Cat Stevens ( Yusuf Islam) has never publicly said what this song is about, so we are left to offer our own interpretations.
When I read the lyrics, I get a picture of a farmer of indiscriminate age waking up at the crack of dawn and looking out through a window at his fields. At the very instant when the sun rises, there is barely sound. Our farmer reflects back on his youth and how it felt every day to awaken with a song in his heart and the dreams he envisioned to pursue.
The last refrain floated into my head from out of nowhere:
"There'll be the evening,
In the end,
But 'till that time arrives,
You can rest your eyes,
And begin again."
The lyrics are beautiful and express the child-like innocence found in many of Cat Stevens' songs. I interpret this last refrain to mean: Take advantage of and be grateful for every moment you are alive.
Here's my cover.
John Fogerty wrote this song, in part, for his son, Josh. Josh was three years old at the time, and John could barely wait...
The voice I'm referring to belongs to Kate Wolf. She wrote and performed (mostly in her native California) over 200 songs. Her music comes...
For more beautiful covers and a sampling of my novels, please visit www.davidgittlin.net.
