The Living Years de Mike + The Mechanics apareció como single para el disco del mismo nombre (1988), y fue compuesto en conjunto por Mike Rutherford y B.A. Robertson en memoria de los padres de cada uno quienes habían fallecido hace muy poco tiempo. Esta canción fue especialmente interpretada por Paul Carrack y terminó convirtiéndose en el más grande éxito de la banda.Esta inspiradísima canción mezcla las relaciones entre estos músicos y sus respectivos padres y la expresa como una sola. Sin embargo, el peso de este tema lo lleva la difícil relación que tuvo Rutherford con su progenitor. L
as letras hablan de un hombre que recuerda lo complicado que fue para él ver como desde muy joven comenzó a enemistarse con su papá debido a que veían la vida de diferente manera. Desafortunadamente, los dos eran muy parecidos en el orgullo, lo que evitó dar un paso para algún tipo de reconciliación.A pesar de todo, este hombre recapacita y se da cuenta de lo que se estaba perdiendo al no hablar de frente con su padre y decirle todas las cosas que tenía en su corazón. Entre ellas, sin importar lo que haya pasado, que aún lo quiere demasiado. Lo más triste, es que sólo abrió los ojos luego de enterarse de que su padre había fallecido. Y ese es el mensaje de la canción, decir las cosas a tiempo, nunca se sabe cuando será muy tarde, la vida es corta pero algunos dolores son eternos.
Letras / Lyrics
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
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
Descarga: Mike + The Mechanics - The Living Years
