The Living Years
Mike & The Mechanics Lyrics

Every generation
Every new generation of people

Blames the one before
Blames the previous generation for the problems they inherit

And all of their frustrations
All the current generation's frustrations

Come beating on your door
Are often directed towards the older generation

I know that I'm a prisoner
I feel trapped

To all my Father held so dear
By the beliefs and values my Father instilled in me

I know that I'm a hostage
I feel captive

To all his hopes and fears
By his aspirations and anxieties for me

I just wish I could have told him in the living years
I wish I could have talked to him while he was still alive

Oh, crumpled bits of paper
All the letters and notes we wrote to each other

Filled with imperfect thought
Were not always well written or expressed

Stilted conversations
Our dialogs were often awkward

I'm afraid that's all we've got
This is all we have left of our conversations

You say you just don't see it
You claim you can't understand

He says it's perfect sense
He believes it's entirely logical

You just can't get agreement
You can't agree with each other

In this present tense
Here and now

We all talk a different language
We express ourselves in different ways

Talking in defense
We argue and defend our position

Say it loud (say it loud)
Express yourself loudly

say it clear (oh say it clear)
Speak out boldly and make yourself understood

You can listen as well as you hear
Pay attention to what others say

It's too late (it's too late)
When we're gone

when we die (oh when we die)
Once we've passed away

To admit we don't see eye to eye
To acknowledge our disagreements

So we open up a quarrel
We start arguing

Between the present and the past
About what happened before versus what's happening now

We only sacrifice the future
We're missing an opportunity to build a better future

It's the bitterness that lasts
We'll only remember the argument and not the actual disagreement

So don't yield to the fortunes
Don't get discouraged by bad luck

You sometimes see as fate
That seems like it's beyond your control

It may have a new perspective
It might change in the future

On a different day
Depending on the circumstances

And if you don't give up, and don't give in
If you keep trying and don't quit

You may just be okay
Things could still turn out fine

I wasn't there that morning
I was absent the day my Father died

When my Father passed away
When my Father died

I didn't get to tell him
I wasn't able to speak to him

All the things I had to say
All the unspoken words I had for him

I think I caught his spirit
I felt his presence somewhere near me

Later that same year
Later on in the same year

I'm sure I heard his echo
I believe I heard his voice or influence

In my baby's new-born tears
In my child's crying

Say it loud, say it clear (oh say it clear)
Emphasize your message

It's too late (it's too late)
When we pass away

When we die (oh, when we die)
After we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye
To accept that we don't agree

Say it, say it, say it loud (say it loud)
Repeat yourself as often as it takes

Don't give up, don't give in
Persist and keep trying

And don't look away 'til it's too late
Stay focused until it's over

Say it clear
Be clear in your communication

Say it loud (say it loud, say it loud)
Emphasize your message