Cat Stevens: Trending quotes (page 2)

“Now come and join the living, its not so far from you
And its getting nearer, soon it will all be true
Oh peace train sounding louder”

Cat Stevens

Peace Train
Song lyrics, Teaser and the Firecat (1971)

Peace , Training

“I had to learn my faith and look after my family, and I had to make priorities. But now I've done it all and there's a little space for me to fill in the universe of music again.”

Cat Stevens

On getting back into the music business, as quoted in "The Billboard Q and A: Yusuf Islam" by Nigel Williamson, in Billboard Magazine (17 November 2006)

Family , Faith , Music , Learning

“I’ve, I’ve had it enough
All those lonely rooms
And blank faces
Had it enough
And I want you, I want you no more”

Cat Stevens

A Bad Penny
Song lyrics, Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974)

“Where’s it leading to, freedom at what cost?
People needing more and more and it’s all getting lost”

Cat Stevens

Ruins
Song lyrics, Catch Bull at Four (1972)

People , Freedom

“I wrote a song called "Father & Son" about the son running off to do his own thing. Now the story is about my son coming back and bringing a guitar into the house. A couple of years ago, one morning after prayers, his guitar was lying around. I picked it up and my fingers knew exactly where to go. I'd written some words and when I put them to music, it moved me and I realized I could have another job to do. Things just grew from there.”

Cat Stevens

On producing new music, after shunning the music business for over two decades, as quoted in "The Billboard Q and A: Yusuf Islam" by Nigel Williamson, in Billboard Magazine (17 November 2006)

Music , Lying , Housing

“I said, ‘Put back your heart, and sing, sing
While you know you’re still living.’
Sing, sing, sing, while you know there’s still –
New Music, new Music, new Music
Sweet Music can lighten us
Can brighten the world – can save us”

Cat Stevens

Music
Song lyrics, Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974)

World , Music , Singing , Heart

“Then I found my head one day when I wasn’t even trying
And here I have to say, ‘cause there is no use in lying, lying
Yes the answer lies within, so why not take a look now?
Kick out the devil’s sin, pick up, pick up a good book now.”

Cat Stevens

On The Road To Find Out
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Books , Lying

“Sun is the reason
And the world it will bloom
‘Cause sun lights the sky
And the sun lights the moon”

Cat Stevens

Sun C79
Song lyrics, Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974)

World , Light , Sun

“But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you’ve got
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not”

Cat Stevens

Father and Son
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Dreams , Thinking , Time

“I built my house from barley rice
Green pepper walls and water ice –
And everything emptying into White”

Cat Stevens

Into White
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Water , Housing

“It’s always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go — away”

Cat Stevens

Father and Son
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Way

“Oh I can’t keep it in; I can’t keep it in,
I’ve gotta let it out
I’ve got to show the world; world’s got to see,
See all the love; love that’s in me”

Cat Stevens

Can't Keep It In
Song lyrics, Catch Bull at Four (1972)

Love , World

“Don’t you remember the days
Of the old schoolyard
When we had imaginings and we had
All kinds of things and we laughed
And needed love … yes, I do
Oh and I remember you”

Cat Stevens

(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard
Song lyrics, Izitso (1977)

Love , Imagination

“Morning has broken,
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them springing
Fresh from the Word!”

Cat Stevens

Morning Has Broken, was widely popularized by the Cat Stevens version on Teaser and the Firecat (1971), but was actually written by Eleanor Farjeon in 1931. · A performance by Cat Stevens (1976) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5sSEkZ86ts
Misattributed

Spring , Bird , Singing

“In Islam there is a line between let's say freedom and the line which is then transgressed into immorality and irresponsibility and I think as far as this writer is concerned, unfortunately, he has been irresponsible with his freedom of speech. Salman Rushdie or indeed any writer who abuses the prophet, or indeed any prophet, under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death. It's got to be seen as a deterrent, so that other people should not commit the same mistake again.”

Cat Stevens

As quoted in "Yussuf Islam, Formerly Cat Stevens, Expresses Support For Rushdie Death Sentence" in The Christian Science Monitor (1989)

Death , People , Law , Thinking

“Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live; will you tell us when to die?
I know we've come a long way,
We're changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?”

Cat Stevens

Where Do the Children Play?
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Children , Way , Change , Cry

“Her clothes are made of rainbows
And twenty thousand tears
Shine through the spaces
Of her golden ochre hair”

Cat Stevens

Angelsea
Song lyrics, Catch Bull at Four (1972)

Tear , Clothes

“I wanted a break. I had been on the road more or less since I was 18, you know? And I hadn't known any other life, other than, you know, hotel rooms and concerts and records and studios and press conferences. … and to me, here was a chance to jump off that kind of wagon and see life for real. You know, actually my last album was called Back to Earth. So that was the meaning of it. I wanted to join the human race again. I didn't want to be a star. I didn't want to continue with that thing, because so much illusion and non-reality is connected to it. I wanted to be real. And so I — I kind of — I found an opportunity. And the actual point about music was — the imam who I met and who I first embraced Islam with in London's Central Mosque, he actually told me to continue making records.”

Cat Stevens

On the abandonment of his music career after converting to Islam, on Larry King Live (7 October 2004) http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/07/lkl.01.html

Life , Music , Star , Reality

“They crossed the wood and hanged him
A long time ago
They still misunderstand him
Those who don’t know
And in the evening his love will lead the blind
In every secret corner there in your mind”

Cat Stevens

Jesus
Song lyrics, Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974)

Love , Secret , Time

“Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun. Oh, I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it's going to come.”

Cat Stevens

Peace Train - Earth Tour performance (1976) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjSHazjrWg - 2006 performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wEctHyuc0 - Nobel Concert (2006) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7iLPnDCQ1g
Song lyrics, Teaser and the Firecat (1971)

World , Smile , Dreams , Thinking