It Bites released three studio albums, The Big Lad in the Windmill (1986), Once Around the World (1988) and Eat Me in St Louis (1989). Their swansong final live album Thank You and Goodnight was released in 1990. It Bites' biggest hit was "Calling All the Heroes" in 1986, which reached #6 in the United Kingdom's Top 40.
Since leaving It Bites, Dunnery has been a solo artist, recording six studio albums: Welcome to the Wild Country (1991), Fearless (1994), Tall Blonde Helicopter (1995), Let's Go Do What Happens (1998), Man (2001), The Gulley Flats Boys (2005). He has performed regularly in both the U.S. and the UK. His biggest solo hit was "American Life in the Summertime". Live, he often performs stripped down acoustic arrangements and is known for his intimate audience relationship, talking at length between songs about the songs and their often deep personal meaning, as exemplified in his 1995 live album, "One Night in Sauchiehall Street".
Dunnery is also the inventor of the guitar based instrument called the tapboard which used parts of a shower hose and an egg timer.
Francis Dunnery was approached to join Genesis, post-Phil Collins, but refused. He contributed backing vocals to Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's eponymous album. He rehearsed with The Syn for an abortive tour in 2005.
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Father And Son
Francis Dunnery Lyrics
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You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to know
Find a girl, settle down, if you want you can marry
Look at me, I am old but I am happy
I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy
To be calm when you've found something going on
But take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you've got
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again
It's always been the same, the same old story
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
Now there's a way and I know I just have to go away
I know I have to go
It's not time to make a change, just sit down and take it slowly
You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to go through
Find a girl, settle down, if you want you can marry
Look at me, I am old but I'm happy
All the times that I've tried keeping all the things I knew inside
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it
If they were right I'd agree but it's them they know not me
Now there's a way and I know I just have to go away
I know I have to go
In Francis Dunnery's song "Father and Son," a father counsels his son about various aspects of life. The father begins by telling his son that it's not yet time to make a change and that he should take it easy. He reassures him that although he's young, he still has time to learn and grow. The father then suggests that the son should find a girl, settle down and even get married, just like him. He then implies that despite getting old, he's happy with his life.
However, in the next verse, it's clear that there's some tension between the father and son. The son wants to leave, but his father doesn't understand why. He tries to explain, but his father turns away from him. The son recounts that since he was a child, he was always ordered to listen but now he's found a way and he knows he has to go. In the final chorus, the father again tells his son to take life slowly, find a girl, and settle down, but the son has already made up his mind to leave.
The song is a reflection of the generational divide between a father and his son, with the young man yearning for his own freedom and independence. The father is trying to offer advice based on his own life experience, while the son is seeking something different. The song's lyrics capture the complexity of this type of relationship and the difficulty of passing down advice from one generation to the next.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not time to make a change, just relax and take it easy
Don't make any major decisions yet, just take it easy for now.
You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to know
You're still inexperienced, but you have a lot to learn.
Find a girl, settle down, if you want you can marry
Find a partner and settle down, if that's what you want.
Look at me, I am old but I am happy
Although I'm old, I'm content with where I am in life.
I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy
I understand the difficulties you're going through as a young person.
To be calm when you've found something going on
It can be challenging to stay calm when you're in the midst of something.
But take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you've got
Take your time and think things through thoroughly.
For you will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not
Don't take your dreams for granted, they may not always be there.
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again
I'm having trouble communicating with him and he doesn't seem interested.
It's always been the same, the same old story
This is a recurring issue that I've faced before.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
I've been told to listen and follow orders since I was young.
Now there's a way and I know I just have to go away
I've found a solution and I know I must leave.
All the times that I've tried keeping all the things I knew inside
I've been keeping my knowledge and beliefs to myself for a long time.
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it
It's difficult to admit the truth, but ignoring it is even harder.
If they were right I'd agree but it's them they know not me
Although others may think they are right, I know what is true for me.
Now there's a way and I know I just have to go away
I've found a solution and I know I must leave.
I know I have to go
I'm certain that leaving is the right thing to do.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Yusuf Islam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind