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凱特史蒂芬斯(Cat Stevens)的父與子(Father And Son)

父與子(Father And Son) 這首經典名曲係藉由父子間的對話探討親子關係，收錄在1970年凱特史蒂芬斯(Cat Stevens)發行的給舵手的茶(Tea For The Tillerman)專輯中。凱特史蒂芬斯創作這首父與子原本做為和演員尼格爾霍桑(Nigel Hawthorn) 合作的音樂劇Revolussia中的一段，Revolussia這個字是由Russian Revolution兩字所合成，意思就是俄羅斯大革命。劇情描述在一個俄羅斯家庭中，兒子不顧父親反對執意要去參加革命，而老爸也堅持兒子應留在家中照顧農場。

凱特史蒂芬斯以唱腔的高低來顯現父子的角色，再以和聲「Away Away Away, I know I have to Make this decision alone - no」以及「Stay Stay Stay, Why must you go and make this decision alone?」描繪出父子之間的對答，有人說這父子間的對話彷彿就是凱特史蒂芬斯孤獨童年的縮影[i]。

即便這齣音樂劇已被淡忘但父與子這首歌卻常駐人心，歌曲的背景意涵也由紀錄過往的社會階級衝突，轉變成精確掌握親子代溝及新舊世代間的落差脈動。年青人一味想出外打拚拋棄家園，父子在面對此問題時的掙扎與無奈，而彼此要改變對方決定都非易事…。

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, 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 you 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?)

歌詞引自 Http://www.mojim.com　魔鏡歌詞網

翻唱版本[ii]：

Sandie Shaw(1972)

Johnny Cash & Rosie Nix Adams(1974) 翻唱成Father and Daughter

Boyzone(1995)

Johnny Cash & Fiona Apple(2003)

The Flaming Lips於2003年發行之單曲Fight Test有抄襲該曲之嫌

Ronan Keating(2004)

凱特史蒂芬斯(Cat Stevens)後來改信回教，改名為Yusuf Islam

延伸活動[iii]：

1.     Transcribe the lyrics of this song. After you have done your best, look up the lyrics on the Internet and correct your work with a red pen very carefully.

2.     Who is speaking? Indicate in your transcription where each speaker's part begins. How does Cat Stevens reflect the change of speakers in his singing?

3.     About how old do you think the son and father are?

4.     What kind of conflict does this song describe? What does the father recommend for the son? What is the son's reaction?

5.     In which lines is the father trying to convince his son that he understands how the son feels? What is the son's response to the father's expression of understanding?

6.     According to the son, what is the father's usual reaction when the son tries to communicate with the father? How long has this pattern of interaction been going on? Why did the son sometimes cry?

7.     What do you think the outcome of this intergenerational conflict will be?