Blue Öyster Cult singer / guitarist Buck Dharma recently spoke with Greg Prato at Songfacts, reflecting on the band's extensive catalogue, discussing the history of some of their songs, and commenting on Saturday Night Live's legendary "more cowbell" skit featuring Christopher Walken. 

Songfacts: What's the most misinterpreted Blue Öyster Cult song?

Dharma: "It could be '(Don't Fear) The Reaper'. It's not about suicide, although people kind of get that from the Romeo and Juliet reference. But BÖC's lyrics have always been... not obtuse, but deep. They're certainly open to interpretation, and everybody seems to have their own thoughts about what stuff means. We purposely let people do that - draw their own conclusions from the lyric. So, I don't think anything is grossly misunderstood, no."

Songfacts: What were your literary references on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"?

Dharma: "None specific. It was sort of inspired by a personal health scare - I thought I was going to maybe not live that long. I had been diagnosed with a heart condition, and your mind starts running away with you - especially when you're young-ish. So, that's why I wrote the story. It's imagining you can survive death in terms of your spirit. Your spirit will prevail."

Songfacts: What did you think of the SNL "more cowbell" skit?

Dharma: "Hilarious. It's really funny. The band had no idea it was coming, either. It was quite a surprise and phenomenal in its endurance and the way it's worked its way into the culture. If the cowbell has been at all an annoyance for Blue Öyster Cult, it's got to be 10 times worse for Christopher Walken! So, I'm riding that horse in the direction it's going."

Read the complete interview here.