Father and Son (song)
"Father and Son" | ||||
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![]() Cover of the German single edition | ||||
Single by Cat Stevens | ||||
from the album Tea for the Tillerman | ||||
B-side | "Moonshadow" | |||
Released | 1970 | |||
Recorded | 1970 | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 3:41 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Cat Stevens | |||
Producer(s) | Paul Samwell-Smith | |||
Cat Stevens singles chronology | ||||
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"Father and Son" is a popular song written and performed by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens) on his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman. The song frames a heartbreaking exchange between a father not understanding a son's desire to break away and shape a new life, and the son who cannot really explain himself but knows that it is time for him to seek his own destiny.
Stevens sings in a deeper register for the father's lines, while using a higher one for those of the son. Additionally, there are backing vocals provided by Stevens' guitarist and friend Alun Davies beginning mid-song, singing an unusual chorus of simple refrains.
Origins[]
Cat Stevens originally wrote "Father and Son" as part of a proposed musical project starring Nigel Hawthorne, called Revolussia, that was set during the Russian Revolution, and could also have become a film; the song was about a boy who wanted to join the revolution against the wishes of his conservative farmer father. The musical project faded away when Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969. He was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex.[1] After a year-long period of convalescence in the hospital and a collapsed lung, the project was shelved, but "Father and Son" remained, now in a broader context that reflected not just the societal conflict of Stevens' time, but also captured the impulses of older and younger generations in general.
"Father and Son" received substantial airplay on progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio formats, and played a key role in establishing Stevens as a new voice worthy of attention. In 1970 it was only put on the B-side of Stevens' single "Moon Shadow" (Island Records).
Interviewed soon after the release of "Father and Son", Stevens was asked if the song was autobiographical. Responding to the interviewer from Disc, he said, "I've never really understood my father, but he always let me do whatever I wanted—he let me go. 'Father And Son' is for those people who can't break loose."[1]
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Stevens has said he is aware that "Father and Son" and several other songs mean a great deal to a large number of fans.
"Some people think that I was taking the son's side," its composer explained. "But how could I have sung the father's side if I couldn't have understood it, too? I was listening to that song recently and I heard one line and realized that that was my father's father's father's father's father's father's father's father speaking."[2]
By 2007, Stevens (then known as Yusuf Islam) recorded the song again in "Yusuf's Cafe Sessions" of 2007 on DVD again with Alun Davies, and a small band playing acoustic instruments. The performance was presented in a video with two close camera shots of his wife and daughter, holding his infant grandchild.
In 2020, Stevens released a re-recorded version of "Father and Son". This version, which appears on Tea for the Tillerman 2, features the original recording of Stevens' vocals (at the age of 22) alongside the present-day voice of Stevens (age 72). The animated music video of "Father and Son" also pays homage to the original release by featuring video clips from the 1970 music video released 50 years earlier.[3][4]
Charts[]
Chart (1971–2014) | Peak position |
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Italy (FIMI)[5] | 12 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] | 23 |
Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Italy (FIMI)[7] | Platinum | 50,000![]() |
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Sandie Shaw version[]
"Father and Son" | ||||
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Single by Sandie Shaw | ||||
B-side | "Pity the Ship is Sinking" | |||
Released | 1972 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Label | Pye | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cat Stevens | |||
Producer(s) |
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Sandie Shaw singles chronology | ||||
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A version of the song was released in 1972 sung by Sandie Shaw. It became her twenty-ninth and final single on the Pye Records label, which had given her a highly successful string of hits in the 1960s, making her the most successful British female singer of that decade.
Other recordings[]
On the 1974 album Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me, Johnny Cash released a slightly changed version of the song with his stepdaughter, Rosie Nix Adams, with the title "Father and Daughter", with new lyrics.
Irish actor Colm Wilkinson released a CD, Some of My Best Friends Are Songs on EMI Records with a cover of "Father and Son" being performed as a duet, performed with his son, Aron.[8]
In 1995, Francis Dunnery covered the song on the album Tall Blonde Helicopter.
Also in 2001, punk band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes released their version on a 7" single entitled Stevens.
Indonesian Heavy Metal band covered the song for their self-titled album in 2001.
2003 saw Johnny Cash revisit the original song with Fiona Apple accompanying during the 'son' verses on disc 3 of the "Unearthed (album)" boxed set.
A version by Leigh Nash was released in 2004 on the Everwood original soundtrack album.
In 2006, Rod Stewart included his take on "Father and Son" on his "rock standards" album Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of our Time.
In 2007, The Enemy covered the song for the album Radio 1 Established 1967.
In 2008 and 2009, the cast of the serie Casi Ángeles recorded the song on his serie and concerts.
In 2010, Rocky Votolato included an iTunes-exclusive cover of the song on "True Devotion".
In 2010, Zac Brown Band included "Father And Son" as a bonus track on "You Get What You Give".
An Elizabeth Gillies version of the song was released in 2012.
Flaming Lips lawsuit[]
The American rock band The Flaming Lips released a song titled "Fight Test" on its 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. "Fight Test" was thought to be so musically similar to "Father and Son" that it resulted in a lawsuit. Sony/ATV Music Publishing, representing Yusuf Islam, and EMI Music Publishing, representing the Flaming Lips, agreed to divide the royalties for "Fight Test" equally between the two parties following a relatively uncontentious settlement.[9] The Flaming Lips' frontman, Wayne Coyne, claims that he was unaware of the songs' similarities until producer Dave Fridmann pointed them out.
