The Living Years
Mike + the Mechanics, Paul Carrack
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Every generation Blames the one before And all of their frustrations Come beating on your door I know that I'm a prisoner To all my Father held so dear I know that I'm a hostage To all his hopes and fears I just wish I could have told him in the living years Crumpled bits of paper Filled with imperfect thought Stilted conversations I'm afraid that's all we've got You say you just don't see it He says it's perfect sense You just can't get agreement In this present tense We all talk a different language Talking in defence Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye So we open up a quarrel Between the present and the past We only sacrifice the future It's the bitterness that lasts So Don't yield to the fortunes You sometimes see as fate It may have a new perspective On a different day And if you don't give up, and don't give in You may just be O.K. Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye I wasn't there that morning When my Father passed away I didn't get to tell him All the things I had to say I think I caught his spirit Later that same year I'm sure I heard his echo In my baby's new born tears I just wish I could have told him in the living years Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye
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Written by: B.A. ROBERTSON, MIKE RUTHERFORD (GB)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Artist"The Living Years" is performed by British singer-songwriter Paul Carrack, although many mistakenly attribute it to Mike + The Mechanics, a band with which Carrack was a member.
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SongwritingThe song was co-written by Carrack and Mike Rutherford, the popular guitarist and songwriter from Genesis fame, which further connects the song to Mike + The Mechanics.
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Release Date"The Living Years" was released in December 1988 as part of the Mike + The Mechanics' self-titled album.
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InspirationsIt's written based on the emotional pain both writers experienced after losing their fathers.
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Chart PerformanceThis hit made it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, proving its significant commercial success.
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Grammy Nomination"The Living Years" was nominated for Song of the Year at the GRAMMYs in 1990 but lost to Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings".
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Music VideoThe song's music video, which features a choir of schoolboys, has been hailed as one of the best of its era.
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Cover VersionsThe song has been covered several times by different artists across various genres, including a powerful rendition by the vocal group The London Hospices Choir in 2016.
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Emotional ImpactWith its poignant lyrics about unresolved issues between a father and son, "The Living Years" has touched countless listeners and continues to resonate today.
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LongevityDecades after its initial release, "The Living Years" is still regularly played on various radio stations worldwide and is often included in lists of the best songs of the 1980s.
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Citation
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"The Living Years Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/997483/Paul+Carrack/The+Living+Years>.
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