Hearing this as an 8th grader back in 1971 I was convinced that we would be the ones to finally get it together and have peace throughout the world. Sorry to say that never happened. Sad. Cat had the dream just like we did.
What happened to him though?: Robertson: You don't think that this man deserves to die? Y. Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie? Robertson: Yes. Y. Islam: Yes, yes. Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner? Y. Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act - perhaps, yes. [Some minutes later, Robertson on the subject of a protest where an effigy of the author is to be burned] Robertson: Would you be part of that protest, Yusuf Islam, would you go to a demonstration where you knew that an effigy was going to be burned? Y. Islam: I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing.
@@andytraiger4079 Meanwhile, 35,000 actual people, 25,000 of whom are women and children have actually been killed in just the past 200 days -- using American weapons. 2 million have been forced to flee their homes. 2.2 million are being intentionally starved. Just to be clear about laying blame and judgment at someone else's feet. You know, glass houses and all that.
@@andytraiger4079 Thank you! He converted to a perverted and murderous "religion." And here is an example of how he understands the evil that is required of him.
@@andytraiger4079 yes, his conversion to Islam was accompanied by a subversion of his ideals to his duties. This was why 10,000 Maniacs, who had covered this song for "In My Tribe", requested that subsequent pressings of the record be released without it.
Second, “Oh Very Young.”That daddy’s best jeans verse is still single-handedly one of the most impactful verses I’ve ever heard. The man is a true poet.
@@tracycampbell3060... OK,I was joking. My favorite is "Foreigner Suite". I love the transitions. However, is there a bad Cat song from the 60s and 70s? "I Love My Dog" is a nice song too.
I can not listen to "Peace Train" without crying. It is such an anthem for peace and love, tolerance and joy. I love Cat Stevens, have for 50 years plus.
Everyone was playing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” during the recent solar eclipse, I think it should have been “Moonshadow” because that’s exactly what it was.
Evert time I hear this song I have to do the claps at lease once. I got some strange looks when I was working in a big box store and for seemingly no reason start clapping.
He’s not “still going strong”-he left the music industry for 2 plus decades after becoming muslim and changing his name. He only started performing secular music again in 2006. We are very happy he’s back.
Yes, your 💯% correct. Cat was a very open minded kind caring compassionate person. JUST LITERALLY A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN !!🦋✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽Peace train baby, hop on and let’s see where it takes us. ✌🏽✌🏽 ☮️🚂. Cat was on fire in his day. 🔥🔥Great tunes
@@realitywave Oh wow, I had no idea. That’s not cool at all. Maybe he should have gone into acting. Seems as tho he can do that well. I had no idea. Thanks for telling me that .
It's heartbreaking when I think that we went from "Peace Train" in 1971 to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991. 20 years to go from "Dreaming about the world as one" to "Whatever, Nevermind". Sort of reflects the emotional arc from childish innocence to adult cynicism many individuals go through as we grow up. Very bittersweet when you consider that journey from beginning to end. Mostly bitter when you consider that the Nirvana generation started their journey at the cynicism end of the spectrum. Would be nice to hope the arc could somehow reverse itself, but I'm not seeing any of that right now. When you get a chance you might want to give a listen to Melanie Safka's Lay Down Candles. I would suggest the video of Melanie performing with the Edwin Hawkins Singers live in 1970. Same spirit of hope tinged with the melancholy of the onset of disillusionment. Both songs are bittersweet.
Well, not to throw stones, but speaking as a member of the Nirvana generation, it didn't help that a lot of the people in the Baby Boomer generation who sang and believed this song when it came out ended up growing up and deciding to elect Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and that "Greed is good". That being said, Yusuf/Cat is one of my all-time favorite artists, and i credit his music and his steadfast resolve in his beliefs to have genuinely influenced and changed my life for the better. So there's that. : )
@@Dr_Bombay Yes, yes, a thousand times YES. Fellow Slacker, here. I grew up with Cat Stevens, "Free To Be You & Me," Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street & The Electric Company, the Monterey, Woodstock & Isle of Wight festival soundtracks, living memories of the Civil Rights movement, Kent State, Little Rock, Stonewall... We were raised on peace, love, hope & equality, but what we got in adulthood was a post-Reagan fever dream of unfettered greed, exploitation & selfishness. We were lied to as children by adults who gave up on the dream of remaking society. Of course we became disillusioned.
With Cat Stevens, I remember when he first became Yusuf Islam and for a time renounced his music, and how it disillusioned so many fans. I'm glad he came back around to performing again!
