His second album Deliah Blue was less commercially successful (the only single Take It On Faith failed to reach a high chart position). His collection of songs were closer to sonic novels then the ballads featured in his first album; he used John Steinbeck's book "The Pearl" as inspiration for a song of the same name. The only single Take it on Faith failed to reach the Billboards Top-10 and shortly after EMI Group voided the contract with Kadison. In 1998, after a 3-year break, he published his book 17 Ways To Eat A Mango: A Discovered Journal Of Life On An Island Of Miracles and the 5-track-album Saturday Night In Storyville on his own label Storyville Records, selling it predominantly from his website. It was well received in Germany, where he continues to have a huge following.
Another three years later, he signed a new deal with EMI Germany and his album Vanishing America, produced by Leslie Mandoki, was released. The album released before 9/11, dealt with his disillusionment with the lost values of America. The album was a collection of songs that told stories about people not realising their own beauty and full potential.
In 2005, Joshua relaunched his career on his self-run website "Radio Humanity". He has since then bought back his previous website address and relaunched it. The Venice Beach Sessions was released as a download only album in 2 parts including a track called "Over the sad songs" thought to be inspired by his recently dissolved relationship.
In 2006, EMI released Essential a collection which included tracks from all three full-length studio albums and three additional tracks (formerly b sides).
In 2007 Joshua continued to update his website with regular letters and toured Germany in the Spring.
In 2008 Joshua released the download only album "Return of the dragonfly" and toured Germany again. During the tour he announced that he will no longer be performing as a pianist and will be traveling to learn new instruments and that he plans to relaunch his career in the future with a brand new sound.
My Father's Son
Joshua Kadison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"So find your own truths along the way"
But Santa Claus in his magic sleigh
Had to be you in the rain that day
And the Super Heroes on TV
Saturday we'd pretend to be
You'd say, "Boys, well, it seems to me
You're the best heroes this world will ever see
And after all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
After all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
Hear me you old sly son-of-a-gun
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
A fool thinks he ain't bought and sold
Cause every man sells a bit of his soul
To bring his family home some gold
Before he knows he's gotten old
Your boys are not baseball stars
You never got that fleet of fancy cars
And Mama left you for the distant stars
But you never showed your battle scars
You never did like to show your battle scars
And after all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
After all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
Hear me you old sly son-of-a-gun
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
You made mistakes but you made 'em well
You got up each time you fell
You paid your price and you lived some hell
But didn't it make for tales to tell
We learned to laugh, we learned to bend
We learned the lessons never end
And I'm the luckiest fool who's been
To be your son and to get to call you friend
To get to be your son and to call you my best friend
And after all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
After all's been said and done
And my battles for independence won
Hear me you old sly son-of-a-gun
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
"My Father's Son" is a tribute to the singer’s father who taught him important life lessons. The first verse recalls his father's words of wisdom, "The moon ain't made of cheese, so find your own truths along the way." The father encourages his sons to think for themselves and form their own beliefs. The father was also the embodiment of imagination, appearing as Santa Claus in his son's eyes. The song suggests that the father was an inspirer, emphasizing the idea that, with imaginative stories of superheroes, the singer's father nurtured the idea of heroism.
The second verse acknowledges the father’s struggles in life, such as failed romantic relationships and a lack of material success despite his efforts to make more for his family. However, the father’s success as a parent remains paramount in the singer’s estimation. The singer emphasizes his father’s resilience: "You made mistakes, but you made 'em well. You got up each time you fell." The singer admires his father's strength, as symbolized by his "battle scars," but also the way in which he faces disappointment and hardships. The song concludes with the singer's proclamation that he is proud to be his father’s son, and that his father’s guidance has made him the man he is.
Line by Line Meaning
"The moon ain't made of cheese," you'd say
You encouraged me to find my own truths and not believe things just because someone told me they were true - like the moon being made of cheese.
"So find your own truths along the way"
You wanted me to discover things for myself instead of simply accepting what others told me as truth.
But Santa Claus in his magic sleigh
You created magic and wonder for us, like pretending you were Santa Claus riding in his sleigh.
Had to be you in the rain that day
You went out of your way to make us happy, like pretending to be Santa in the rain.
And the Super Heroes on TV
We loved watching superheroes on TV and would pretend to be them on Saturdays.
Saturday we'd pretend to be
We spent countless Saturdays pretending to be superheroes thanks to your encouragement.
You'd say, "Boys, well, it seems to me
You praised us by saying that we were the best heroes this world will ever see.
You're the best heroes this world will ever see
You believed that we were capable of greatness and encouraged us to strive for it.
And after all's been said and done
When everything is said and done, when all has been experienced and considered...
And my battles for independence won
And I have fought hard for my independence and won...
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
I am filled with pride to say that I am your son - a reflection of your values and character.
Hear me you old sly son-of-a-gun
You may be sly, but I want you to hear me when I tell you that I am proud to be your son.
A fool thinks he ain't bought and sold
A foolish person believes they haven't been manipulated or influenced by others, but everyone has to make some trade-offs to provide for their families.
Cause every man sells a bit of his soul
Every man has to compromise some part of himself to put food on the table or provide for those he loves.
To bring his family home some gold
Men sacrifice their own dreams to ensure their family's financial security and well-being.
Before he knows he's gotten old
Before he realizes it, life has passed him by and he's reached old age.
Your boys are not baseball stars
We didn't become baseball stars, but that never stopped you from being proud of us.
You never got that fleet of fancy cars
You may not have had material wealth, like a fleet of fancy cars, but you were wealthy in love and support for your family.
And Mama left you for the distant stars
Mom may have left us, but you never let that defeat you or lessen your love and dedication to us.
But you never showed your battle scars
You may have faced many battles and struggles, but you always kept them to yourself and never let them diminish your love for us.
You never did like to show your battle scars
You were a man of great strength who never let his struggles show, but we always knew they were there.
You made mistakes but you made 'em well
You may have made mistakes, but you learned from them and made a valiant effort to do better.
You got up each time you fell
You never gave up and always picked yourself back up - a lesson we all learned from you.
You paid your price and you lived some hell
You endured a lot of tough times, but you never let them diminish your spirit or your love for your family.
But didn't it make for tales to tell
Despite all the hardships, you always managed to come out with great stories to tell and lessons to teach us.
We learned to laugh, we learned to bend
Through everything we faced, we learned to laugh and find joy, as well as how to be resilient and adapt to new situations.
We learned the lessons never end
We knew there was always more to learn and that you would always be there to teach us.
And I'm the luckiest fool who's been
I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have had you as my father and mentor.
To be your son and to get to call you friend
You were not just my father, but also someone I could confide in and consider as a friend.
I'm proud to say that I'm my father's son
Above all, I am proud of who I am today because of the father you were to me.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
wayne chadwick
Lost my dad in 1999...after all these years, songs like this still get to me...wonderful...
zebralady81
Great song always making me think about my husband and his dad... Finally they made it to harmonize their relationship.
Time Traveling DJs
My father and I have a non-existent relationship, but this song is still incredible. So much truth and love and heart. Gives me chills. You are the best, Joshua. Much love, my friend.
Brooklynne Sulfridge
Love Joshua Kadison!
Bill
Ohhh it sounds wonderful through my home made speakers
Susanne McIntyre
I lost my dad 2007, I am my father's son enen tho I'm a woman! My Dad taught me more than everyone put together, except maybe my Mum.
Thenightrider65
I lost my dad in 2015 I’m my farther son
gentlebreeze100
Best
Scott Nolen
I like this song, but I can't find a karaoke version of this song..