In an interview with The Guardian, frontman Wayne Coyne stated:
I want to go on record for the first time and say that I really apologise for the whole thing. I really love Cat Stevens. I truly respect him as a great singer-songwriter. And now he wants his money. There was a time during the recording when we said, this has a similarity to "Father And Son". Then we purposefully changed those bits. But I do regret not contacting his record company and asking their opinion. Maybe we could have gone 50-50. As it is, Cat Stevens is now getting 75 percent of royalties from "Fight Test". We could easily have changed the melody but we didn't. I am really sorry that Cat Stevens thinks I'm purposefully plagiarising his work. I am ashamed. There is obviously a fine line between being inspired and stealing. But if anyone wanted to borrow part of a Flaming Lips song, I don't think I'd bother pursuing it. I've got better things to do. Anyway, Cat Stevens is never going to make much money out of us.[10]
Boyzone version[]
"Father and Son" | ||||
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Single by Boyzone | ||||
from the album Said and Done | ||||
Released | 13 November 1995[11] | |||
Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cat Stevens | |||
Producer(s) | Ray Hedges | |||
Boyzone singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Father and Son" on YouTube |
"Father and Son" became the fifth single from Irish boy band Boyzone in 1995, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Irish Singles Chart. The cover received a Platinum sales status certification from the British Phonographic Industry. The cover was the thirteenth-best-selling single of 1995 in the UK. In Ireland, it became their fourth consecutive number-one single, and found international success, peaking at number two in Australia, number 11 in France, and number 15 in Germany.
Critical reception[]
British magazine Music Week rated "Father and Son" five out of five, picking it as Single of the Week. They added, "The song that got the audience choking back tears during the recent tour is Boyzone's Christmas single. It's an emotional rendition of the Cat Stevens song – and will be massive."[12]
Track listings[]
CD1
- "Father and Son" (radio edit) – 2:46
- "Should Be Missing You Now" – 3:20
- "Father and Son" (live) – 3:11
CD2
- "Father and Son" (radio edit) – 2:46
- "Should Be Missing You Now" – 3:20
- "Should Be Missing You Now" (The Other Mix) – 4:40
- "Father and Son" (album version) – 2:50
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[31] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Platinum | 600,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Ronan Keating version[]
"Father and Son" | ||||
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![]() | ||||
Single by Ronan Keating featuring Yusuf Islam | ||||
from the album 10 Years of Hits | ||||
Released | 13 December 2004[39] | |||
Length | 3:23 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Cat Stevens | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Mac | |||
Ronan Keating singles chronology | ||||
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Yusuf Islam singles chronology | ||||
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"Father and Son" was covered by Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating and released as the second of three singles from his greatest hits compilation album, 10 Years of Hits (2004). The song features guest vocals from Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Keating's 11th top-10 single. Keating donated the profits from the single to the Band Aid Trust. Incidentally, "Father and Son" was the song that Keating sang when he first auditioned for Boyzone.
Track listings[]
UK CD1[40]
- "Father and Son" – 3:21
- "When You Say Nothing at All" (Spanish duet with Paulina Rubio) – 4:20
UK CD2[41]
- "Father and Son" – 3:21
- "Father and Son" (Metrophonic Mix) – 3:57
- "I Hope You Dance" (video CD-ROM)
- "Father and Son" (video CD-ROM)
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI)[55] | Gold | 400,000![]() |
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In popular culture[]
In 2001 the producers of the film Moulin Rouge wanted to use "Father and Son" underneath the opening scene, but Stevens, having converted to Islam, refused on religious grounds given the somewhat racy nature of the film.[citation needed]
Stevens' original recording is featured in the final scene of the 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[56] Peter Quill listens to the song during the funeral of Yondu, his surrogate father. The song is also featured in the 2009 film The Boat that Rocked.[57]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Disc 1972 Tea for the Tillerman". Majicat.com. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ Gambaccini, Paul (13 September 1973). "A Happier Cat Stevens Explains 'Foreigner' and Other Mysteries". Rolling Stone. No. 143. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
- ^ "Father & Son: A Duet 50 Years in the Making". Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (10 September 2020). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens Duets with His Younger Self in 'Father and Son' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "Top Digital Download - Classifica settimanale WK 8 (dal 17-02-2014 al 23-02-2014" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Cat Stevens – Father and Son" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Cat Stevens – Father and Son" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 5 February 2021. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Father and Son" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ^ "Biography". Colm Wilkinson. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "YUSUF Islam". YUSUF Islam. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ Raphael, Amy (29 June 2003). "Straight from the Lip". Guardian.co.uk. London: The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "British single certifications – Boyzone – Father and Son". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Reviews: Singles - Single of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. 4 November 1995. p. 32. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Boyzone – Father and Son". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 2. 13 January 1996. p. 11. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (27.1. – 2.2. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 27 January 1996. p. 38. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Father and Son". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Boyzone" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Boyzone – Father and Son" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Boyzone – Father and Son". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Boyzone – Father and Son". VG-lista.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Boyzone – Father and Son". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
- ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 9.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1996". ARIA. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Year End Sales Charts – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1996" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1996" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1996" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
- ^ "Father and Son". Amazon. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ Father and Son (UK CD1 liner notes). Ronan Keating. Polydor Records. 2004. 9869667.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ Father and Son (UK CD2 liner notes). Ronan Keating. Polydor Records. 2004. 9869406.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 117 no. 2. 8 January 2005. p. 43. Retrieved 19 May 2020. See last week column.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Father and Son". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son". VG-lista. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 4, saptamina 31.01 – 6.02, 2005" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 23 February 2005. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ronan Keating feat. Yusuf – Father and Son". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "British single certifications – Ronan Keating ft Yusuf – Father and Son". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Shepard, Jack (19 April 2017). "Tracklist for Guardians of the Galaxy's Awesome Mixtape Vol. 2 revealed". The Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ "Pirate Radio (2009) – Soundtracks – IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
External links[]
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