Song of the Day 4/19: Blue Oyster Cult, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”

Sure, c’mon, let’s reopen everything on May 1! Don’t fear the reaper!

Blue Oyster Cult’s biggest hit (No. 7 Cashbox, No. 12 Billboard) was already a classic rock staple by 2000, when Saturday Night Live immortalized it in what has become one of the most popular skits in the show’s long history. Christopher Walken says that to this day, fans holler “more cowbell!” to him.

BOC guitarist Buck Dharma, who wrote and sings lead on the song, regrets that it was misinterpreted as a call to suicide. “I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of [death] (as opposed to actively bring it about). It’s basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners.”

No matter. Goth and metal bands have gravitated to the tune for decades. The best of these interpretations was by Finnish goth-rock band HIM (formerly His Infernal Majesty), which recorded it in 1997 for “Greatest Love Songs Vo 666.” Slowing the tempo and making it a male-female duet give the song a more minatory air than the original.

The most singular cover is probably the one by The Beautiful South, which gave it an almost Latin flavor.