Listen to this when
Father and Son
Your dad wants you safe. You want to be free. You can both be right. #FatherAndSon
Who it's for
The song is written as a dialogue, giving the cautious father and the restless son equal voice, so the listener can step into the other person's shoes without either being cast as the villain.
Feelings it meets
What it is
"Father and Son" is a 1970 song written and performed by Cat Stevens and produced by Paul Samwell-Smith for the album Tea for the Tillerman. It is a conversation between a father who cannot understand his son's wish to break away and a son who cannot fully explain himself but feels it is time to find his own path, with Stevens singing the father in a lower register and the son in a higher one.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music (widely available).
Before you start
Age: All ages
It is the little things that I leave behind for my loved ones,—great things are for everyone.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 178
Also for family conflict
PunisherAlbum · 2020
Therapy for Black GirlsPodcast · Podcast 2017–present (brand founded 2014)
Where Should We Begin? with Esther PerelPodcast · 2017–present
Beautiful Stories From Anonymous PeoplePodcast · 2016–present
Dear SugarsPodcast · c. 2015–2018 (Strayed/Almond run); feed active through 2026 with reruns and a miniseries
Dear Therapists with Lori Gottlieb and Guy WinchPodcast · 2020–present (new sessions appear to have stopped; feed still posts encores and one-year-later follow-ups in 2026)