When I was young, we used to get cheap concert tix at a local amusement park ($6 total for the park & a concert @ Pirates World circa 1970). I get there in the afternoon to scope out a decent seat, and this guy was just sitting on a wood stool in the center while tuning a guitar, like a crew-member does beforehand. More folks were trickling in, it wasn't even dark yet and nobody is really noticing him much. Suddenly without saying a word, he launched into Peace Train. Everyone FROZE in place & turned their heads to find out WTF this guy was all about. He did only a few more songs and then thanked everyone & told us his name as he left the stage. I don't recall if he was even on the list of performers that night, but I am sure I'd never heard of him or any of his songs. Been a fan ever since. Hope you both get to enjoy such memories of the times & music in your lives as you've given some of us Boomers.
It's very sad. It reminds me of how we went from believing we had some sort of control over the world, that regular people could end a war, to knowing that corporations and banks own the world, and we will never come together enough to actually shake them off. What's next for our kids?
Moon Shadow and Oh Very Young are great also. Wild World was the very first of his songs I ever heard but Father and Son holds a special place in my heart since I lost my father nearly 51 years ago, two days after my fifteenth birthday. I had an 8-Track tape of various songs by him and they were all good.
I was fortunate to have seen Cat Stevens introduce "Peace Train" and "Moonshadow" in a live performance before the "Teaser and the Fire Cat" album was released. The show was brilliant! One of my favorite music memories from decades ago.
I love how the song evokes images of an actual steam train. If you've ever been around one starting up with a very heavy load, it starts with a slow easy chug then often the wheels slip and it belts out a loud huff. Soon as it picks up speed, the rhythm gets more smooth. It makes me feel that peace is a very heavy load, but with patience the burden eases
I was 7 years old when this song came out. I remember listening to it from the backseat of the car with my parents in the front seat. Almost every evening I would watch footage of the Vietnam war continuing on and on and it bothered me a lot as a child. I just remember saying to my father "I like this song!" and he replied in a rather darkly morbid way "Unfortunately peace isn't something that is going to happen..." Unlike my father I can't stop hoping and doing what I can.
i was a little older when this came out and can really relate to what you’re saying about watching the war on TV…I love your little child spirit, loving this song, and wishing for peace❤
@@JudymoeI guess due to my obsession with watching Vietnam coverage I made the connection. Obviously I don't remember everything from my younger years, but that particular conversation with my parents I remember clearly. It kind of marks where I first diverged in thought from my parents. They were religious and of course saw the world as damned. I didn't ever see it that way.
"Heart welling" is my description for this song. I've never not had a positive reaction to any version of this song, sometimes even tears but always smiles.
Cat Stevens was huge in my household, my Dad played the albums all the time, and played the Guitar to us and sang this song, The great thing that Cat Stevens does is that he makes me feel safe, Thanks Dad for an awesome childhood.
Cat Stephens was a revelation; he came on the scene when I was in college. Looking back, though, this wonderful song brings back a Joni lyric about peace. Sitting in a park in Paris, France Reading the news and it sure looks bad They won't give peace a chance That was just a dream some of us had - Joni Mitchell, California
It still made me sad when he supported the fatwa against Salmon Rushdie. I know he's a devout Muslim and Muslims were deeply offended by Rushdie's book, but for a man of peace it just seemed so out of character for a man who wrote Peace Train and Father and Son. (I know he's clarified and clarified over the years - and he has a different opinion these days - but that period was tough for those of us who absolutely adored Yusuf.
Peace Train was and is a reflection of his heart. I love Cat Steven's music SO much and am really, really glad you reacted to this song. We still need to find his Peace Train today.
With all the turmoil in Vietnam, "Peace" was frequently discussed. From Cat Stevens and "Peace Train" in 1971... to the O'jays with "Love Train" in 1972. ☮💟
For another Cat Stevens song, try "Morning has broken". This song went from being a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 to being a hymn in the Baptist Hymnal.
@@stupeters8409 Yes, I looked it up, and your post, and that of Sally's above, are indeed true. However, my original statement is still true. It did peak in the Top 10, and then, a year or two later, a new edition of the Baptist Hymnal was published with this song as one of the hymns. It wasn't in the previous edition of the Baptist Hymnal. All told, it's a very interesting history for a song.
I can tell you that for me, this song has gone from “A” when I was a kid in the 1970s to S tier today. A rare blend of artistic genius and huge popular appeal.
Me and my friends in High School 1969-1972 would listen to Cat, we were wannabe Hippies with our tie-dyed T-shirts, flared jeans and long hair and riding on the Peace Train,✌️ " Tea for the Tillerman" was our favorite album 😂 Peace ✌️ Gary 😊
I love how every sound in this song is designed to sound like a train moving. The Claps that are the wheels on the tracks. The background vocals that are the sound of the whistle nearby. The ooh Ahhs echoing the whistle from afar. And so many others
If you like Cat Stevens, you should watch the great 70's film "Harold and Maude". A black comedy that features all Cat Stevens songs for the soundtrack, all from around the time this album was out. In my top 20 films of all time.
The claps are the sounds of the train on the track, the wail is the sound of train whistle in the distance...getting closer.... Feel in love with this at the age of 6... and I'm 58 now and loved his work since then. SO many great songs.....
It seems I hear more depth and get more meaning every time I hear "Peace Train." And I remember when it first hit the radio stations! Cat Stevens is.....a national treasure. There's no way around it. His music always lifts my soul.
This gentleman has always offered a bit of magic with this sounds & music. Lyrical genius. I grew up with his music & I am very grateful for that. He also does many of his own album covers. Again, genius. This song was part of the production Playing for Change. Very well done. Thank you for sharing.
Having a good laugh at myself, for the last 50+ years I have been singing, "light on the B string", never knew it was called peace train Untill today, thank you Alex and Andy.
Your videos are so rewarding ~ your sensitivity and knowledgeability about what musical aspects contribute to the emotionality of the songs. I grew up with a lot of this music, just enjoying it, and it's fun at this late date to explore in more depth with you why the songs are so enduring. I don't always agree with your conclusions, but vive la difference! Many thanks!
He grew up in the theatre district of London, his parents owned a large store, and almost every night he would go up on the roof and listen to the performances from the nearby theatres.
Yes, but after going through the studio version, otherwise the so-so sound quality of the live tv show doesn't make it easy to appreciate on first listen.
I grew up hearing Cat Stevens playing in my brother's room next to mine as he played along on his guitar. That's what made me want to play guitar as well.
Aside from Stevens' original recording, a cover version of "Peace Train" was recorded by the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. The song originally appeared on the band's 1987 album, In My Tribe, but it failed to chart. After Stevens' comment which some interpreted as calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant had "Peace Train" removed from all future pressings of the album in the U.S. I have an original copy of the CD containing it that I bought when it was released.
An utter anthem of the age. Guys you have no idea, so let me explain this in context. When this hit the radios as a high schooler I was on threat as all males were for conscription to Vietnam. Yes in Australia we high schoolers had this enforced ballot conscription at the very date we turned 18 to be sent to Vietnam to fight your bloody American war. It was the sword of Damocles for every single one of us. Cat Stevens sang to our souls. But of course he was singing about all wars. But in that time/place he was singing to us. Thankfully I didn’t go to Vietnam. But you have no idea of living that teenage horror. And one reserved only for males. Women could at least volunteer. So that’s why Cat Stevens, O’Jays and Marvin Gaye we’re total gods of music to us. They spoke directly to that.
I found the Catch Bull at Four album in the late 70’s. Freezing Steel ( like Peace train)and The Boy with the Star and Moon on his Head mellow tune. Are really moving songs.
For context, "Peace Train" was on the radio about the same time as John Lennon's "Imagine" and Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World." ... For a deeper dive into Cat Stevens, you guys might like "Sitting", "The Hurt" and if you're really adventurous, "Foreigner Suite." He also wrote "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (P.P. Arnold, Rod Stewart) and "Here Comes My Baby" (Tremeloes).
I really liked Cat Stevens when I was in my teens. Completely gave up on him after his declaration in the late 1980s that he would like to participate in the murder of Salman Rushdie for publishing "The Satanic Verses". This was after Cat Stevens had converted to Islam and became extremely fundamentalist. He has never apologized for that, even though his declaration indirectly contributed to the knife attack in New York on Rushdie 2 years ago.
After the Christchurch mosque massacre here in New Zealand in 2019, a memorial for the victims was held shortly afterwards. Cat Stevens performed Peace Train live, and it brings me to tears every time. This is an absolutely beautiful song, and performed in that setting made the song so much more meaningful.
My favorite Cat Stevens song is whichever one I’m listening to.
Same😂
Agree. 😂
Spot on!
True. pure 👂🍬
🕊️♥️🎶
Truth.
"Morning Has Broken" is a MUST!!! calming, peaceful and meditative
Yes! Like butter!
Great song, He took this song from an old Methodist Hymnal, I believe.
@@ChrisMehl-h2z It's often sung in church even today
With Rick Wakeman on the piano!
Rick Wakeman of Yes does the piano on that song
Hearing this as an 8th grader back in 1971 I was convinced that we would be the ones to finally get it together and have peace throughout the world. Sorry to say that never happened. Sad. Cat had the dream just like we did.
Do more research. He converted to Islam which is an evil murderous ideology even if he is too stupid or dishonest to realize it.
Marxist Utopia eh
1000% on your entire comment.
@@JamesDimond-l7uNot Marxist.
@@JamesDimond-l7u Yeah, cause peace is such an awful thing to aspire to. Will it happen, probably not but nice of you to just bash the idea
Tea For The Tillerman would be a great album listen.
I've been saying that for a long time.
100%
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Absolutely. Inspired album!
How about "Morning has Broken" or the sentimental "Father and Son."
Amazing how an older song can be so relevant today. Glad you finally got to it.
Great Songs Last 4ever.
What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding ? 🙂
Because it's drivel
@@onsesejoo2605 drivel is what this is. Not funny, just juvenile
@@1960FRthis ain't one.
You can actually HEAR his conviction toward peace and love in his voice. Inspired song.
What happened to him though?:
Robertson: You don't think that this man deserves to die?
Y. Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie?
Robertson: Yes.
Y. Islam: Yes, yes.
Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner?
Y. Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act - perhaps, yes.
[Some minutes later, Robertson on the subject of a protest where an effigy of the author is to be burned]
Robertson: Would you be part of that protest, Yusuf Islam, would you go to a demonstration where you knew that an effigy was going to be burned?
Y. Islam: I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing.
@@andytraiger4079 Meanwhile, 35,000 actual people, 25,000 of whom are women and children have actually been killed in just the past 200 days -- using American weapons. 2 million have been forced to flee their homes. 2.2 million are being intentionally starved. Just to be clear about laying blame and judgment at someone else's feet. You know, glass houses and all that.
@@andytraiger4079 Thank you! He converted to a perverted and murderous "religion." And here is an example of how he understands the evil that is required of him.
@@andytraiger4079 yes, his conversion to Islam was accompanied by a subversion of his ideals to his duties. This was why 10,000 Maniacs, who had covered this song for "In My Tribe", requested that subsequent pressings of the record be released without it.
@@andytraiger4079 ALL religion is hogwash. I thought he was a better person before he took on the baggage of orthodoxy as well.
My favorite Cat Stevens was "Oh Very Young." It's sweet with a touch of melancholy.
I also love "C79" from that album. What a gas!!
Second, “Oh Very Young.”That daddy’s best jeans verse is still single-handedly one of the most impactful verses I’ve ever heard. The man is a true poet.
Morning is broken is mine
@tracycampbell3060 ... My favorite is Banapple Gas
@@tracycampbell3060... OK,I was joking. My favorite is "Foreigner Suite". I love the transitions. However, is there a bad Cat song from the 60s and 70s? "I Love My Dog" is a nice song too.
This song came out in 1971 and we are still all waiting for that Peace Train. Love this song.
No shit. Still waiting. Damn
My bags are packed….
I can not listen to "Peace Train" without crying. It is such an anthem for peace and love, tolerance and joy. I love Cat Stevens, have for 50 years plus.
Yet the man became a religious nutbar and fully supported the Fatwah against Salman Rushdie.
every politician in every country should give the peace train a listen..... over and over until it sinks in
Good thought but it will never happen. Peace out.
@@williamstlouis3368 all we are saying is, Give Peace a Chance.... i keep the faith, one day it will happen. right now? nope
Not just politicians, everyone. But to quote Arnold in T2, It’s human nature to destroy yourselves.
@@Jelsick true, but it is the politicians who drive the war horse and ill will. i disagree with arnie, most people want to live in peace
We can hope.
Everyone was playing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” during the recent solar eclipse, I think it should have been “Moonshadow” because that’s exactly what it was.
This....YES!
Absolutely!
My little tribe and I were singing Moonshadow during the eclipse!
Exactly my thought at the time! We were singing it, too.
Best claps in a song ever....not sure how they recorded that - they are so clean.
Evert time I hear this song I have to do the claps at lease once. I got some strange looks when I was working in a big box store and for seemingly no reason start clapping.
To me this song is S tier. It’s deep for me and makes me cry when I really let myself get lost in it.
Me too!! Made me 😭 remembering the hopes & dreams we had in 1971 for a more peaceful 🌎 world 🌍
Moonshadow does that for me.
Watch him perform this at his RRHOF induction.
agreed. i'm a hard rocker fan but the passion in this song is incredible!
@@denisediamond293So true! Those days we had so much hope.
🎼There was nobody like Cat Stevens. He had so much to say back “then” and is still going strong. So come and join the living!🎼☮️💟
Yusef Islam
He’s not “still going strong”-he left the music industry for 2 plus decades after becoming muslim and changing his name. He only started performing secular music again in 2006. We are very happy he’s back.
yeh i get bbc music saw a bit of glasto
Yes, your 💯% correct. Cat was a very open minded kind caring compassionate person. JUST LITERALLY A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN !!🦋✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽Peace train baby, hop on and let’s see where it takes us. ✌🏽✌🏽 ☮️🚂.
Cat was on fire in his day. 🔥🔥Great tunes
@@realitywave
Oh wow, I had no idea. That’s not cool at all. Maybe he should have gone into acting.
Seems as tho he can do that well. I had no idea. Thanks for telling me that .
Morning Has Broken- one of the most beautiful piece of music ever
I’ve read that it is a church hymn.
It's heartbreaking when I think that we went from "Peace Train" in 1971 to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991. 20 years to go from "Dreaming about the world as one" to "Whatever, Nevermind". Sort of reflects the emotional arc from childish innocence to adult cynicism many individuals go through as we grow up. Very bittersweet when you consider that journey from beginning to end. Mostly bitter when you consider that the Nirvana generation started their journey at the cynicism end of the spectrum. Would be nice to hope the arc could somehow reverse itself, but I'm not seeing any of that right now.
When you get a chance you might want to give a listen to Melanie Safka's Lay Down Candles. I would suggest the video of Melanie performing with the Edwin Hawkins Singers live in 1970. Same spirit of hope tinged with the melancholy of the onset of disillusionment. Both songs are bittersweet.
Well, not to throw stones, but speaking as a member of the Nirvana generation, it didn't help that a lot of the people in the Baby Boomer generation who sang and believed this song when it came out ended up growing up and deciding to elect Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and that "Greed is good". That being said, Yusuf/Cat is one of my all-time favorite artists, and i credit his music and his steadfast resolve in his beliefs to have genuinely influenced and changed my life for the better. So there's that. : )
To paraphrase the obvious: when a society tells you who they are-believe them.
@@Dr_Bombay Yes, yes, a thousand times YES.
Fellow Slacker, here. I grew up with Cat Stevens, "Free To Be You & Me," Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street & The Electric Company, the Monterey, Woodstock & Isle of Wight festival soundtracks, living memories of the Civil Rights movement, Kent State, Little Rock, Stonewall...
We were raised on peace, love, hope & equality, but what we got in adulthood was a post-Reagan fever dream of unfettered greed, exploitation & selfishness. We were lied to as children by adults who gave up on the dream of remaking society. Of course we became disillusioned.
@@goreyfantod5213 it's true! same experience. it's no wonder we got angry and threw up our hands and said "Whatever -- nevermind!" haha
With Cat Stevens, I remember when he first became Yusuf Islam and for a time renounced his music, and how it disillusioned so many fans. I'm glad he came back around to performing again!
I have a special love for “Moonshadow”.
When I have the opportunity I dance in my backyard to the Moon Shadow Always a special thing
Cat Stevens Fun Fact: There's a cult film classic called "Harold and Maude", the entire soundtrack is Cat Stevens. Its also a great movie! 👍👍👍
When I was young, we used to get cheap concert tix at a local amusement park ($6 total for the park & a concert @ Pirates World circa 1970). I get there in the afternoon to scope out a decent seat, and this guy was just sitting on a wood stool in the center while tuning a guitar, like a crew-member does beforehand. More folks were trickling in, it wasn't even dark yet and nobody is really noticing him much. Suddenly without saying a word, he launched into Peace Train. Everyone FROZE in place & turned their heads to find out WTF this guy was all about. He did only a few more songs and then thanked everyone & told us his name as he left the stage. I don't recall if he was even on the list of performers that night, but I am sure I'd never heard of him or any of his songs. Been a fan ever since. Hope you both get to enjoy such memories of the times & music in your lives as you've given some of us Boomers.
It's very sad. It reminds me of how we went from believing we had some sort of control over the world, that regular people could end a war, to knowing that corporations and banks own the world, and we will never come together enough to actually shake them off. What's next for our kids?
Don't give up HOPE & BELIEVING in 🌎 WORLD 🌍 🕊️ PEACE 🕊️starting at 🏠 HOME 🏡
Moon Shadow and Oh Very Young are great also. Wild World was the very first of his songs I ever heard but Father and Son holds a special place in my heart since I lost my father nearly 51 years ago, two days after my fifteenth birthday. I had an 8-Track tape of various songs by him and they were all good.
I was in the "Moons Shadow" a couple weeks ago.
🌑
"Boy With The Moon And Star On His Head" is, I think, my very favorite.
I have a decorated sign above my alarm. Clock that says "Oooh Baby, Baby its a wild world." First words I see everyday.
Oh I forgot MOON SHADOW.
I was fortunate to have seen Cat Stevens introduce "Peace Train" and "Moonshadow" in a live performance before the "Teaser and the Fire Cat" album was released. The show was brilliant! One of my favorite music memories from decades ago.
If you were an 18 year old American male, like I was when this came out, you were hoping this song was prophecy.
You will never get tired of this song.
became such a BIG hit when it first came out......propelled Cat into upper levels of stardom....and then he left it all behind....
Another of Cat's many masterpieces - he is indeed a musical genius. 😃
I love how the song evokes images of an actual steam train. If you've ever been around one starting up with a very heavy load, it starts with a slow easy chug then often the wheels slip and it belts out a loud huff. Soon as it picks up speed, the rhythm gets more smooth. It makes me feel that peace is a very heavy load, but with patience the burden eases
Very well said, Joe.
I want this song played at my funeral. I'll be on that peace train. To me, that's the only way to achieve peace.
What a beautiful idea.♥️
I was so in love with Cat Stevens and his music in high school in the 70's.
The whole album is gem after gem. His simplistic but clever song writing, his voice and harmonies, the melodies, there has never been anyone like him.
The background vocals are a huge part of the complexity of this fantastic song. The way they are treated is amazing
The music of my high school days. "Tea for the Tillerman" is a masterpiece of an album.
I agree! This song is from "Teaser and the Firecat", which equals "Tea for the Tillerman" in my view.
I was 7 years old when this song came out. I remember listening to it from the backseat of the car with my parents in the front seat. Almost every evening I would watch footage of the Vietnam war continuing on and on and it bothered me a lot as a child. I just remember saying to my father "I like this song!" and he replied in a rather darkly morbid way "Unfortunately peace isn't something that is going to happen..." Unlike my father I can't stop hoping and doing what I can.
i was a little older when this came out and can really relate to what you’re saying about watching the war on TV…I love your little child spirit, loving this song, and wishing for peace❤
I was eight, and just loved the sound.. I didn't get the meaning for many years.
@@JudymoeI guess due to my obsession with watching Vietnam coverage I made the connection. Obviously I don't remember everything from my younger years, but that particular conversation with my parents I remember clearly. It kind of marks where I first diverged in thought from my parents. They were religious and of course saw the world as damned. I didn't ever see it that way.
He also did the water color artwork on many of his album covers. Talent abound.
Great choice guys. 🎸
Brings me back to the days of reading Khalil Gibran.
I am currently re-reading The Prophet!!
Peace Train, Oh Very Young, and How Can I Tell You are my favorite Cat Stevens songs. Class of 1975 ❤
I went to my first concert in 1971. Cat Stevens opened for Traffic. He blew the crowd away! Bought Tea for the Tillerman next day.
What a great line-up! Steve Winwood is still kicking around, too!
Hope you guys find the time to check out "Harold and Maude", the 1971 black comedy with music by Cst Stevens. Great movie, perfect soundtrack!
Yes, yes and yes!
YES!!! I found the movie like 20 years ago in Target.
Don’t Be Shy at the beginning of the movie and If You Want to Sing Out Sing Out at the end are personal favorites. Such a good movie.
with Cat theres always a great acoustic guitar.
"Heart welling" is my description for this song. I've never not had a positive reaction to any version of this song, sometimes even tears but always smiles.
Cat Stevens was huge in my household, my Dad played the albums all the time, and played the Guitar to us and sang this song, The great thing that Cat Stevens does is that he makes me feel safe, Thanks Dad for an awesome childhood.
Cat Stephens was a revelation; he came on the scene when I was in college. Looking back, though, this wonderful song brings back a Joni lyric about peace.
Sitting in a park in Paris, France
Reading the news and it sure looks bad
They won't give peace a chance
That was just a dream some of us had
- Joni Mitchell, California
It still made me sad when he supported the fatwa against Salmon Rushdie. I know he's a devout Muslim and Muslims were deeply offended by Rushdie's book, but for a man of peace it just seemed so out of character for a man who wrote Peace Train and Father and Son. (I know he's clarified and clarified over the years - and he has a different opinion these days - but that period was tough for those of us who absolutely adored Yusuf.
"The First Cut Is The Deepest" a much covered and loved Cat Stevens song. Cheers Guys.
My favourites are “How can I tell you” & “The Wind” - I ADORE Cat Stephens! ❤
I've loved Cat Stevens' music since I first heard him. He still moves me.
Peace Train was and is a reflection of his heart. I love Cat Steven's music SO much and am really, really glad you reacted to this song. We still need to find his Peace Train today.
Sad Lisa is beautiful. Hard Headed Woman, one of my favorites too
I totally agree!
@@twncintiohio Me too! I also love "Into White".
@@neilyoungfan yes!!
Cats music was so cool, I was in my pre-teens when he was on the radio. Early 70’s music really set my style in music.
More than 50 years later and the peace train is farther away than ever. What a talented man
With all the turmoil in Vietnam, "Peace" was frequently discussed. From Cat Stevens and "Peace Train" in 1971... to the O'jays with "Love Train" in 1972. ☮💟
For another Cat Stevens song, try "Morning has broken". This song went from being a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 to being a hymn in the Baptist Hymnal.
It started out as a hymn, written in the 30s.
It was a Hymn first written in 1931 and it was A Methodist Hymn
@@stupeters8409 Yes, I looked it up, and your post, and that of Sally's above, are indeed true. However, my original statement is still true. It did peak in the Top 10, and then, a year or two later, a new edition of the Baptist Hymnal was published with this song as one of the hymns. It wasn't in the previous edition of the Baptist Hymnal. All told, it's a very interesting history for a song.
I can tell you that for me, this song has gone from “A” when I was a kid in the 1970s to S tier today. A rare blend of artistic genius and huge popular appeal.
In 1967 I saw him here
in Gothenburg, Sweden.
With him on the tour was
also Jimi Hendrix. My
favourite Cat song is
Matthew and son.
Me and my friends in High School 1969-1972 would listen to Cat, we were wannabe Hippies with our tie-dyed T-shirts, flared jeans and long hair and riding on the Peace Train,✌️ " Tea for the Tillerman" was our favorite album 😂 Peace ✌️ Gary 😊
I love how every sound in this song is designed to sound like a train moving. The Claps that are the wheels on the tracks. The background vocals that are the sound of the whistle nearby. The ooh Ahhs echoing the whistle from afar. And so many others
Teaser and the Firecat - my all time favourite album. Every track is sensational - 'How Can I Tell You' being the best track on the album IMO.
S song all the way. And the live version when he was young, you can see him jumping on the chair, rocking the song
If you like Cat Stevens, you should watch the great 70's film "Harold and Maude". A black comedy that features all Cat Stevens songs for the soundtrack, all from around the time this album was out. In my top 20 films of all time.
The claps are the sounds of the train on the track, the wail is the sound of train whistle in the distance...getting closer....
Feel in love with this at the age of 6... and I'm 58 now and loved his work since then. SO many great songs.....
Cat Stevens showed us early on what a pure heart and soul looked like.
A few years ago, you didn't know Boston. Imagine life without all the great bands you now know
It seems I hear more depth and get more meaning every time I hear "Peace Train." And I remember when it first hit the radio stations!
Cat Stevens is.....a national treasure. There's no way around it. His music always lifts my soul.
So glad I grew up with this positive generation of music. ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪
LOVE Cat Stevens! ❤️
Awesome review guys, great channel, it's such a wonderful song. Another great song by Cat Stevens is (Remember the days of the) old school yard.
This gentleman has always offered a bit of magic with this sounds & music. Lyrical genius. I grew up with his music & I am very grateful for that. He also does many of his own album covers. Again, genius. This song was part of the production Playing for Change. Very well done. Thank you for sharing.
AaaaahhhMAZING!
So many memories.
Love it. ✌🏻
Moon Shadow is my favorite, worth a listen, thanks guys.
I don't have a favourite song by this artist because he's written so many great songs - and so brilliantly recorded.
I was born in the 70s and whenever I heard Cat Stevens, I thought that his was the obvious way of thinking, that everyone could agree.
How cool that he says I've been smiling lately twice and then he ends it with I've been crying lately.
Absolutely amazing.
Been listening to Cat Stevens since I was 13 in 1973,
It don't get any better.
Great job guys.
I have this album and the cover is SOOO trashed from years of playing it over and over! Classic and WONDERFUL!
Having a good laugh at myself, for the last 50+ years I have been singing, "light on the B string", never knew it was called peace train Untill today, thank you Alex and Andy.
The sad things is that song is as relevant and as needed now as during the tumultuous times during which it was written.
These Cat albums of this period are the sound track of my college years. Saw him live in Seattle 1976. Huge show.
I was stationed at fort lewis at that time and i missed that concert and to this day I’ve regretted not going he was definitely on my radar!
