Two Girls React To Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (Audio) 

Don Roeser, aka Buck Dharma, wrote this song when he was diagnosed with a heart condition that might require surgery. He was thinking of his wife whom he married not long before, and he pondered the possibility of love transcending death. Don has said that at its core DFtR is a love song that reenforces the possibility that the love you share with that special someone may yield serenity that can not be conquered, even by Death. You will hear themes that echo Shakespeare as well as classic dramatic themes. Don says people like to project upon the song their own beliefs, but as a lyricist it’s one of the benefits of retaining vagueness in the storytelling. The driver was my own fear of dying young and not experiencing growing together and building a family. Open heart surgery was a big deal in the mid 70s and many didn’t survive even when young and healthy. The song was born out of that period between a shocking diagnosis and working through the period of testing. Roeser was able to avoid the surgery using other treatment, but during that time he wrote the song and recorded a demo on his reel-to-reel at home. He played the tape for his bandmates, each being singers and songwriters themselves, and they knew they had something special. The arrangement was worked out in the studio, with backing vocal harmonies and the “la-la-las” and Buck laid down the iconic intro picking surprisingly using a Gibson ES-175 borrowed from one of the producers. His lead guitar solo stands the test of time for its delicious contrast in a mellow tune. It became BÖC’s first hit that got significant radio play and catapulted the band to new heights. The band is still one of the tightest playing acts out touring today, so be sure to catch them live in ‘21-‘22 and they released a critically acclaimed album “The Symbol Remains” about a year ago. This album is fresh and quite appealing as it is anything but a nostalgic retread - so ✅ it out! You might really enjoy reacting to the video for one of its killer tracks “The Alchemist!” Another nice reaction, ladies! 🤘🏻

Glad to have you " Back in the saddle' Mia which also is an Aerosmith song worth a listen. 😁😁💚

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Blue Oyster Cult has been a favorite of mine since the early 70's. Buck Dharma is one of the finest guitarists in rock music. There's a live version of this song from 1981 that you can find. It's superior to the studio version, which ain't bad!

Mia had a fever, and the prescription was more cow bell.

You shouldn't have to apologize for taking time for your health. We'll still be here for you both but your health and family are always the priority. Glad you're feeling better...and thanks for more cowbell. SNL did a funny bit about recording this song and I suggest you look it up on RU-vid now that you know the song.

I remember when this song came out. The instrumental bridge scared the *@$!! out of me.

Glad you are well Mia. 😊

I've got a fever and the only prescription is…more cowbell.

Another SPOOKY song by Blue Oyster Cult you ladies will love is “I Love The Night” from 1977. “Don’t Fear The Reaper” was used very effectively in the classic 1978 horror film “Halloween” starring Jamie Lee Curtis. That’s an excellent movie for you two to watch this Halloween. There have been a lot of “Halloween” movies over the years, but this one was the first and still the best.

I’m seeing this in my feed for the first time two years after the fact. At almost 65 years old I gotta tell you there’s something very gratifying about seeing two young girls digging this masterpiece just like we all did way back when it was brand new. It might interest you to know that BOC is still performing this song, and many others, to live audiences to this very day. And from now on whenever you hear someone say, “Rock and roll will never die.”, you are the reason why. Much love ❤️ 😊

It's hard for me to hear this song without thinking about that "more cowbell" SNL skit.

BLUE OYSTER CULT in their magnificent "Veteran of the Psychic Wars", try the live video and you will see real heavy metal old school riff, and also CITIES ON FLAME (also live video) ............ and embrace the hard rock and roll full blast of BLUE OYSTER CULT.

Mia, glad you’re feeling better again. Another great review of another great song. Well done, ladies! Oh, dad, get them both a Blue Öyster Cult T-shirt!

If you listen to the end of the solo, there's a high tension hook at G that lasts until the end of the line: "Here, but now they're gone", which becomes a string bend up to A, which is that "cry" effect you're hearing. Not many bands do this anymore- allow the music to reflect the lyrics and story of the song.

You need to check out their song "Godzilla"!

BOC's "Godzilla" would be fun for Halloween; "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" was co-written w/ SFF author Michael Moorcock and is featured in the film _Heavy Metal_ ; the live version of "Astronomy" really shows the musical chops BOC brings to the stage. Dive in to some more!

Juliet, I am so sorry you needed to provide care for Mia 24/7, but everyone is happy she is back on her feet!! Since Mia is so much looking forward to Halloween here are a few Halloween style scary songs to consider before the end of the weekend!!! "Werewolf" by The Five Man Electrical Band, "Season of the Witch" by Donovan, and "Spooky" by The Classics IV! And yes, Juliet, that is you they were singing about in the song!!

