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.
Oh Very Young
Cat Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're only dancin' on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your dads best jeans
Denim blue, faded up to the sky
And though you want them to last forever
You know they never will
You know they never will
Oh very young what will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you, will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
You know you never will
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride, oh, ooh
Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
You're only dancin' on this earth for a short while
Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
In "Oh Very Young," Cat Stevens speaks to a young person, asking them what they will leave behind as they dance through life. He acknowledges that their dreams may be intense and ever-changing, but ultimately they will fade away like old clothes. Stevens encourages the listener to consider making a positive impact on the world while they can, as there may not be another chance. He poses the question of whether they will carry words of love with them and ride the great white bird (a metaphor for a higher power or spiritual guidance) into heaven.
Overall, the song encourages listeners to make what impact they can while they are on this earth, and to not take their time here for granted. It is a poignant reminder that life is short and one should make the most of it, leaving behind a positive legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh very young, what will you leave us this time
As a young person, what kind of mark will you make on the world during your brief time on earth?
You're only dancin' on this earth for a short while
Life is fleeting and we should make the most of the time we have.
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now, They will vanish away like your dad's best jeans
As we grow older, our dreams may lose their prominence and significance, much like a favorite pair of jeans that eventually become worn and faded.
Denim blue, faded up to the sky, And though you want them to last forever, You know they never will, You know they never will, And the patches make the goodbye harder still
Just like a pair of jeans that we might hold dear, our time on earth is limited and we must come to terms with saying goodbye.
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
While we are young, we have the opportunity to make meaningful changes in our lives and in the world around us.
And if you want this world to see a better day
It is up to each of us to work towards making the world a better place.
Will you carry the words of love with you
Love is a powerful force and can help bring about positive change in the world.
Will you, will you ride the great white bird into heaven
This line is open to interpretation, but could refer to the idea of reaching new heights or transcending earthly limitations.
And though you want to last forever, You know you never will, You know you never will, And the goodbye makes the journey harder still
We must come to terms with our own mortality and the inevitability of saying goodbye to loved ones.
Will you carry the words of love with you, Will you ride, oh, ooh
A repetition of the earlier lines, emphasizing the importance of carrying love with us and reaching for new heights in life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Yusuf Islam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lewiswilliams6516
Lyrics:
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddy's best jeans
Denim Blue fading up to the sky
And though you want him to last forever
You know he never will
(You know he never will)
And the patches make the goodbye harder still
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
(You know you never will)
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
@robertjohnson1602
The song is less than 3 minutes and holds precious lessons about youth, age, and wisdom. A masterpiece.
@malcolmstrachan3938
Yes I think so too! xx 👍🤔💯
@luciliaxoxo4134
You’re so right
@barriejackson965
I agree with you, such a beautiful song, his very best
@DB-pv2ej
Son you put that in a bottle, you got something sweeter than yoo-hoo
@actionsub
I'm told it was something of an answer song to Don McLean's "American Pie", more of an elegy of sorts to Buddy Holly.
@lawsoncumming5258
Cat Stevens is an absolutely staggering artist. Unfortunately for all his dedicated fans, he never got the recognition that he so richly deserved. A singer who has lasted over 5 decades and still has the admiration and dedication of his fans to this day. I cant emphasie this enough..A TRULY GREAT SINGER/SONGWRITER & PERFORMER!!!! BLESS YOU CAT & THANK YOU ❤
@sandyw1891
It's as if he saw what was coming. And here we are
@chrisf153
Absolutely.
@iainstevenson6658
I've seldom heard a song where the female vocalists add such grace and poise - stunning musicianship. This is a masterpiece truly worthy of the name.