CAT STEVENS / YUSUF ISLAM : WHERE DO THE CHILDREN PLAY?

Το τραγούδι έχει ηλικία μισού αιώνα [κυκλοφόρησε το 1970].
Ένα σωρό πράγματα έχουν αλλάξει από τότε, όχι προς το καλύτερο. Ο ίδιος ο καλλιτέχνης δεν λέγεται πλέον
Cat Stevens [ο,τιδήποτε έχει σχέση με τη θρησκευτική μεταστροφή του, αφορά αποκλειστικά τον ίδιο].
Δυο πράγματα από εκείνα που έχουν μεινει αναλλοίωτα είναι: η ομορφιά του τραγουδιού και η αξιοθαύμαστη, ιδίως για άνθρωπο 22 χρόνων, ευστοχία των στίχων του.

The song is half a century old [released in 1970].
A lot of things have changed since then, not for the better. The artist himself is no longer called
Cat Stevens [anything related to his religious conversion is a personal matter].
Two of the things that have remained unchanged are: the beauty of the song and the admirable, especially for a 22-year-old, accuracy of its lyrics.

Well I think it’s fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want
Cause you can get anything
I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas
And you make them long, and you make them tough
But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off
Oh, I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher
‘Til there’s no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?
I know we’ve come a long way
We’re changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

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4 Comments

  1. willowdot21 July 27, 2020 at 2:24 pm

    I have always like Ysuf Islam/ Cat Stevens lovely man 💜

    Reply
  2. Resa July 29, 2020 at 1:07 am

    I adore this album. Cat Stevens, like so many of this era ( and a bit earlier)wrote not only protest songs, but also songs of social conscience. I believe this is lacking in today’s music, especially rap.
    Musicians & all artist have a loud voice, and they should use it for more than just fun, dance, party, cool, pretty, whatever. Humans are such a shallow lot. OMG! I’m human.

    Reply
    1. Oannes July 29, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      I totally agree. And, as I wrote you once and I meant it, a large portion of rap cannot be called music…

      Reply
      1. Resa July 29, 2020 at 10:32 pm

        You made me laugh. I seem to remember you saying that.

        Reply

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