Welcome back, ladies! Mia, so glad to hear you're better! RU-vid just wasn't the same without you and Juliet brightening up our day! Keep rockin' ladies! Love ya!

This song is a great old classic! I'm glad to hear you're feeling better! :) Yes, the lyric is "Another 40,000 coming every day." At the end of the song he appears and she runs to him and she "becomes like they are".

A masterpiece from the 1970's! Sounds as good today as it did then. The golden age of rock! Thanks ladies!

Happy happy happy 😁😁 Mia Juliet are back. ❤️❤️ Just-in-time.. isn't time for 👹 your guys's zombie army can't wait. Our Queen is back.

Another soothing song is "I love the Night". Which is about a woman in white, a vampire.....which is cool

I'm 68 and this is easily in my Top Ten favorite all time songs. It's an eerily creepy, mesmerizingly gorgeous song about a teenage suicide pact. "Come away with me. We can fly away, be together forever like Romeo and Juliette". The review and reaction are pleasantly spot on and mature. Love it❤

To see them play this live will give you chills. Buck Dharma’s vocal masterpiece. Great work young ladies.

Lovely to see you appreciating this absolute classic. One of those perfect, immortal tracks that people who know nothing else about the band still love and play decades later.

MORE COWBELL!! (The reference is an SNL skit many years ago with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken which is sort of how the original band member playing the cowbell remembered it needing more cow bell during the song)...it's quite funny....weird but funny.

I was waiting for when Buck says ‘Juliette’’. That was priceless.

Very good! You got it right the first time! I've known several who never get the point of it all. Next BOC should be "Then Came The Last Days Of May". Great reaction ladies!

I love the Night is such a beautiful song and it's about Vampires! I highly recommend you react to that Blue Oyster Cult song.

BOC had many great albums, saw them live once. E.T.I. on this album is my favorite. Mirrors is my favorite album.

The band that did the original "Godzilla." Glad you're feeling better. Keep em comin...

What 's amazing is timing of the guitar riff, and the timing of the lyrics between the two singers, just sounds so amazing. It resonates with the soul somehow.

Wow, what a great reaction, I loved it! This is an all-time classic song. I remember when I first heard it. I had the same reaction! You totally got into it and appreciated it. I see this song as the ultimate in smoothness, it's deliciously melodic. Timely lyrics with Halloween approaching. You both scared me coming up from behind the table to say "Don't fear the reaper!" Definitely got me in the Halloween spirit, LOL. I could see Juliet learning this riff on guitar. I loved Mia's observation that that guitar break in the middle sounded like the reaper showing his true colors. Spooky but it did sound like that! Thanks again, gals, and welcome back! Mia sounds her old self again, thank God.

I'm old enough to be your grandmother. I was 14 when this song came out and I love it as much now as I did then. There's a video online where the lead singer/song writer tells the story. Look it up.

Go, go Godzilla!... This band was my first concert as a girl about your age in the mid 70's. Changed my life forever as a lover of rock and roll and live shows. You girls are so beautiful and awesome. Love your channel!

You were right Mia. He showed his true colors and she took his hand. Great reaction girls and thanks for putting a smile on my face 🙂 It was hauntingly beautiful. Glad you’re feeling better Mia

I noticed how at the 8:09 mark how Mias eyes lit up when the singer sang...'and she ran to him'. And then how she rubbed her arms as if she got goosebumps! This song can do that to you!!

Next year they celebrate their 50'th anniversary. 'On Tour Forever' is their motto. #dadpleasegetthemablueoystercultshirt

Saw them live back in the day. Great live band.

A woman is on her death bed and she is terrified. Her husband or boyfriend has already passed away sometime before, but his soul has come back to comfort and reassure her that she should not be afraid. It's a beautiful love song actually. Also, the Reaper doesn't kill people. Lol!!! Once you die, the Reaper just takes your soul to wherever it's 'supposed' to go.

The lead guitarist wrote this song when he was diagnosed with a heart condition. During the time it took to know if surgery was required, he thought about his wife as they hadn’t been married all that long and there seemed to be so much life yet to share. He took the muse of Love being so strong to transcend Death. People often wrongly conclude it’s about suicide, when in fact it’s writer, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, has said it is at its core a love song. Mortality is addressed naturally in the lyrics just as he was confronting it at the time in relation to his own love story. He was able to be treated successfully and in addition to decades of his guitar mastery since, he left us this masterpiece as a souvenir of that crisis. Buck recorded it on 4 track in his home, played the demo for the band. All five were gifted songwriters and musicians, and they came up with this studio arrangement that caught on like wildfire in ‘76!

