Father You Believed

Album: How I Want to Die: The Catman Chronicles 1 (2005)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Cohen released two versions of the song because, although he considers it one of his most personal songs, he prefers the version produced by Henry Iglesias.
  • Burly, grown men have sobbed in front of Cohen when he has played them the song and several have confessed all variety of past sins against their dead fathers.
  • A restaurant in Cohen's neighborhood plays the song each and every Father's Day by special request of the maitre d'. "By the end of the song," she claims, "There's never a dry eye left in the place."
  • Cohen created the instrumental middle portion of the song immediately following his father's death, then composed and attached the lyric sections some 13 years later.
  • The mournful, wailing saxophone is provided by George Englund, son of Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman. Producer Henry Iglesias suggested Englund's heart-rending sax would best capture the remorse Cohen felt for his deceased father. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Arnie - Los Angeles, CA, for all above

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dr. John

Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews

The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's Songs

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's SongsSong Writing

"London Bridge," "Ring Around the Rosie" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are just a few examples of shockingly morbid children's songs.