can see how people can think that, but that’s not where it’s at.”

The tune actually has a hopeful meaning. “It just imagines that there is an afterlife and that lovers will be reunited,” he said. “Dying is a part of life, so don’t fear it, just know that it’s there for everybody and it just happens at different times.”

Blue Öyster Cult recorded the track at Record Plant, one of the most famous recording studios. The band was happy to work there because so many great bands were working there at the time. While recording at Record Plant, Blue Öyster Cult ran into John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Aerosmith, and Blondie.

What Blue Öyster Cult expected from the song

Dharma revealed the band was taken off-guard by the success of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” “When we were mixing the record and listening to the playback, we knew we had something good, but we had no idea what it was going to do!” he said.

“We were thinking that it was going to be a strong FM radio track, and in those days, hit radio was AM and album radio was FM, so we thought we’d have a good album track for FM radio,” Dharma continued. “But beyond that — that it would actually take off and be a hit single? We had no idea!”

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How ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ performed in the United States and impacted culture

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was a modest hit. It reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. The tune became Blue Öyster Cult’s biggest single. Aside from “Burnin’ For You,” which reached No. 40, the band never related another top 40 single. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” appeared on the album Agents of Fortune. That record reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the chart for 35 weeks.

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” impacted pop culture beyond its time on the charts. For example, it appeared in John Carpenter’s Halloween as well as in the belated sequel Halloween Ends. The song’s title became Death’s motto in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was also the subject of a famous Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walken.

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is a wonderfully spooky song but it’s not as morbid as some fans think.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.

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