Desiring Machine

The year must have been 1979, sitting in front of one of those cabinet sized record players. A four year old kid fascinated by the cover of “Tea For the Tillerman”. The rich colors of the artwork, the identification with children on the cover. Perhaps a personal identification with the older red bearded gentleman, being a readhead myself.

Tea For The Tillerman

Looking intently at the grooves in the vinyl, my eyes are drawn to a thin innocuous looking track towards the center of the album. Why is that one so small I wonder? Place the record on the player. Move the needle to the thin concentric circle towards the center of the album. Out of the record player comes an agonizingly short piano piece called Tea for the Tillerman. How could something that sounds so good be so short? I want more. Obsessively I keep moving the needle back and forth over that short gap of vinyl grooves, trying to eek out just a little more aural pleasure oozing through the speakers.

And thus begins a life long fascination with parts of songs. Short small segments that captivate the imagination. The closing track from Cat Stevens’ landmark 1970 album is so perfect in it succinctness. Caps off an amazing recording of moving music with a small anthem of good times, a bountiful harvest, peace and harmony. The brevity of the song perhaps an ode to the finitude of good times and how, all to quickly, we must get back to our labors. Because as the “sinners sin, the children play” oblivious of the struggles and trials of the larger world.

One gets the impression that the artwork for the album was created and then the lyrics conceived to match the imagery. I love the little added touch in the upper left corner of the rainmaker woman enchanting the thunder and lightening. The forces of productivity. The Tillerman taking a break from his labors. The children the end result of this collaboration between the man and woman. A division of labor? Perhaps. At the very least a total picture of all the essential qualities of life.

Bring tea for the tillerman
Steak for the sun
Wine for the women who made the rain come
Seagulls sing your hearts away
cause while the sinners sin, the children play

Oh lord how they play and play
For that happy day, for that happy day

It has been almost 30 years since I have listened to this album. I am listening to it now on my computer. In a new time and place. Not as vinyl, but as an MP3 in my iTunes collection. The force of the album is hitting me like a ton of bricks as it brings back so many memories of early childhood. Even though I have not really maintained a fascination with Cat Stevens over the years, re-listening to this album evokes as much emotional impact now as it did when I was a child. It really is a classic well crafted album. But I can’t get over the brevity the title track. It stuck out it my mind then as it does today. A bittersweet succinctness, that leaves one wishing for more. Such is life.

Addendum: I just learned that Chris Martin from Coldplay did a cover of this album for the end credits of Ricky Gervais “Extras“. Have never seen the show but with a quick youtube search I found the cover here:

What an awful, soulless cover. I never really liked Coldplay, mostly because of the whiny, emo factor. But what Martin does to this song truly is sacrilegious. His rendition is so tonally flat and monotonous. He utterly destroys the crescendo quality of the song. The off key duet after the credits is kind of funny though. At least they have some humor. Did Martin really need to destroy this song Tea for the Tillerman song? For all the millions of dollars he makes he ought to do better.

On the other hand here is an internet dude, Dara Sheahan, who brings much passion and soul to a guitar cover of this song. Perhaps it is because he is performing it in his small laundry room, where the acoustics are good for a shy introvert.

And finally here is another youtube clip that I think evokes the mood of the song fairly well.