Your videos are so rewarding ~ your sensitivity and knowledgeability about what musical aspects contribute to the emotionality of the songs. I grew up with a lot of this music, just enjoying it, and it's fun at this late date to explore in more depth with you why the songs are so enduring. I don't always agree with your conclusions, but vive la difference! Many thanks!
He grew up in the theatre district of London, his parents owned a large store, and almost every night he would go up on the roof and listen to the performances from the nearby theatres.
A song of hope! Simply beautiful.
Foreigner Suite , a masterpiece, 18 minutes and every second of it is awesome. LIVE version is worth a watch
Yes!
Yes, but after going through the studio version, otherwise the so-so sound quality of the live tv show doesn't make it easy to appreciate on first listen.
❤As relevant as ever ! We can do better as humans. Can't we ?!!
I would highly recommend The Wind as a next Cat Stevens song. The best 2 minutes you could spend.
I agree. As the song is so short, they should review this one and another one.
Aaaah! I just wrote about that song…no one talks about it…I love “How can I tell you” too!
I grew up hearing Cat Stevens playing in my brother's room next to mine as he played along on his guitar. That's what made me want to play guitar as well.
I was not really a folk singer fan until this came out... I could not believe the passion!
I can't hear this song anymore without getting choked up. Thanks for the reaction.
Aside from Stevens' original recording, a cover version of "Peace Train" was recorded by the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. The song originally appeared on the band's 1987 album, In My Tribe, but it failed to chart. After Stevens' comment which some interpreted as calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant had "Peace Train" removed from all future pressings of the album in the U.S.
I have an original copy of the CD containing it that I bought when it was released.
This is a great song, though I prefer the 10,000 Maniacs version.
Peace Tain
I have the cassette!
I love both versions.
"He must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear - if someone defames the prophet, then he must die."
It’s pretty tough to interpret it any other way
An utter anthem of the age. Guys you have no idea, so let me explain this in context. When this hit the radios as a high schooler I was on threat as all males were for conscription to Vietnam. Yes in Australia we high schoolers had this enforced ballot conscription at the very date we turned 18 to be sent to Vietnam to fight your bloody American war. It was the sword of Damocles for every single one of us. Cat Stevens sang to our souls. But of course he was singing about all wars. But in that time/place he was singing to us. Thankfully I didn’t go to Vietnam. But you have no idea of living that teenage horror. And one reserved only for males. Women could at least volunteer. So that’s why Cat Stevens, O’Jays and Marvin Gaye we’re total gods of music to us. They spoke directly to that.
No bad songs in his catalogue.
Lyrics and ideals as relevant, perhaps even moreso today than ever before. This received so much airplay back in the 70s.
Love, love, love this one. Thank you gentlemen.
A wonderful message. Lovely song. One of my mom's favorite artists.
I found the Catch Bull at Four album in the late 70’s. Freezing Steel ( like Peace train)and The Boy with the Star and Moon on his Head mellow tune. Are really moving songs.
Freezing Steel - now that's hardcore Cat Stevens!
Thanks, guys, I had forgotten how beautiful this song is!
For context, "Peace Train" was on the radio about the same time as John Lennon's "Imagine" and Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World." ... For a deeper dive into Cat Stevens, you guys might like "Sitting", "The Hurt" and if you're really adventurous, "Foreigner Suite." He also wrote "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (P.P. Arnold, Rod Stewart) and "Here Comes My Baby" (Tremeloes).
Ten years old when this was released, and I’ve never tired of hearing it. A touchstone song of the peace movement.
I really liked Cat Stevens when I was in my teens. Completely gave up on him after his declaration in the late 1980s that he would like to participate in the murder of Salman Rushdie for publishing "The Satanic Verses". This was after Cat Stevens had converted to Islam and became extremely fundamentalist. He has never apologized for that, even though his declaration indirectly contributed to the knife attack in New York on Rushdie 2 years ago.
After the Christchurch mosque massacre here in New Zealand in 2019, a memorial for the victims was held shortly afterwards. Cat Stevens performed Peace Train live, and it brings me to tears every time. This is an absolutely beautiful song, and performed in that setting made the song so much more meaningful.
It’s too bad Muslims don’t exercise peace at any level.
his 1966 smash hit 'Matthew & Son' is just a great intro to his talent.
yes i have the double vinly deram record 2 has some demos extras etc pretty cool
First album I ever bought as a 15-year-old was Cat Stevens greatest hits. Still listen to it 45 years later.
So sublime. I love how it changes at the end.
I'm confident that someday soon this will become an S tier song for both of you. It rises to the top of all S tier songs for me!