The song was sung by Terry Jacks, and was a Number One hit in the UK in 1974. This is one of the all time great 'death' records, along with 'Honey' by Bobby Goldsboro which was a Number Two in 1968, and achieved the same level on re-issue in 1975, and The Shangri-Las' 'Leader Of The Pack' which has been issued five times on five separate labels, and charted on four of those occasions - looks like death and mourning touch a big chord in the listening public.