Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman Lyrics






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





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Cat Stevens Tea For The Tillerman Comments
  1. M.... L....

    My favorite song.

  2. M.... L....

    Violines so sweet...

  3. C.... H....

    We used to listen to this album, and all of the other, I have many favs!!! Beautiful voice gives me chills, such a unique and beautiful voice!!!

  4. S.... S....

    I was blessed beyond measure to have seen this exquisite troubadour live! So, and? Deal wit it!!!

  5. P.... E....

    A miracle ! Who can write such a beautiful song today ? No one ! Harold and Maud's wonder !

  6. S.... S....

    Pure, purer, purest. Deal with it!!!!!😬🙌😁

  7. G.... S....

    Makes me cry every time

  8. L.... R....

    78 people on white how can you not like this

  9. M.... W....

    Intense tune

  10. J.... G....

    Please don't call it the devil! WHOM CREATED THE DEVIL? THAT IS RIGHT: GOD! WAKE Up!!!!

  11. w.... v....

    The best album he ever made ! I still have have the vinyl

  12. Y.... S....

    Ok. Ths is Farighent nuts.... Yfs

  13. y.... ....

    compare Dixie Chicks "Cowboy Take Me Away"

  14. g.... ....

    This song , this beautiful song was in my brother's head when he was trying to kill himself... he just told me that today that when he was taking all these pills he was hearing the song and he said it made him very sad . When they bought him in the hospital his body was purple and cold and he never should have survived .
    Tomorrow they put him in the psych ward .
    I've loved this song but now it sounds different to me.
    I kind of wish my brother hadn't told me this and I hope eventually the song will sound to me the way it used to .. instead of painful .

    g.... ....

    Please let us know how your brother is doing. I'm sorry to hear that this song brings you sadness, hopefully one day it can bring you and your brother peace again. Humans have such strong emotions that's why we create music, one day, hopefully, you can have a happier memory to put with this song, him as well. I wish for many more years of happiness for you and your brother, just be strong and remind him that he is strong and very much loved. This time if darkness will soon pass just keep your head up. Talk to your brother if you can, find out exactly what he feels abd why. Just be there for him and think positive even though that's difficult right now. I'm sure as dark as he felt the song was he still in some way finds it beautiful, there is happiness hidden in everything, even in sadness. Just keep him strong and let him know you are there. The best of luck to the both of you.

    g.... ....

    He is doing well , he is still in the hospital ..oddly enough they did not yet put him in psych ward .
    I was told more details by my other brother about how my brother Billy truly is lucky to be alive because he was in a coma for a day and a half .
    The problem is my brother has vitamin B6 toxicity and a gene mutation called MTHFR Gene and he has the worst kind of that gene mutation which makes it really hard to get rid of the toxicity and it has given him something called dying back syndrome where his muscles in his back are withering away plus he is emaciated because vitamin B6 is in almost everything and so there's a lot of things he cannot eat and he was hungry all the time ... he has also been going from Doctor to doctor without getting much help from all of his issues .
    On top of that he has the extreme chemical sensitivity where the smells of everything modern and chemical and synthetic is burning his eyes and his throat and making him sick and nauseous and worse yet there's a miniscule amount of mold in the house that nobody else can even perceive but with his extreme chemical sensitivities it is driving him nuts and crazy and he can never get away from it and he has thrown out a lot of clothing and furniture even got rid of his car because he said they were contaminated and he just keeps going around in circles with it it just literally all drove him crazy ... if you look on the internet and YouTube will you will see people who have had to camp out in their own backyards because they could no longer live in their own homes ... they claim when a person has extreme chemical sensitivities some exposure has damaged the limbic part of their brain which also has the amygdala and that you need to do certain things to help heal it such as EFT tapping and cognitive therapy and even certain yogas but the healing does not happen overnight and can even take years. ... he has a lot of neuropathy and pain stinging and burning in his muscles and skin he says his buttocks hurt all the time from the B6 toxicity and some people will never heal completely from the neuropathy from that .
    when I think of the words everything emptying into wall it reminds me of what he wanted which was for everything to just go into nothingness ....and peace in other words , death .
    Thank you for your concern and prayers for him and once again your kindness means a lot .
    I also want you to know that more and more Americans who are being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and also fibromyalgia in fact do not have those but actually have B6 toxicity and they don't even know it and regretfully one of the therapies for the multiple sclerosis involves getting them B6 which will make them more ill and put them in more pain !

