Stevens' albums Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971) were both certified triple platinum in the US by the RIAA. His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release alone and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. He also earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in consecutive years for "The First Cut Is the Deepest"; the song has been a hit single for four different artists. Some of his other hit songs include, "Father and Son", "Wild World", "Peace Train", "Moonshadow" and "Morning Has Broken".
In December 1977, Stevens converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam the following year. In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community.Stevens became a convert to Islam in 1978 after a near-death experience. He adopted the name Yusuf Islam and became an outspoken advocate for the religion. Following his conversion, Yusuf abandoned his previous career as a pop star, with which he had always been uncomfortable. Song and the use of musical instruments is an area of debate in Islamic jurisprudence (law) and is the primary factor Cat Stevens retreated from the pop spotlight. At one point he wrote to the record companies asking that his music no longer be distributed, but his request was denied. Following Ayatollah Khomeini’s February 14, 1989 death fatwa against author Salman Rushdie, he made statements that were interpreted as endorsing the killing of Rushdie. On February 21, 1989, Yusuf Islam addressed students at Kingston University in London about his conversion to Islam and was asked about the controversy in the Muslim world and the fatwa calling for Salman Rushdie’s execution. He replied, “He must be killed. The Qur’an makes it clear - if someone defames the prophet, then he must die.” Despite this he has received several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2003 World Award, the 2004 Man for Peace Award, and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. Known professionally by the single name Yusuf, in 2006 he returned to pop music with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. On 5 May 2009, he released the album Roadsinger. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Foreigner Suite
Cat Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you.
Dreams I had just last night
Made me scared, white with fright
But I'm over to that sunnyside road
Over to that sunnyside road
Fortunes come and fortunes go
But things get better babe, that's one thing I know
And I'm over to that Sunnyside road
Over to that Sunnyside road
I have a friend that I have met
Who gives me love and a certain respect
Just a little respect, everybody needs just a little respect
That means you...you...
And in a little while our love will spread
To you
Ain't no matter who inside this world you know
There'll he someone who will love you just for who you are
Really are
Dreams I had just last night
Made me worried to face up to the light
But I'm over to that Sunnyside road
Over to that Sunnyside road
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on over and find yourself
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on in and remind yourself
Oh darling, you see my face
But it's in my heart that's where it's taking place
And I couldn't stand to let it go to waste
Can you...
Oh love, sweet blue love
No man can ever get enough
But maybe one day we'll all die in love
Will you...oh love, sweet love, my...love
Oh babe, understand
Take my love that's all I have at hand
Please say you will...don't say you can't
Oh will you will you will you
The moment you walked inside my door
I knew' that I need not look no more
I've seen many other girls before, ah but darling
Heaven must've programmed you
The moment you fell inside my dreams
I realized all I had not seen
I've seen many other girls before, ah hot darling
Heaven must've programmed you
You can live in the largest house
And eleven apartments too
Run your own private plane
And a boat in Malibu
But 'till you know' deep down what inside you really need
Well I love you baby, ooh my dear
And I think about you sometimes
But when you're with me boy it chokes my mind
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on over and find yourself
Come on now it's freedom calling
Come on in and remind yourself
Man must fight for freedom sure that's what most other people would say
Look for a body to lead them but there's too many to lead them away.
Why wait until it's your time to die before you learn what you were born to do'?
Come on now it's freedom calling but there's only one freedom for you.
Love, love boy...
And I can't wait to be with you tomorrow night.
Won't you give me your word that you won't laugh
Cause you've been a saving grace to me
And I'd hate to face a day without you around
My life would be without sound
Love, love, love, love must've made you on a Sunday
Cause you taste to me as good as god made honey taste babe
And the sky all glistens with gold
When you're talking to me
And the whirling wind turns to song
Why it sets my soul free
Love, love. love. Love must've made you on a Sunday
There are no words. I can use
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you
In "Foreigner Suite," Cat Stevens presents a series of heartfelt messages about love, life, and the pursuit of happiness. The lyrics depict a journey of self-discovery and finding one's place in the world. The singer acknowledges the power of love and the importance of respect in relationships. He also expresses the idea that people should embrace their individuality and be themselves, not trying to fit into society's mold. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the promise of freedom and the ultimate power of Love.
