The song Father and Son, was released in 1970 in the album Tea for the Tillerman, his 4th album. According to Wiki:
In 2001, this album was certified by the RIAA as a Multi-Platinum record, having sold 3 million copies in the United States at that time. It is ranked at #206 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Yusuf Islam is noted for his philanthropy and has received a number of philanthropic and humanitarian awards in this last decade.
The Song Father and Son - The 1970 original.
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, 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-- Away Away Away, I know I have to
Make this decision alone - no)
Son
All the times that I 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.
(Father-- Stay Stay Stay, Why must you go and
make this decision alone?)
I was so pleasantly surprised to hear the more recent BBC concert video version, recorded in 2007 to be as rich and emotionally charged as the original recorded in .
The song Father and Son - An older Yusuf Islam performing on a BBC broadcast concert.
Cat Stevens or more correctly, Yusuf Islam, your voice is as mellow and as calming now as I remember it to be when I listened to your album Tea for the Tillerman, in my bedroom as a teenager.
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As soon as I started to play the original song, Bob said "Cat Stevens". I think he knew the singer in a couple chords :-) He used to have that album, as well "Teaser and the Fire Cat". I like the original and the 2007 versions. I agree his voice sounds just as good as it did in the 70s.
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