The Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics (1989)

I'm not waiting for Father's Day to post this one. I'll probably post it again in June.

Mike Rutherford of Genesis was also the Mike in Mike + The Mechanics. I mention that simply as an FYI, but it should also serve as a reminder that he was responsible for some Great Songs for BOTH groups...including today's Great Song of 1989:

'The Living Years."

When Mike was putting together the Mechanics' second album with songwriter B.A. Robertson, he discovered that their fathers had passed away at virtually the same time.

This led to some profound thoughts--and the following is a direct quote from Mike:

"Being of similar age, we both came from an era where our parents had lived through two world wars, when young men wanted to be like their fathers – wear the same clothes, do the same things. But then there was a huge change and our generation wanted to be anything but their fathers. It wasn't our parents' fault, there was just a big social change. Pop music had come along, The Beatles, denim trousers... for the first time, teens had their own culture. That's how our generation couldn't really talk to our parents in the same way. So we had the idea of writing a song about how you never really talk to your father, and you miss out on these things."

(Note: Mike & B.A. later discovered that Mechanics' lead singer Paul Carrack had lost his father at age 11.)

In 2024, many of us can relate to "The Living Years," with fathers who served in WWII, Korea, and/or Vietnam. Because of this, the song serves as a reminder of where our fathers came from and what they lived through.

My dad passed at 63 when I was 31, and this song really hits home, but I am certainly not the only one who can identify, and here's the proof: "The Living Years" was a bona fide hit in 13 countries-reaching #1 in Canada, Australia, and Japan...and a triple Top 10 here at home: #1 on The Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary Charts, and #2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

On top of that, the song won the Ivor Novello Award (the British equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Song Musically & Lyrically, and received FOUR Grammy nominations in the US: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best Video.

All-in-all a very impressive showing for a very touching, thought-provoking look at a generation gap that was no one's fault.

"The Living Years" by Mike + The Mechanics: A Great Song of 1989. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hr64MxYpgk

Tomorrow: What Karen needs.