  15. F.... A....

    I always think of snow when I listen to this song...The fragility and pureness of innocence....For just one moment with child like repose time stands still then fades back into reality.....

  16. a.... t....

    Cool once forever

  17. s.... ....

    I have no idea what this song means. I just love it.

  18. e.... ....

    Got this along with black sabbath paranoid. Loved them both.

  19. T.... G....

    I built my house from barley rice
    Green pepper walls and water ice
    Tables of paper wood, windows of light
    And everything emptying into white

    A simple garden, with acres of sky
    A brown-haired dog-mouse if one dropped by
    Yellow delanie would sleep well at night
    With everything emptying into white

    A sad blue eyed drummer rehearses outside
    A black spider dancing on top of his eye
    Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
    And everything emptying into white

    I built my house from barley rice
    Green pepper walls - And everything
    Emptying into white

  20. N.... J....

    Yellow Delaney

  21. C.... W....

    It’s a bit slow

  22. D.... S....

    The simple beauty in this sone makes it one of my all-time favorites, although I've never understood the "red-legged chicken stands ready to strike" line. It doesn't fit the rest of the song, not to mention chickens aren't normally thought of as aggressive.

  23. Y.... S....

    Make a magical time now....

  24. H.... ....

    Been playing music for nearly 40 years, still the most beautiful song I've ever heard.

  25. K.... M....

    What a beautiful song

  26. T.... ....

    The England that was, never to be seen again. So lovely, so sad.

  27. Y.... S....

    Makes my home.

  28. R.... R....

    I came upon a song the other day ,yes it was modern, I think 2/3 yrs old ...68 MILLON yeah SIXTY,EIGHT MILLON young people had seen / heard it..AND IT WAS/IS , UTTER SIMPLE,...UNINTELLIGENT BANAL RUBBISH...this tells me 5G is already working & has been active for the last 9 yrs ?

  29. G.... I....

    My daughter's name is...Delanie, a touch of Cat but pronounced as Melanie with a D, ;)

  30. P.... M....

    I met Cat/Yusuf in my small home town in Sussex one strange Sunday. He was absolutely tiny and swathed in white from head to toe. I had to check with his companion with an enquiring look which he affirmed with a knowing smile and a nod! What are the chances though eh?

  31. C.... S....

    A shame he turned to a religion of hate and intolerance. People like him have destroyed the middle east, are destroying Europe, and will destroy the United States if allowed to immigrate here. No to Islam in America.

  32. j.... ....

    Toward the end of the Viet Nam War, a musician in my hometown played some songs for my high school in the gym. At one point he played "Where Do the Children Play" and asked people to come down on the floor with him. I just sat there because I knew that walking down there would make me an enemy of at least half the people in that gym. Finally I decided it was time to make a stand. I made my way down the bleachers to the floor and stood with the people who wanted peace. I've been with them ever since.

  33. C.... ....

    The radio where I lived at this time wore out his 2 hits Peace Train &Father & Son They should have aired this and others more-but thats...well,you know!

  34. E.... W....

    Is this his best song? It's up there somewhere I'm sure.

  35. p.... ....

    I built my house from barley rice
    Green pepper walls and water ice
    Tables of paper wood, windows of light
    And everything emptying into white.

    A simple garden, with acres of sky
    A Brown-haired dogmouse
    If one dropped by
    Yellow Delanie would sleep well at night
    With everything emptying into white.

    A sad blue eyed drummer rehearses outside
    A Black spider dancing on top of his eye
    Red legged chicken stands ready to strike
    And everything emptying into white.

    I built my house from barley rice
    Green pepper walls and water ice
    And everything emptying into white

  36. B.... H....

    I’m 63 and this brings back many bittersweet memories

  37. S.... C....

    Best author in existence or what?

    S.... C....

    (Personally I think he is the best author in existence)

  38. E.... C....

    Someone by the name of Michaelb wrote on the page of Cat Sevens' fc: The first line of the song, "I built my house from Barely rice," actually can be understood as: He built his house from bare handi work working the rice fields"...That the house symbolizes Cat Stevens' belief systems and way of life at the time. Also MIchaelb gave the reading of, "Emptying into white," as , " Everything is an illusion just like how it is in taoism". I couldn't agree more! Knowing CS's serious spiritual quest this interpretation of Michaelb's beautifully nailed it!!

  39. R.... B....

    fave Cat track simply beautiful

  40. M.... S....

    I had forgotten all about Cat Stevens. We listened to him all of the time in my college days. Quite the story teller. Love it once again.

  41. S.... L....

    In my top 5 albums of all time.
    Cat.
    Pure genius.

  42. M.... ....

    Traveling the NYC subway one very late snowy night, a solo musician was playing this eerily haunting and beautiful tune one to two levels below me. It stopped everyone in their tracks as total strangers teared up and smiled to one another all along the station platform.

  43. L.... D....

    What is a Tillerman?

  44. h.... ....

    Cat's best song!!!! Or is it hard headed woman, or is it sad lisa, no it's father and son, no hang on it's ........ Aàaaaaaaaah😀

  45. M.... C....

    Peace Train

  46. M.... L....

    A masterpiece of music!

  47. K.... W....

    This song has a Passion that makes me feel free and in balance

  48. j.... f....

    I was a big big fan now I am not so much but this song is still beautiful

  49. C.... P....

    2018 💋

  50. l.... ....

    Hard to believe that someone as talented and as creative and close to touching the essence of life could be so thoroughly led astray to the evil that is Islam.
    What a shame.

    l.... ....

    You could reverse your prejudice. Cat Stevens was touched by islam because he is a good man, in search of a better (morally, spiritually) life & mind. Don't be distracted by fanatics and terrorists who have hijacked islam for their own perverse goals.

  51. M.... M....

    merlin says "Your bringing me down"....

  52. L.... T....

    Ahhhhh. Favorite Cat tune. Always has been.

  53. V.... G....

    Not because I want to make my expression that I was fond of communism .
    Not now !
    But I would like to say that there was a great movement of pro and contra waves of East and South frontiers.
    From one side after 25 years of the end of WWII ,
    East was struggling hard how to fead themselves but the west did the best turn of life freedom ever.
    Freedom of expresing and freedom for religious smugglers .
    And so much capital was invested to convert the world to something which is called Global world ,now but with weapon power at that time.
    Not by transfering capital .
    In that situation only to change self religion was good example that you are not agree with that constellation of world power target to ruin everything communistic.
    But we know today that The God is one and
    without religions The World should be settled in a week .
    Cat Stives,s words are so ironical . Imaginal poet was willing to express pathetic emptiness lake many others which were not understud .

  54. b.... b....

    Cat Stevens.mmmmmm.so talented.his music gets into your heart.peaceful and relaxing.all his albums are pure magic.tea for the tiller man.teaser and the fire cat,Mona bone Jackson,Buddha and the chocolate box.magic.benidorm baz.

  55. R.... W....

    one off the best song i have ever had the pleasure to listen to

  56. S.... B....

    He had it all, the singer songwriters singer songwriter.

  57. B.... M....

    I picture myself dancing with my daughter at her wedding

  58. n.... w....

    " Tea for the Tillerman " is one of my favourite albums. I bought it when I was 15. Please listen to the song " Courage the writers". Thank you. https://youtu.be/gyeMfl3IGdA

  59. W.... Y....

    Beautiful

  60. M.... A....

    Che meraviglia... quanti ricordi!!

    M.... A....

    verissimo, io sono del '54 e le ricordo tutte le sue canzoni!

  61. R.... W....

    one of the best album tracks ever this song is so beautiful who could hate after listen to this

  62. M.... ....

    ``Beautiful, Forever~

  63. R.... W....

    what a peaceful and tranquil song of all time i just forget my worries listening to this all time classic

  64. k.... ....

    i adore all of the old people in the comments

    k.... ....

    I hope you get to be old

  65. M.... L....

    It was unbelievable - one day we had Acapulco Gold in Paderborn. The best weed of my life...

  66. M.... L....

    Boily rice, green pepper walls and water ice. He smoked something very good!

  67. M.... L....

    One of the greatest songs of all time!

  68. R.... M....

    His only good Album but it's a masterpiece,back when it came out we expected better even after just spoiled,he was in his prime,and had a huge impact on us,his voice was mesmerizing.

    R.... M....

    His only good album? What do you consider to be a bad album from him?

    R.... M....

    Your music taste is poor, poor, poor; Teaser and the firecat, Foreigner, Mona bone Jakon or Catch Bull at four are bad albums? Which are good, Definitely Maybe or the Arctic Monkeys albums?. Stop reading crap like NME, Pitchfork, Spin, etc.

  69. B.... F....

    When I was a child my mother used to play this album in her big console stereo. Nothing sounds as good as an old console stereo. It will always be one of my most favorite albums. It draws up great memories for me and always will.

  70. F.... ....

    Every (primary) color is mentioned here.

  71. H.... L....

    I remember this was more popular with the girl/women I knew then. I was more of a Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin listener. I did listen to this album on 8 track with Melissa in her 1969 Opel GT. http://www.melissaisd.org/schools/melissa-high-school/

  72. M.... L....

    Formidable!

  73. W.... K....

    😊 Love this song!

  74. R.... D....

    OMG this album is so sweet. Reminds me of my childhood

  75. A.... K....

    I grew up with this album being played endlessly by my older sisters. They said I was too young to be a hippy... they were wrong, and I am.

    A.... K....

    62, and still a hippie too, Alice!

    A.... K....

    top song..musikgeschichte...

    A.... K....

    You are one lucky girl my eldest brother brought home tea for the tillerman when i was 13 still to this day enjoy his music

    A.... K....

    Absoutly i was a real young hippy....smoke another 1

    A.... K....

    @MrPicoli2 yes !!

  76. a.... m....

    One of the best songs ever from one of the best albums ever.

  77. H.... L....

    Gracias, buen regalo de cumpleaños. 11 Dic 2008

  78. A.... S....

    I played this over and over in my San Francisco apartment in the '70s. I love it as much today. The musical arrangement is delicate and lends a magical air - Cat Stevens voice fits his piece perfectly! There will never be another time period like the late '60s early '70s - so glad that I was fortunate enough to experience it in SF!!! Love you Cat Stevens!

  79. J.... Y....

    May be he should have built his house according to local codes...........

  80. k.... b....

    as said life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans "John Lennon "

  81. M.... F....

    GENIUS!

  82. E.... s....

    this song is so beautiful

  83. t.... ....

    Way back,  each and every song a treasure. I have a story for them all.

  84. E.... S....

    into white,,,, a great song which Cat wrote in reference to his hospital stay in early 1968 when he contacted TB. he ran away from hospital for a few says and hid in a farmers shed,,,living on canned fruit, apples and water.

    E.... S....

    How do you know of this?

  85. A.... G....

    Brings me back to being a teen in 1979 was when I first heard this album, love at first listen.

  86. *.... L....

    ohhhhhhh godddddddd memories my heartttttttttttttttttt tears loveeeeeeeeeeeee

  87. C.... C....

    Cat Stevens is amazing and this song has a mystic -magical feel to me.

    C.... C....

    I agree with you !!!

    C.... C....

    Exactly

  88. l.... ....

    Was a kinder world back then , imagine even with the Vietnam war going on , people were nice to each other I think .........well some places anyway.......the music was amazing really.........all walks of it too

    l.... ....

    Vietnam was where I discovered this album !! It helped get me through some bad days !

  89. f.... ....

    Always makes me think of newlyweds.

  90. M.... L....

    M.B., If you ever happen to come across this comment, I love you. -E.C.W.
    🐠❤🐟

  91. T.... F....

    Love this whole album!

    T.... F....

    Me too !!!

    T.... F....

    One of my favorite

  92. R.... B....

    Twas a magical time.

  93. B.... ....

    How I miss the time when "Tea for the Tillerman" was released: 1970! 1970 was a great year for great albums!

    B.... ....

    Joni Mitchell.

    B.... ....

    You're exactly right. Those WERE the years for music....GREAT music that's not just still "having it", it's music that'll be played 50 years or more from now and rap will be forgotten like a bad rash! I hope my grandkids grow up loving Cat Stevens music and all he gave us, BUT...I hope he's not done yet by any means!

    B.... ....

    Can't compete with the definitive corpus below, nevertheless this is the music I listened to (my Dad's complicity) late at night on WARFM when Bob Dylan was having truth attacks and Phil Oaks was losing a kind of battle, ... I love surrealism and this is the gentle version. The pinnacle of that era for me was Younger than Yesterday. I know Dylan got the Nobel prize and there have been too many idiotic articles and debates etc. ... all of a sudden everyone knows him intimately. I don't love all his music. I love the music my Dad, Zigo, loved: the music inspired by Woody Guthrie, the rebel songs; the almost surreal imagery of Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde. I was a (sort of) friend of Tom Petty due to circumstances and I totally understand why he refused to talk about Dylan to anyone. It's not just a period of time and history. I suppose we all inhaled it; I did and I was very young indeed. I feel so grateful, and some ways, sad. I don't want these people to be forgotten, ever.

    B.... ....

    Mike Fuller I know it's mind boggling how great the music was back then. I was 13 in 1970 and practically lived at the record store just trying to keep up with all the incredible albums coming out on a weekly basis! Amazing time for music 1963-1975 approx. The best ever, so glad I was born just in time for all of it!!

    B.... ....

    Black/Red048 Don’t forget Marc Bolan and T. rex.

  94. M.... B....

    "The first cut is the deepest".

  95. M.... A....

    Love All ur songs So BEAUTIFUL n A huge guide for me as a teen in the 70's Love it all still THANKYOU FOR UR LOVE N BEST TUNES peace love n happiness Toodyay W,AUSTRALIA XXX

    M.... A....

    Maureen Adamson We'll said Maureen! And totally agree. I was barely 13 when TFTT came out, was hooked on this beautiful music instantly, bought all his albums ( and hundreds of others, music was so great then, lived at the record store just about!) from then on..Cat Stevens and 60's, 70's music will never be matched!!! l mean here we all are still listening 50 years later! Cheers 😍

  96. M.... W....

    After 43 years I get to see and hear him again. His music has never left me in sadness and happiness it speaks to me. Let the music play on forever in my mind.

  97. S.... E....

    "Tea for the Tillerman" - the only album I've ever truly needed.

    S.... E....

    Now I know how I feel about these lyrics and music. "I need them." Thanks for that.

    S.... E....

    I discovered this album in the early summer of 94' I was 18 years old. 'early summer' 18 years old can you imagine that. a magical time.

    S.... E....

    Picked it up today on vinyl for a whopping $33! Such a steal!

  98. R.... T....

    Mais um grande sucesso de Cat Stevens.

  99. M.... B....

    Cat Stevens was and is a favorite artist of years gone by. The music of that Era is outdone by none. a wonderful time to be alive.