Father and Son

         (Father)

 It’s not time to make a change,

Just relax, take it easy.

You’re still young, that’s your fault,

There’s so much you have to know

Find a girl, settle down,

If you want you can marry.

Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy.

 

I was once like you are now, and I know that it’s not easy,

 To be calm when you’ve found something going on.

But take your time, think a lot,

 Why, think of everything you’ve got.

 For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

                       (Son)

 How can I try to explain, cause when I do he turns away again.

 It’s always been the same, same old story.

From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.

Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go away.

I know I have to go.

                      (Father)

 It’s not time to make a change,

 Just sit down, take it slowly.

You’re still young, that’s your fault,

There’s so much you have to go through.

 Find a girl, settle down,

 If you want, you can marry.

 Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy.              

                           (Son)

 All the times that I’ve cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,

It’s hard, but it’s harder to ignore it.

 If they were right, I’d agree, but it’s them they know, not me,

 Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go away.

 I know I have to go.       --    Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens

Yusuf Islam (Steven Demeter Georgiou) born on 21^st July 1948, commonly known by his stage name Cat Stevens. He is a Britain singer, song writer and multi-instrumentalist. His 1967 debut album and the title song “Mathew and son” reached top ten in the UK charts. His other hit songs include “Father and son”. In December 1977, Stevens converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards. Stevens suffered with tuberculosis in 1969 and was nearing death at the time of his admittance to the king Edward VII hospital west Sussex. He took part in meditation, yoga and metaphysics, read other religions and became a vegetarian. His favorite instruments Vocals, guitar, base guitar, mandolin, piano and mellotron. On 25^th September 2020 he appeared on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs.

Summary of the poem

“Father and Son” is a popular ballad song written and performed by Cat Stevens. On his 1970 album Tea for the Tiller man. The song is an (exchange) between a father who could not understand his son’s desire, son on the other hand would like to go out of the predefined traditional life style to a new life. Also the son could not explain himself to his father. But the son is very strong to seek his new destiny. He wants to fly away in search of new path. The song is sung in a deeper tone for the father and higher tone for the son to give meaningful effect.

Detail Analysis

This song is about a son who wants to go out into his new world to make his dream come true. The verse is about the father’s advice to his son. He behaves as a dedicated parent. He advices his son to be simple and to lead a simple life keeping a way his dreams. He warns his son to be careful in his actions and decisions. He requests his son to find a girl and to marry her. For “I am old but I’m happy”. The father makes an attempt to convince his son, so that he could settle down with a family and a simple, happy and peaceful life. A father’s concern and commitment could be seen.

The father knows his son’s age, he could understand that his son needs experience to live in the world. Son is still young and innocent, he may do anything which could ruin his future. “There’s so much you don’t know” and another meaningful lines, “Take your time, think a lot, think of everything you got for. You will still here tomorrow but your dreams may not”. The father in his experience advices his son to take time to think before he does anything. He will be there, but his dreams may disappear as he would have to commit himself for other things or duties.

Now it’s his son who answers back in frustration. He says his father’s love and concern is becoming an obstacle for him to decide his future. “From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen”. The son says from (the) his childhood, still now his father does not give space and time to listen his .He fails to understand his son’s thoughts. The son does not know to express himself to his father. There is huge gap between the father and son literally for they think differently they view their thought in two different paths. It could be taken as the father’s experiences in his youth may not be an easy one. He would have suffered, or worked hard. Thus his hard experience become a lesson to him. So he warns his son to be calm and think.

The son who is full of ambitions is strong and determines to go away towards his dreams. “I have to go” He does not have a way or time to explain himself to his anxious father. He needs to go out into world. He wants adventures, experiences. The son believes his dream. He is ready to go chasing his dream. The son is entering into a worldly experiences where as his father comes out with realization of the life of the world. The father’s advices may hurt the son, but he is focused with his dreams. He finds difficult to explain himself to his father. He is not angry with his father but he feels that he is not able to express himself.

The poet Cat Stevens portrays a true picture of a father and son. It is a good example of a father and the son. Father represents the traditional thought and the son stands for modern thinking. Parents treat their children as small kids even after they grow. Father’s experience makes him to take concern over the son. “I was ordered to listen” this line shows the strictness and ordered disciplined life style of his father. But the son feels it as hindering obstacle for his dreams.

 Poetical devices

The whole poem is in a dialogue form where there are two characters involved.  Father and son.  Both stand with different views of life.  Certain literary devices are used to enjoy the song.  Repetition of “look at me I am old but I’m happy” gives a musical effect.

“I know I have to go” repeated by the son.  It has a strong tone.  There readers could understand the determination of the son.  He decides his decision.  He goes after his dreams.  Nobody could stop him.  His destiny is before him.

Father on the other hand represents old traditional life style.  All he thinks is about family, happiness, peace and safety of his son.  His thoughts are limited.  His life style is within a certain limit without any expectations, whereas the son wants to fly in the world.  He would like to seek adventure, experience, ambition, achievement and purpose of his life.

Both contradict each other.  Both contrast of opinions give us a universal message such as everyone has right to lead his life as per his or her choice.  If one knows the purpose of his or her existence then he or she would know how to make it meaningful.

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