The opening lines of "Foreigner Suite "emphasize the power of individual interpretation. The singer says there are no words that he can use to express what he feels, as the meaning still leaves for the listener to choose. He voices his fear of his words being misinterpreted or abused. As the song progresses, Stevens encourages the listener to follow their dreams and find their way to the sunny side of life. He promises that fortunes will change and that love and respect will prevail in the end. In the final verses, he declares that Love is the ultimate power, and that people should strive for freedom and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
There are no words, I can use
There are no words that could express what I feel
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
The interpretation of my emotions is up to you
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you.
I don't want you to misuse what I feel
Dreams I had just last night
My recent dreams
Made me scared, white with fright
My dreams frightened me and left me panicked
But I'm over to that sunnyside road
But now, I am heading towards a positive direction
Fortunes come and fortunes go
Luck is unpredictable and can change at any moment
But things get better babe, that's one thing I know
But one thing I know for sure is that good things always come after bad times
I have a friend that I have met
I have found a person who is my confidante
Who gives me love and a certain respect
This person respects and loves me for who I am
Just a little respect, everybody needs just a little respect
Everyone needs a little bit of respect and love
That means you...you...
That also includes you
And in a little while our love will spread
Soon, our love and positivity will ailment the world
To you
To each and every person
Ain't no matter who inside this world you know
It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from
There'll he someone who will love you just for who you are
Someone will always love you for who you truly are
Dreams I had just last night
My dreams from the other night
Made me worried to face up to the light
My dreams left me worried to face reality
But I'm over to that Sunnyside road
But now I am ready to face life with optimism
Come on now it's freedom calling
The call of freedom is calling out to us
Come on over and find yourself
Let's go and discover the true meaning of our existence
Oh darling, you see my face
You can see my physical appearance
But it's in my heart that's where it's taking place
But my true essence lies within my heart
And I couldn't stand to let it go to waste
I cannot bear to let my love go to waste
Can you...
Are you capable of joining me?
Oh love, sweet blue love
My love is like a clear blue sky
No man can ever get enough
No one can ever have enough love
But maybe one day we'll all die in love
One day, we'll all die with love in our hearts
Will you...oh love, sweet love, my...love
Will you be my love and stay with me forever?
Oh babe, understand
Please understand me
Take my love that's all I have at hand
Take my love as it is all I have to offer
Please say you will...don't say you can't
Please accept my love and don't reject me
The moment you walked inside my door
From the moment you entered my life
I knew' that I need not look no more
I knew that I no longer had to seek
I've seen many other girls before, ah but darling
I've been with many other women in the past
Heaven must've programmed you
But you were meant to be with me by some divine force
The moment you fell inside my dreams
The moment you entered my dreams
I realized all I had not seen
I realized something I had been missing
But darling
Oh, my dear
Heaven must've programmed you
You are my destiny
You can live in the largest house
You can own the biggest mansion
And eleven apartments too
And even own eleven other apartments
Run your own private plane
You can have your own private airplane
And a boat in Malibu
And even have a boat in Malibu
But 'till you know' deep down what inside you really need
But until you figure out what you truly need from life
Well I love you baby, ooh my dear
I will always love you, my dear
And I think about you sometimes
I often think about you
But when you're with me boy it chokes my mind
But when you're with me, you consume my thoughts
Man must fight for freedom sure that's what most other people would say
Many people believe that fighting for freedom is necessary
Look for a body to lead them but there's too many to lead them away.
People look for leaders to guide them but there are too many corrupt leaders.
Why wait until it's your time to die before you learn what you were born to do'?
Why wait until you die to discover your true calling in life?
Come on now it's freedom calling but there's only one freedom for you.
The call for freedom is present but there is only one type of freedom that matters.
Won't you give me your word that you won't laugh
Promise me you won't ridicule me
Cause you've been a saving grace to me
You have been a savior to me
And I'd hate to face a day without you around
I don't know what I'd do without you
My life would be without sound
My life would be devoid of any music or joy
Love, love, love, love must've made you on a Sunday
You must have been created by love on a perfect day, a Sunday
Cause you taste to me as good as god made honey taste babe
You are as sweet as honey, just as God intended
And the sky all glistens with gold
The sky looks magnificent with its golden hue
When you're talking to me
When we are communicating
And the whirling wind turns to song
The sound of the wind creates a musical symphony
Why it sets my soul free
It makes my heart feel liberated
Love, love. love.
Love is all around us
Love must've made you on a Sunday
You must have been born out of love on a perfect day, a Sunday
There are no words, I can use
I cannot express my love in words completely
Because the meaning still leaves for you to choose
The interpretation of my love is up to you
And I couldn't stand to let them be abused, by you
I cannot bear to see my love being misinterpreted by you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind