The Living Years from Mike & The Mechanics
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
Woh-oh, crumpled bits of paper-er, filled with imperfect thou-oughts
Stilted conversations, I'm afraid that's all we've go-o-ot
You say you just don't see it, he says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement, in this present te-ense
We all talk a different langua-age, talking in defe-e-ence
(Say it loud) say it lou-ou-oud, (say it clear) woh-oh say it clear-ear
(You can listen as well as you hear) as well as you hear-ear-ear
(It's too late) it's too la-ate (when we die) woh-oh when we die-ie
(To admit we don't see eye to eye) we don't see eye to eye
So we open up a quarrel, between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the futur-ure, it's the bitterness that la-asts
So don't yield to the fortunes you sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective on a different day-ay
And if you don't give up, and don't give in you may just be okay-ay
So say it, say it say it lou-ou-oud, (say it loud, say it clear) oh-oh say it clear-ear
(You can listen as well as you hear) as we-ell as you hear-ear-ear
Because it's too la-ate (it's too late) it's too la-ate (when we die)
Woh-oh when we die-ie-ie (to admit we don't see eye to eye) we don't see eye to eye-eye-eye
I wasn't there that morning, when my father passed away-ay
I didn't get to tell hi-im all the things I had to say-ay
I think I caught his spirit later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo in my baby's new born tear-ears
I just wish I could have told hi-im in the living years
So say it, say it, say it lou-ou-oud (say it loud, say it clear), oh-oh say it clear-ear
(You can listen as well as you hear) as we-ell as you hear-ear-ear
(It's too late) It's too la-a-ate, (when we die) it's too late when we die
(To admit we don't see eye to eye) we don't see-ee eye to eye-eye-eye
Hey, so say it, say it, say it loud (say it loud) say it loud (say it clear) come on say it clear
(Say it loud) don't give up, don't give in and do not wait 'til it's too late (fade)
Gorillaz