Father and Son (song)
Father and Son (father and son) is a song by Cat Stevens. He released the song on the 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, published in 1971 as well as B- side of the single Moonshadow. The piece is a dialogue between father and son and deals with the generation gap.
Text
Originally Cat Stevens wrote the song for the planned musical Revolussia, which was to play during the Russian Revolution. The song was this from a boy who wanted to participate against the will of his father in the revolution. As Cat Stevens contracted tuberculosis, the musical was postponed. Nevertheless, he released the song in 1970, but in a version that has no relation to Russia and revolution, but generally reflects the generation gap between father and son.
In the text of the play, neither the word " Father" nor the word " Son " occurs. The piece is a dialogue between father and son, with the verses of the Son Cat Stevens sings an octave higher in the original version. The piece consists of five stanzas, the first two and the fourth comes from the Father, the third and last stanza are the replies of the Son.
Formative are derived from the father first text line of the song:
"It's not time to make a change, just relax take it easy You're still young and that's your fault, there's so much you have to know "
To German as:
"It's not the right time for change, Just relax, take it easy You're still young and this is your weakness, there is still a lot of what you need to learn "
This theme is slightly varied in the repetition. At the end of the replies of the Son it is said in each case:
" Now there 's a way, and I know That I have to go away "
To German as:
" Now there's a way and I realize That I must go away "
Music
The basic key of the piece is in G major. On the original recording, the piece by two acoustic guitars, drums, bass, and towards the end is also accompanied by a piano. The played in the strumming guitar attack is most striking. Somewhat unusual is the onset of the end of the piece backing vocals, which comes from Stevens ' guitarist Alun Davis. Davis sings simple, somewhat arbitrary action phrases like " go and make your decision". Between the third and fourth stanza an instrumental part is included which has the length of a verse and a guitar recites a variation of the vocal melody.
Cover versions
Cat Stevens has repeatedly recorded the song at a later time again or as Yusuf Islam, as he calls himself now. There are many other cover versions of the play, for example, by Ronan Keating, the latter has published in 2004, and has taken on a verse of the father's singing part in Yusuf Islam.
Published in 1974 Johnny Cash along with his step- daughter Rosie Nix Adams on his album Junkie and the Juice Head Minus Me is a cover version of the song under the title Father and Daughter.
In 1977, the theme song for a television advertisement of the company teapot was used; for the later working among others with the WDR Big Band Jazz musician Oliver Peters had the play under the title taken when the tea kettle sings.