The Living Years - Mike And The Mechanics

Artist: Mike + The Mechanics
Song: The Living Years
Year: 1988
Album: The Living Years

What an upliftingly depressing song. It sounds happy and cheery until you realize that the song is about a deceased father and the son's regrets for not making amends. This was the musical landscape of 1988. You either had depressing, thoughtful songs or throwaway junk, with a few exceptions.

About two months ago, I had this song stuck in my head for five days straight. I can't believe I didn't crawl into bed and hide under the covers for two months. This is a wonderful song, but I just can't take the emotional subject matter.

Every time I hear the song, I feel like I just saw a baby's grave. You have a whole bundle of emotions that get bottlenecked into the same place with no chance of escape. You feel sad. You feel happy. Then you feel bad for feeling happy. It's a complete rollercoaster.

I'm sure that I'll seek this song out at the appropriate time, but until then, I'm happy with hearing it from a distance.

Lyrics:
Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye