Song Exploder

Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Father and Son

Jan 13, 2021
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ANECDOTE

Song's Origin in a Musical

  • Yusuf / Cat Stevens originally wrote "Father and Son" for a musical about the Russian revolution.
  • He portrayed two characters: a father wanting his son to stay, and a son wanting to join the revolution.
INSIGHT

Two Sides of the Artist

  • The two characters in "Father and Son" represent two sides of Yusuf himself.
  • Singing distinct parts involved shifting octaves to differentiate the son's and father's voices.
ANECDOTE

Signing with Island Records

  • Island Records' Chris Blackwell loved "Father and Son" and signed Yusuf with Island.
  • Yusuf didn't include the song on his first album, but recorded it for his second album Tea for the Tillerman.
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