Father and Son (Ronan Keating song)
Encyclopedia
"Father and Son" is a popular song written and performed by English
singer-songwriter, Yusuf Islam (then known as Cat Stevens) on his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman
.
The song frames an 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. To echo this, Stevens sings in a deeper register for the father's lines, while using a higher, more emotive one for those of the son. Additionally, there are backing vocals provided by Stevens' guitarist
and friend, Alun Davies
, singing an unusual chorus of simple words, and sentences such as, "No", "Why must you go and make this decision?", beginning mid-song, so softly, they are only perceptible with a slight increase in volume towards the end of the song.
Nigel Hawthorne
called Revolussia, that was set during the Russian Revolution
; the song was about a boy who wanted to join the revolution against the wishes of his father. The musical project faded away with the onset of more than a year-long period of recuperation after a sudden bout of tuberculosis
and a collapsed lung
; the result of too much fast living after first achieving fame. 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."
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.
By 2007, Stevens, (now 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, as if to make the point that this song really is timeless.
. 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.
, 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
(of stage fame; Les Misérables
, The Phantom of the Opera
, Jesus Christ Superstar
, among other musicals), 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 Wilkinson's son, Aron. Wilkinson sang the parts as the father, while his son sang the other parts of the song.
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.
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 2004 or 2005, Canadian Radio DJ Phil Main recorded the song on his album "Father & Son (s)", as recorded by Summit Sounds Inc.
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, British
group 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".
released a song titled "Fight Test
" on their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
. "Fight Test" had such a similar theme in the lyrics and is 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. The Flaming Lips' frontman, Wayne Coyne
, claims that he was unaware of the songs' similarities until producer Dave Fridmann
pointed them out. The song even featured the soft backing vocals as with the original "Father and Son" of some quiet words that are just noticeable.
In an interview with The Guardian
, front man Wayne Coyne stated
in 1995, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart and #1 on the Irish Chart. The cover was the sixth biggest selling boyband single of the 1990s in the UK, selling over 610,000 copies and receiving a Platinum sales status certification. The cover was the thirteenth best selling single of 1995 in the UK.
CD2
's greatest hits compilation, 10 Years of Hits
. The song features guest vocals from Yusuf Islam (Stevens). The song peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart
, becoming Keating's eleventh top-ten single. Keating donated the profits from the single to the Band Aid Trust.
UK CD2
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer-songwriter, Yusuf Islam (then known as Cat Stevens) on his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman
Tea for the Tillerman
Tea for the Tillerman is an album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. This album, Stevens' second during 1970, includes many of Stevens' best-known songs including "Where Do the Children Play?", "Hard Headed Woman", "Wild World", "Sad Lisa", "Into White" and "Father and Son"...
.
The song frames an 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. To echo this, Stevens sings in a deeper register for the father's lines, while using a higher, more emotive one for those of the son. Additionally, there are backing vocals provided by Stevens' guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and friend, Alun Davies
Alun Davies (guitarist)
Alun Davies is a Welsh guitarist, studio musician, recording artist, and composer who rose to fame primarily with his supporting guitar work and backing vocals as accompanist for English musician Cat Stevens, from early 1970 to 1977...
, singing an unusual chorus of simple words, and sentences such as, "No", "Why must you go and make this decision?", beginning mid-song, so softly, they are only perceptible with a slight increase in volume towards the end of the song.
Origins
Cat Stevens originally wrote "Father and Son" as part of a proposed musical project with actorActor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Nigel Hawthorne
Nigel Hawthorne
Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the...
called Revolussia, that was set during the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
; the song was about a boy who wanted to join the revolution against the wishes of his father. The musical project faded away with the onset of more than a year-long period of recuperation after a sudden bout of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and a collapsed lung
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
; the result of too much fast living after first achieving fame. 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
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
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
Disc (magazine)
Disc was a weekly British popular music magazine, published between 1958 and 1975, when it was incorporated into Record Mirror. It was also known for periods as Disc Weekly and Disc and Music Echo ....
, 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."
Speaking to Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, 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."
By 2007, Stevens, (now known as Yusuf Islam) recorded the song again in "Yusuf's Cafe Sessions" of 2007 on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
again with Alun Davies
Alun Davies (guitarist)
Alun Davies is a Welsh guitarist, studio musician, recording artist, and composer who rose to fame primarily with his supporting guitar work and backing vocals as accompanist for English musician Cat Stevens, from early 1970 to 1977...
, 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, as if to make the point that this song really is timeless.
Sandie Shaw version
A version of the song was released in 1972 sung by Sandie ShawSandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
. 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 MeJunkie and the Juicehead Minus Me
The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me is an album by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1974 . It includes performances by his daughters Rosanne Cash and Carlene Carter...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
released a slightly changed version of the song with his stepdaughter, Rosie Nix Adams
Rosie Nix Adams
Rozanna Lea "Rosey" Nix was an American singer-songwriter. She was born July 13, 1958, the daughter of June Carter Cash and her second husband Edwin "Rip" Nix, and the stepdaughter of the famous country singer Johnny Cash...
