Father and Son chords
by Cat Stevens
- Father and Son was written by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It was recorded in 1970 and the single was released in the same year from the album, Tea for the Tillerman.
- Music: G Major in 4/4 time at ~ 64 bpm (♩)
- Chords: G, C/G, Am, Am7, Bm, C, Cadd9, D Em
- There are some extra time signatures added throughout the song - namely 5/4 and 3/4.
- I have included the Sheet Music Intro as the timing is a little tricky when working with 16th notes.
- If you can't read music, I have written the beat count with each bar having 16 beats along with the chords and notes played... all chord charts below.
Chart Legend
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open X: Don't play string B: Bass Note


















Father and Son

Intro:4/4 Beats: 1 & & & 2 & & & 3 & & & 4 & & & Chords: ||: G C/G :|| x4 Notes: C G C A (It's not) G D C Am7 1. It's not time to make a change, just re-lax, take it ea-sy G Em Am D You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to know G D C Am7 Find a girl, set-tle down, if you want, you can mar - ry G Em | Am - D | Look at me, I am old, but I'm hap-py G D C Am7 2. I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not ea-sy G Em | Am - D | To be calm when you've found some-thing going on G D C Am7 But take your time, think a lot, think of ev-'ry-thing you've got 5⁄4 4⁄4 G Em D | G C/G - - | G C/G - - | For you will still be here to-mor-row, but your dreams may not (How can) G Bm Cadd9 Am7 3. How can I try to ex-plain, when I do he turns a-way a-gain G Em | Am - D | It's al-ways been the same, same old sto-ry G Bm Cadd9 Am7 From the mo-ment I could talk, I was or-dered to lis-ten G Em D G Now there's a way and I know that I have to go a-way 3⁄4 4⁄4 | D / C | G C/G - - | G C/G - - | I know I have to go Instr: | G - Bm | Cadd9 - Am7 | G - Em | Am - D | | G - Bm | Cadd9 - Am7 | G - Em | D G / / | 3⁄4 4⁄4 | D / C | G C/G - - | G C/G - - | G D C Am7 4. It's not time to make a change, just sit down, take it slow-ly G Em Am D You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to go through G D C Am7 Find a girl, set-tle down, if you want, you can mar-ry G Em | Am - D | Look at me, I am old, but I'm hap-py G D C Am7 5. All the times that I cried, keep-ing all the things I knew in-side G Em | Am - D | It's hard, but it's hard-er to ig-nore it G D C Am7 If they were right, I'd a-gree, but it's them they know not me G Em D G Now there's a way and I know that I have to go a-way 3⁄4 | D / C | G I know I have to go...
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Cat Stevens

Born: Steven Demetre Georgiou, 21 July 1948 in Marylebone, London, England. In 1978 he changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam the previous year.
Professions: Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, organ, piano, mellotron, double bass
Professional Years: He performed as Cat Stevens from 1965 - 1980, and as Yusuf Islam from 1995 onwards.
Albums as Cat Stevens: Matthew and Son (1967), New Masters (1967), Mona Bone Jakon (1970), Tea for the Tillerman (1970), Teaser and the Firecat (1971), Catch Bull at Four (1972), Foreigner (1973), Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974), Numbers (1975), Izitso (1977), Back to Earth (1978).
Albums as Yusuf: An Other Cup (2006), Roadsinger (2009), Tell 'Em I'm Gone (2014).
Songs by Cat Stevens on this site:- Father and Son
- Morning Has Broken
- Wild World