Brian May, 1983, Guitar Greats, BBC Radio One:
"(The Who and Led Zeppelin are) probably in there somewhere. They were our favourite groups among a few others. But what we were trying to do differently from either of those groups really was this sort of layered sound. See, The Who had a sort of 'clang' guitar sound – you know, the open chord guitar sound. There is a bit of that in 'Father To Son', but our sound is sort of more based around the overdriven guitar sound, which is what is used on the main bulk of the song. Also, what I wanted to do was this business of building up textures behind the main melody lines. So you have in the first entry of the vocal behind it there is a sort of orchestral thing, which is a nine-part guitar thing that was my expedition into sort of proper orchestrating of the guitar. So that was one thing.
It's amazing how few people knew what we were doing. We wanted to make a kind of rock music that still had the power of, like, The Who or Led Zeppelin but which had more melody, more harmony, and more texture than had been done before. That was one of the first songs we did it on and there's lots of harmonies, lots of guitar harmonies and lots of bits of melody, you know."
Father to Son
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear the word that I say
I fought with you, fought on your side
Long before you were born
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
From father to son, to son...
And the voice is so clear, time after time it keeps on
Don't destroy what you see, your country to be
Just keep building on the ground that's been won
Kings will be crowned, and the word goes around
From father to son, to son
Won't you hear us sing
(te de de de de de de de de de de de de de de)
Our family song
(te de de de de de de de de de de de de de de)
Father, father, father, father, ooh yeah, father, father, father, father
(te de de de de de de de de de de de de de de)
Now we hand it on
But I've heard it all before
Take this letter that I give you
Take it sonny, hold it high
You won't understand a word that's in it
But you'll write it out again before you die (yeah yeah)
A word in your ear from father to son
Funny you don't hear a single word I say
But my letter to you will stay by your side
Through the years till the loneliness is gone
Sing if you will - but the air you breathe I live to give you
Father to son, father to, father to, father to son
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
From father to son, to son...
Kings will be crowned, the word goes around
From father to son, to son
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
From father to son, to son...
Kings will be crowned, the word goes around
From father to son, to son
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
From father to son, to son...
Kings will be crowned, the word goes around
From father to son, to son
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
"Father to Son" by Queen is an introspective look at family legacy and the passing down of values from one generation to the next. The song opens with a father addressing his son, offering words of advice and wisdom. He reminisces about how he has fought on his son's side long before he was born, and how he hopes his son will carry on the legacy of what has been achieved. He urges him to not destroy what he sees, but instead to keep building upon past achievements. The word goes around from father to son, in a symbolic passing of the baton.
The chorus "Joyful the sound, the word goes around" emphasizes the importance of family and the passing down of family traditions. The father speaks of kings being crowned, highlighting the impact and responsibility that comes with being a part of a powerful lineage. The song ends with the father handing a letter to his son, urging him to hold it high, and although he may not understand it now, he will eventually come to appreciate its meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
A word in your ear, from father to son
Listen to me, son, as I give you advice and guidance.
Hear the word that I say
Pay attention to my message and follow my instructions.
I fought with you, fought on your side
Long before you were born
I have been fighting and supporting you and your family since before you were even born.
Joyful the sound, the word goes around
From father to son, to son...
The message of love, guidance, and legacy is passed down from one generation to another.
And the voice is so clear, time after time it keeps on
Calling you, calling you on
The message is loud and clear, and it is repeated over and over again to inspire and motivate you.
Don't destroy what you see, your country to be
Just keep building on the ground that's been won
Don't ruin the promising future that lies ahead of you. Instead, work hard and improve on what your elders have accomplished.
Kings will be crowned, and the word goes around
From father to son, to son
Royalty may come and go, but the message of love, guidance, and legacy will continue to be passed down from one generation to another.
Won't you hear us sing
Our family song
Please listen to our family's message and embrace our heritage.
Father, father, father, father, ooh yeah, father, father, father, father
The word 'father' is repeated multiple times to emphasize the significance and authority of the message.
Now we hand it on
But I've heard it all before
I am passing down the family message to you, but I have also received it from my own father.
Take this letter that I give you
Take it sonny, hold it high
You won't understand a word that's in it
But you'll write it out again before you die (yeah yeah)
Take this message from me, even if you don't fully comprehend it yet. Keep it close to your heart and pass it down to your own children one day.
Funny you don't hear a single word I say
But my letter to you will stay by your side
Through the years till the loneliness is gone
You may not fully comprehend or listen to my message now, but my written words will always be there to comfort and guide you.
Sing if you will - but the air you breathe I live to give you
You are free to follow your own interests and passions, but always remember that the air you breathe and the opportunities you have are gifts from me and your ancestors.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN MAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AlexAngel
Amazing song!
@kaira5748
Who are you?
@wildnfearless9840
@@kaira5748 He's some musician
@mayoneso6667
NAH
@savanaviolenta
Lets face it this is Queen's best album.Very underrated.
@Manny29
T.I.N Mateus yeah but sheer heart attack is just killer
@35blackholes
My personal favourite is a day at the races but this is a great album too
@dakotas7643
T.I.N Mateus This album and sheer heart attack are tied at first place for me. I really like the fantasy vibes I get from Queen 2 and I always have some story in my head when listening to the album. I know the songs are technically not connected but I make them connected cuz I feel like it
@rhys2275
This or Innuendo for me.
@doncarleno2623
Yeah but too much lalalala lalalala