Father And Son Lyrics - Cat Stevens

To JOOSE,

What a great post on 4/22/13. I think your mothers love and wisdom was not wasted. I too have lived your words, and could not fully appreciate my mother until I became a father.

Live Well.
Just a guy.

The words struck me like a brick. Red, my brother from another mother, made me listen to the song. He was fortunate to have had both his parents. Me, i was raised by a single mother, so i just was just far too brilliant for her small mind. These words held true until a nurse placed a beautiful little girl in my arms and i ceased being me and i forfeited it all just to be her dad. God would bless me with one more daughter and a son. I became a Dad and realized the wisdom and love my mother had given me and i had taken for granted. I will spend the rest of life trying to justify the love my mother gave me and the only way i can think to do this is by giving it to my children and grandchildren. Thank you Yusef.

Hello friends,

I agree to all the wonderful comments and realise a lot of sentiments attached to this song. Love from India to all who've been touched by this song atleast for that one moment that you can relate to :)

Stan

I am an English teacher (but my mother tongue is Spanish) and I love this song!! I always make my students listen to it and we work with it, we analize it. It is absolutely wonderful. It was written in the 1970s but it is timelss... Just great... :)

my precious grandson is keen to join the royal navy and the lyrics help me try and see how futile my opposition is.Timeless is the need to follow dreams and tread your own path ,its what each generation were meant to encourage.God bless and keep you safe Rhys.x

I remember first hearing this song back when I was in my teens and how much I identified with the son. Since then I've raised 2 boys, both out and making their ways in the world and have 1 more left at home. I reflect on having been the dad and how true the words still ring from that standpoint as well. This song serves as a strong reminder of the mistakes I had to make growing older and hopefully wiser, and the room I had to give my boys to make their own.

Beautiful song. I didn't understand it when I first listened to Cat when I was little but now as I listen to it once again, I begin to cherish this song.
Thank you for writing this song Cat!

beautiful melody,lyrics to think about every relation that we have in our life(dad,mom,sister,brother,friends etc.)and we have to try to be good person with every living creature on earth

I accidentally hear this song in Steve Jobs' Favorite Records. And i feel it, crying. I love my parents,especially my Dad,so much,and never wanna do anything to make them sad. We not talk to each other often,and sometimes i feel it's so difficult for me to tell them my trouble,or how i feel. But look at their eyes,i know that they always pray for me to be happy,and always follow every step of my life. Now,i am trying to find out what i really wanna do in my life,i gotta go my own way!Thank Cat for this song.

This song was written br Cat Stevens only. It was released on an album in1970. I am sure lee dewyze wasn't even born yet. Just bc a person puts a tattoo of a song on their arm or sings a song does not mean they wrote it.

a part or abig part of this song is written by lee dewyze the winner of the 9th season of american idol he wrote it before and he has a tatto of it on his left arm i have a very spcial respection for lee and i love cat stevens too.

I thank Allah that i still have my father today although my mom passed many years ago. i consider my father my best friend. We still share father and son time together. Although I am not married and old yet i am happy. True to Yusuf"s song. Looking back at all his songs in particular this song make one realize they ring through all the ages. Father and Son, has a special meaning for me. Cats Stevens is a great singer and song writer. i discovered the new version of Father and Son rather recently. After all these years, its becomes even more meaningful. So im again enjoying this song like many years before. I believe my father is like all fathers. Its not easy for mom and dad during our growing years us making all the sacrifice to ensure that we have a full life and future. I for one, sadly not having children realise something missing in my life. But i realise we all go through life differently. I am really fortunate to have my father still around with me. Yes, i would like everybody to find more time to be with your father. Take you time to be with him as often as you can. Your times with your father should be special and precious to you as you are precious to him too. Someday you will reflect back on all these times and when he has to go away. Like this song. So be ever patient with your father. Its not easy the older your father becomes. Thanks to Yusuf Islam and Ronan Keiting for bringing back the song and for its timeless relevance and meaning for our and future generations. I love you Abah (daddy)..

First thing first, I have to say Many Thanks to Cat Steven for this song. It is absolutely amazing for me cos i am single. As a result,I have to take and follow my parents'advice. If you marry in haste, you will repent at leisure.

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I think the song is saying your parents will try and tell you what to do and how to live your life and it is your job to listen, but that it should be your decision where you go and the dreams you follow and no one can tell you that but yourself.
Maybe he was refering to his music career and that his parents didn't approve, but he has to go and descover his dreams for himself.last year it was the first time when i lestened to the song in the first time i didn't understand nothing of it but i understand every thing i mean not only the word but the far meaning of the song. the song theches me how to lesten carefully to my parents in any time and any moment......Many years ago, when I was about 20, my father, who does not speak english and certainly had never heard this song told me something that I have never forgotten. He said: "son, this that is now known as the generational gap is not new. It existed in my time, although it did not have a name. And it must have existed in my father's time, also. Your generation has not discovered anything new and what is happening to you will happen between you and your children. It's just natural for you to try to find your own road, it's happened before and it will keep happening to the end of times." He was, of course, right, and Cat Stevens put in music and words in a beautiful way. Although he added something else: the fact that many parents will resist change and will try to go against human nature and row against the natural flow of things. And that, too, will keep happening till the end of time.Loved this song when I was a teen/young adult and now seeing him tonight on Jimmy Fallon perform it once again brought tears to my eyes. This song can be for fathers and daughters too, just remove the word "girl" and replace with "boy" or "guy"...find a boy, settle down...if you want, you can marry.

I see a poster from 2005 here asked what the lyrics were about, was it about Vietnam? No, it's about every person's personal turmoil from 18-28 years old, we all go through some heavy stuff, guys and gals....it's not gender specific this turmoil. Things do get better in your late 30s, 40s, and 50s, much much less baggage than one has in one's 20s-30s.

Nice to see Cat still doing his thing, loved his outfit, glad he was lookin' very western, loved (and respected) the full beard and reasons for same. G_d bless you, Cat/Yusef!Every time I hear this song it bring tears ot my eyes. My own sun and I are distant, but not from lack of my trying. I pray every day for him and hope that one day we will be as one would hope for, but the days are getting fewer for me and the tme may come when the daylight will end and that will be my one regret in life. I love you Son.

I think the song is saying your parents will try and tell you what to do and how to live your life and it is your job to listen, but that it should be your decision where you go and the dreams you follow and no one can tell you that but yourself.
Maybe he was refering to his music career and that his parents didn't approve, but he has to go and descover his dreams for himself.