Hey, I’m a HUGE Blue Öyster Cult fan. They’re a great band with many great songs. This song was originally mistakenly thought to be about suicide, but Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser the guitarist and writer and singer of this song said it’s about death and how you should not fear death, in your daily life. BÖC has been around since the 70’s and have a treasure trove of music to check out. I hope you check out more BÖC. Here’s a short list of songs from Blue Öyster Cult for you to listen to: Godzilla Burnin’ For You Astronomy E.T.I. Black Blade Stay Cool 😎 and… \m/ Stay Metal \m/

Try the live video of Veterans of the Psychic Wars for the greatest guitar work ever!!!!!

Hey guys Mia's back YEEing. Again

I'm glad you're feeling better Mia! Great video girls. I was 8 years old when this song was new. I remember as if it was yesterday. It's not exactly heavy metal but it was sort of showing music to come in the 1980s. This song brings me back to the feeling of 1976. Like not many things can 👍

Hi Girls, glad to see you back and good your up and about. A good song and there's a hilarious SNL skit with Will Ferrall doing this song

One of the greatest rock songs ever. After hearing this for the 1,000th time, I still get goosebumps....every time.

Great reaction guys! Blue Oyster Cult are masters of creating creepy songs with pop sensibilities and just beautiful arrangements. For your next Blue Oyster Cult song I think you must hear Astronomy . It is from an earlier album by them and is dreamy cool. You will like it. Anyone else think they should hear Astronomy? Like this comment to show Mia and Juliette that Astronomy should be next.

luv this channel -great work girls! I Love The Night from their next album :-}

BLUE OYSTER CULT "GODZILLA",, BURNING FOR YOU",, "I LOVE THE NIGHT" & "THIS AIN'T THE SUMMER OF LOVE"...CLASSICS.

Going to see them in a few weeks. Realized I have never seen them live. Should be a great show!

Love this song and BÖC! GREAT REACTION GIRLS! Grettings from Spain :)

Thanks for doing this one! :) I'm a lifelong BOC fan. Cheers from northeast Ohio.

For a complete 180 degree turn in their sound, go back 4 years to their 1972 debut release, and listen to "Cities On Flame, With Rock & Roll". Sung by their drummer, and way harder-edged. It is also stellar live, from their 1975 live release, "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees".

"Got a fever and the only cure is more cowbell." -SNL 😂 "Godzilla", "Burning For You." ✌️❤️🌹

#dadpleasegetthemablueoystercultshirt Awesome job ladies!! Yes this '70's tune by Blue Oyster Cult is fantastic!! Brings back many memories of my high school days. So good! 🎸🎼🎵🎶🥁🎤🎸

I'm glad your feeling better Mia. Now that you've heard some BOC you almost can't go wrong listening to any of their song but I have a suggestion. One word "Godzilla"

Woooo welcome back ladies!!! Great job YEEEE!!!🌹🌹

This album was a turn from BOC as a hard rock band to a pop rock band. The live album, "On Your Feet, or On Your Knees", contains most of their old stuff. Many great songs, but my favorite is ME262. BTW you missed commenting on the cowbell. It is signature for this song. Keep rocking!

Last Days Of May has a similar day dream effect - live in the 2000s it's extended solos version also But mostly the cult were heavy metal . Reaper was their most famous and played on FM radio global - drive time slot . They had the biggest Lazer rig in the 70s and that decade was their peak .

Wow, what an amazing analysis of the guitar solo. I'm 50 years old and I never made that connection.

One of the greatest songs ever. Opening lyrics are amazing.

Glad to hear you are well. This is a song from my teenage years we all had this album in our collection

Glad to see you guys finally covered this magnificent gem. I’ll spare you the request for “more cow bell” . Keep up the good work and rock on ladies ROCK ON 🤘🏻🔥🎵

Go to the Secret Treaties album for tracks like ME 262, Flaming Telepaths & Dominace and Submission. The whole album is FIRE!

To this day, conjecture has surrounded the song’s afterlife-themed subject matter. With a flowery and memorable guitar motif as its central theme, its haunting strains reminded us that the (Grim) Reaper is never too far away. Many times since the song’s release, however, Roeser has denied suggestion that the song is about suicide. “And I’ll do so again right here,” he insists. “That was never what I had in mind when I wrote it. It’s more to do with recognising the inevitability of death, and postulating and celebrating the hope that there is an afterlife.” With its lyrical reference to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet being ‘together in eternity’, it’s easy to see why people might assume the song is about a suicide pact. “They’re just a couple whose love - you assume - survives suicide,” he explains. “It’s not necessarily about suicide, but of course the Romeo and Juliet part was what made people believe that had inspired the song.”

The lead guitarist was diagnosed with a heart murmur and thought he was going to die when he wrote this.

