Songs have their origins in all kinds of things. Sometimes the stories about how tunes got written are almost as compelling as the songs themselves. But that the Cat Stevens song "Father And Son" came from a musical about the Russian Revolution that never got to the stage sounds a little far-fetched. It's evidently true, though. We'll explain.
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Cat Stevens Talked About This Song Four Years Ago In An Interview
It Had An Extremely Unlikely Source
In 2020, when speaking with GQ, Stevens said via Showbiz Cheat Sheet, "'Father and Son' is probably the most prominent and profound song on the album [Tea for the Tillerman]. It doesn't necessarily refer to my dad. It was originally written for a musical. So, after I had my first expedition, you might say, into the pop fray, which happened in '67, '68, I was taken very ill with tuberculosis and I was suddenly erased from the scene."
The musical Stevens is referring to was called Revolussia. In the 1960s, Russian-inspired cultural works were not infrequent. The Beatles did a song called "Back in the USSR." The epic 1965 film Dr. Zhivago, directed by the brilliant filmmaker David Lean and set during the Russian Revolution, influenced music and clothing trends. Actor Peter Ustinov was in something called Romanoff and Juliet.
Stevens Went On To Say More About The Song
It's Actually About Two Russian Tsars
Stevens said, "Essentially, it was about Nicholas and Alexander, the last tsars of Russia, and against that there's another story about this family in the farmland, in the country. And the father, of course, basically wants to keep things as they are, while the son is really inspired by the revolution. He wants to join. And so that's the inspiration for that song."
Revolussia must have hit a snag of some type because it did not make it to the stage. However, the song "Father and Son' did not die along with it. On its own, it can be seen as a poignant commentary about a dad's wise advice to his child. Timeless and beautiful.
'Father And Son' Was Wanted For The Film 'Moulin Rouge!'
Stevens Gave That Idea a Thumbs-Down
In 2021, Moulin Rouge! music supervisor Anton Monsted shared with Entertainment Weekly that the film's director, Baz Luhrmann, sought that song for the movie. Per Showbiz Cheat Sheet, "Stevens declined to give Luhrmann and company the rights to use the song. Later, Stevens came to view Moulin Rouge! as a work of art. He regretted his decision to prevent Luhrmann from using 'Father and Son.'"