, with the title "Father and Daughter", with new lyrics.
Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson
Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
(of stage fame; Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, among other musicals), released a CD, Some of My Best Friends Are Songs on EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
with a cover of "Father and Son" being performed as a duet, performed with Wilkinson's son, Aron. Wilkinson sang the parts as the father, while his son sang the other parts of the song.
In 2001 the producers of the film Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
wanted to use "Father and Son" underneath the opening scene, but Stevens, having converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, refused on religious grounds given the somewhat racy nature of the film.
2003 saw Johnny Cash revisit the original song with Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
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
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
original soundtrack album.
In 2004 or 2005, Canadian Radio DJ Phil Main recorded the song on his album "Father & Son (s)", as recorded by Summit Sounds Inc.
In 2006, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
included his take on "Father and Son" on his "rock standards" album Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of our Time
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of our Time
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time is an album by Rod Stewart, released on October 10, 2006. After four years singing pop standards from the Great American Songbook with great success, this album continues the notion of singing old material, but now in his classic musical genre -...
.
In 2007, British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
group The Enemy
The Enemy (UK band)
The Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
covered the song for the album Radio 1 Established 1967
Radio 1 Established 1967
The compilation album Radio 1 Established 1967 is a collection of covers especially recorded for Radio 1 by a number of artists. The album celebrates the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1. There are 40 songs recorded by 40 different artists . Each artist was given a year, and were allowed to cover a...
.
In 2008 and 2009, the cast of the serie Casi Ángeles
Casi Ángeles
Casi Ángeles is an Argentinian series targeted at teenagers, which became the most popular teenage TV series in the country, as well as in many others. It started airing on 21 March 2007 to 29 November 2010 on Telefe. Casi Ángeles was created by Cris Morena, and produced by Cris Morena Group and...
recorded the song on his serie and concerts.
In 2010, Rocky Votolato
Rocky Votolato
Rocky Votolato is an American singer-songwriter. He was born in Dallas, Texas on March 8, 1977. He was raised in a small town called Frost, roughly 50 miles south of Dallas, until the age of 13. After his parents were divorced, his mother remarried and moved the family to the Pacific Northwest...
included an iTunes-exclusive cover of the song on "True Devotion".
Flaming Lips lawsuit
The American rock band The Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
released a song titled "Fight Test
Fight Test
Fight Test is an EP by The Flaming Lips featuring the song of the same name, released on Warner Bros. Records in 2003. The single version of "Fight Test" was released on June 23, 2003, peaking at #28 in the UK Singles Chart...
" on their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
-Special edition DVD-Audio:-The Flaming Lips:* Wayne Coyne - guitar, vocals, artwork, mixing, production* Michael Ivins - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals, mixing, production, additional engineering...
. "Fight Test" had such a similar theme in the lyrics and is so musically similar to "Father and Son" that it resulted in a lawsuit. Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
/ATV Music Publishing, representing Yusuf Islam, and EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Music Publishing, representing the Flaming Lips, agreed to divide the royalties for "Fight Test" equally between the two parties following a relatively uncontentious settlement. The Flaming Lips' frontman, Wayne Coyne
Wayne Coyne
Wayne Michael Coyne is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
, claims that he was unaware of the songs' similarities until producer Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
pointed them out. The song even featured the soft backing vocals as with the original "Father and Son" of some quiet words that are just noticeable.
In an interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, front man Wayne Coyne stated
Boyzone version
"Father and Son" became the fifth single from Irish Boyband BoyzoneBoyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
in 1995, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart and #1 on the Irish Chart. The cover was the sixth biggest selling boyband single of the 1990s in the UK, selling over 610,000 copies and receiving a Platinum sales status certification. The cover was the thirteenth best selling single of 1995 in the UK.
Tracklisting
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
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
24 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 18 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
27 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 7 |
| French Singles Chart | 11 |
| German Singles Chart | 15 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 25 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Sweden Singles Chart | 28 |
Chart successions
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 13 |
Ronan Keating with Yusuf Islam
"Father And Son" served as the first and only single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan KeatingRonan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
's greatest hits compilation, 10 Years of Hits
10 Years of Hits
10 Years of Hits is the first compilation album released by Boyzone frontman, Ronan Keating. The album was released on October 11, 2004, and included thirteen singles , as well as two tracks in performance with Boyzone, and two new tracks...
. The song features guest vocals from Yusuf Islam (Stevens). The song peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming Keating's eleventh top-ten single. Keating donated the profits from the single to the Band Aid Trust.
Tracklisting
UK CD1- "Father And Son" - 3:21
- "When You Say Nothing At All" (Feat. Paulina RubioPaulina RubioPaulina Susana Rubio Rue is a Mexican singer and actress. Rubio achieved international stardom with her fifth studio album, Paulina...
) - 4:20
UK CD2
- "Father And Son" - 3:21
- "Father And Son" (Metrophonic Mix) - 3:57
- "I Hope You Dance" (Video) - 3:40
- "Father And Son" (Video) - 3:25
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 84 |
| German Singles Chart | 27 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 41 |
| Sweden Singles Chart | 37 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 41 |