Ignore the tired cow bell jokes, those people aren't real fans Check out their discography. These guys are geniuses

It needs more cowbell;per Bruce Dickinson!

Really fun watching you two hear this song for the first time while the rest of us have been hearing it and seeing BOC live for 45 years. But you really get it!

Oh man a classic! One of my all time favorite songs! I'm glad you both enjoyed this song.

I'll be honest , i have seen so many reactions and you all are by far the most intuitive and intelligent of them all!!!! May i suggest you have lyrics on standby just in case your questioning the interpretation of the songs

Welcome back Mia what a great pick my favorite BOC song. 🙏🏽✌🏽❤️

BÖC - Astronomy (Live at Columbus Municipal Auditorium, Columbus, GA - April 1978)

I am glad Mia is feeling better. I had the flu once, and it was horrible. Great reaction! I saw Blue Öyster Cult live a very long time ago. Great show! Reaction suggestion: The Warning - "Queen of the Murder Scene" (from the album of the same name), live at Lunario CDMX. Dany is scary good!!

Hey ladies I love this journey you might remember that my cousin was a bit of a biker chick, well if she liked a band I wouldn’t because I considered it below my shallow self that was to her face it was like she didn’t like Motörhead and I didn’t like scorpion or BLUE OYSTER CULT But secretly I’d listen to them and you’ve against opened up memories of me and Linda bickering over who listened to the best bands blue oyster are brilliant but I’d never let Lyn know Try GODZILLA by oyster cult it’s brilliant I’ve just listened to it first time since 1987 Mia great to see you so healthy and happy and Juliet you look absolutely amazing thanks again ladies for the memories best wishes T

what an amazing connection you two have, don't ever let anything come between you.

ok first. welcome back. mia glad your healthy and strong. PROPS!!! to juliet and dad for not singing dont fear the reaper threw mias bedroom door when she was really sick :P

One of my all time favorite bands. They have many great songs.

At 7:55 when the lyrics hit you, precious. Seeing you get the chills and goosebumps gave my goosebumps the gossebumps!!!

Noticed your absence. Glad you're back and healthy.

In case you were wondering, the cowbell resembles a clock ticking, remarking that time is finite and the reaper will be catching you sooner or later. That was this song is about, not suicide, but embracing the fact we are not eternal and letting go.

This song reminds my of Gratefull Dead's "Terrapin Station"; same two kind of "chapters" with a quiet start and more action towards the end. Really worth it, deserves lots of hand claps. Edit: Oh, and Dad, give them those Blue Oyster Cult T-shirts. Do it. Doooo it. :o)

Next blue oyster cult Godzilla

Nice to know you're feeling better Mia, another one of their hits is Burning For You

Wowww!!??!! This song gives me spectacular goosebumps and I don't want that mantra-like flow and rhythm to end. High musical art !😮😊❤

This is the best music review ever.

there's also an organ in there too but you just can't hear it where it was going to that second verse or first verse you kind of hear it a little bit

Great Halloween Song Sibs.. Loved your reaction!!!

TRUST ME- No parent in this country will be creeped-out by this song. They and THEIR parents grew up with BOCult.

FUN FACT: In the video game RETURNAL, a bullet-storm third-person shooter for the PS5, most of the musical score was based on this song. Furthermore, the song itself is played in its entirety during a cut-scene. This means that RETURNAL contains more Cowbell than any other game in history. You now have knowledge. Use it for good.

BÖC Rocks! I have seen this song over 100 times live and it always fantastic! Buck Dharm is one of the best guitar players in the world! Glad you enjoyed it!

I've got a fever. And the only perscription is more cowbell.

Probably the single greatest song ever created! The legendary BOC rules forever! On a side note, did you notice the bass lines kind of sound like a horse and rider coming in at full speed? The reaper is coming......

Good to hear you are well! Welcome back!

Great reaction, ladies ! .. You definitely picked up the vibe of this classic song, and felt its magical combination of musical excellence mixed with spooky atmospherics .. And yes, when that loud and strange sounding guitar chord comes out of nowhere suddenly during the instrumental break, it can certainly scare you for a moment .. which it seems to have done here 😨.. Fantastic job ! .. Wayne

Welcome back Mia!!! Juliet you too

Such a great song. Look up the actual intent of the song. It's sweet about an old woman who was at the end and the love of her life helping her go on. Such a wonderful song, great musical composition, great lyrics.

Simply a piece of Art from a terribly underrated band

Fun fact blue oyster cults upside down question mark symbol makes a cameo in a supernatural episode titled don't fear the reaper. It appears above a fireplace in an abandoned house and Dean questions where he's seen the symbol before.