Cat Stevens - Longer Boats

[hodogetsmoney]

This song is about greek mythology. If anyone knows Cat Stevens is very Greek. This song is about when you die in greek mythology "long boats" are for the souls of people who were good and the smaller boats were for those who were bad. The Parson is a man who transported you to your final destination. The Soul of nobody knows where the parson goes. Because no living person gets to witness it. Go look up Greek Mythology and what they believed happened when a person dies. Beautiful song.

[davidlabelle361]

I have this bootleg where he says it's about spaceships.

[sondlar]

I remember listening to this song on acid, at the 1:42 mark right after the brief pause in his singing it did a number on my brain. It felt like the two hemisphere of my brain were being split apart. I was like "Oooh what the fuuuckkkkk" then I felt amazing again.

[snapperjohn1000]

could it possibly be that this referal to longer boats comeing might be a greek thing,since the ancient greeks were island,and sea fareing people,that had to deal with invadeing enemies like the persians?

[d72end]

I listen to hip hop mostly.. but i cant lie cat stevens is a beast.. i've never heard of him before but he has one of the chillest songs.. much respect to him..

[thrush1948]

even cat stevens says he hasnt a clue what the song is about he was high when he wrote it

[Akileze]

I literally wore this album (Tea for the Tillerman) out back in the day.

[hodogetsmoney]

Long Live Cat Stevens

[Markpmh]

This song has always touched me deeply on a spiritual level, it's easy to see how and why Cat has made such a huge impact on this planet, the words and harmony are just so deep, thanks very much for posting, God Bless!

[gorrionny]

Hmmm...what it means in my opinion, and its not all that your english is bad, he takes liberties with the language-is that we must our own selves define our world. Love, beauty, sex, religion, the soul, we find these things in our own way and define them thru experience. I'd argue that "Father and Son" also by Cat Stevens, suggests that the son must find out for himself. Also in road to find out. Funny to be asked the meaning of this one since its not for me to say as much as to answer yourself.

[cdifrances]

I've always loved Cat Stevens' music. He's one of my favorite artists of all time. Peace Train, Father and Son, Morning Has Broken are my favorites. I know he didn't write Morning Has Broken, but he does such a beautiful job singing it. <sigh>

[ChaveeGroove]

For some reason this song reminds me of the HI islands. The take over of another peoples by the West in the Pacific. Even today there is a long and hard cry from the native people to "free" the islands and give back the land that was taken away. I realize its a deep debate. Im only speaking from the surface. Long live Hawaii.

[zosodreams]

we not just enjoy the music instead of debating the meaning

[alan61ful]

wher does the soul of the parsons go ?

[fallingpearl]

@alan61ful

To hell

hahaha!

[ahmadmarafa]

hay guys im sorry my english so bad so i could understand what he mean in this song so could any body tell me what the meaning of the song ?

[FunkyardDogg]

@ahmadmarafa I smell bait. lol

[ahmadmarafa]

what ?

[hodogetsmoney]

@ahmadmarafa this song is about the greek mythology the passage to either heaven hell or the middle earth. The Longer Boats are what takes the souls who have died to their destination. See nobody knows where the Parsons go. None of the living know where the parson go.

[papamalo]

@ahmadmarafa @ahmadmarafa he himself said:

I wrote the song as a plea for human unity in face of external (possibly extra-terrestrial) threats. There was also a lyrical inference to say that we should look closer at the beautiful and mystical nature of the earth, and watch out for adopting inherited wisdom from people who claimed to be masters of the high, moral ground.

[ausslad]

@ahmadmarafa it means that there is false people out there who will try and suck you in with false promises etc!!

[purplefreakfaery]

@ahmadmarafa CAT: One thing, Americans try to make too much of my songs. They’re just songs. I don’t know why I write them. But they try and find all kinds of hidden meanings in my songs. Longer Boats is actually about flying saucers. One night I was lying back in bed and I saw this flying saucer shoot across the sky and stop over me. And it sucked me up into it. When it put me down, I shot up in bed. I knew it wasn’t a dream, It didn’t feel like a dream, It was real, I know itwas real.

[porpoisefathom]

@purplefreakfaery yea your cat, and im Bobby Fisher...

[purplefreakfaery]

@ahmadmarafa Cat Stevens was in reality writing about UFO’s, flying saucers, in this song. I must admit the words are clear (now that I’ve been enlightened that is). That same phrase now sounds like very large boat-like space ships are coming to take over ’’win’’ control. The line ’’Hold on to the shore, they’ll be taking the key from the door.’’ takes on the meaning of protecting ones self against little green men.

[onemisguidedrose]

@purplefreakfaery Back in the 70s Cat believed he was visited by Extra-terrestrials. This song has some amazing harmony. It has always been one of my favorites. Speaking of "Tea For The Tillerman" I have a signed copy framed on my musicroom wall....What a treasure. He is really a nice guy.

Cat wrote two songs about bad trips, "18th Avenue" where he found himself on the street after passing out...and "The Wind" from an acid trip at Noel Redding's house..Jimi's Hendrix's bandmate.

[purplefreakfaery]

@ahmadmarafa got this from this source I looked up.

[jamesangusmcaninch]

@ahmadmarafa I think it is a matter of interpratation.... I alwaays thought it was about people comming and taking advantage of the innocent and taking them into slavery... and changing thier religion to christianaty with or with out conscent...

[hodogetsmoney]

ok there chino chinko listen i know exactly what song your talking about and just because he says space ships dosent mean its about UFOs. Hey smarty pants what kind of space ships. Your clearly not very smart. Its called looking outside the box. Something Steven Gorgeou did often. " They'll be taking the key from the door. That means taking the soul out of a human before they cross the river of styx. Maybe next time you should think before you talk chinkedoooreeee .

[ChinoRdrgz]

this song is about UFOs!!

they'll be taking the key from the door!!

Cat Stevens says it in interviews & you can even hear him admit the meaning of this song on a live version floating around yourtube. search

"Cat Stevens Longer Boats live at the tro"

namaste :)

[porpoisefathom]

@ChinoRdrgz Yes it is exactly about ufos!!..in his live version he even talks about lonely asteroids on a vacant void....a third verse

[tchiritchou]

He could see what was coming!!!

[hodogetsmoney]

I would agree VanGoghsEar clever name by the way. I think this song is great. Has many hidden messages. Cat Stevens has superior thinking beyond most.

[VanGoghsEar1890]

I don't want no god on my lawn-just a flower I can help along. Well said that Cat Stevens.

[hodogetsmoney]

ok that may be true but that is not this song. This song is about greek mythology. If you know anything about Steven Georgiou you would know that he grew up in a strict Greek Orthodox home. Any given lyric usually has to do with his life, or what is going on in the world. Longer Boats is about greek mythology has been always will.

[ChinoRdrgz]

Cat Stevens himself said that "LongerBoats" is about UFOs!!

for real, he even announces it live while playing longer boats. look for the the youtube video, "Cat Stevens Longer Boats live at the tro"

thats the video he announces this song's meaning of UFOs.

[lazmacky]

What a song

what a man

Simply awesome!

God bless his soul always

[hodogetsmoney]

this hidden meaning behind this song is as the following. Greek Mythology. In Greek Mythology when you die, your soul waits on the river bed, waiting for "your boat" The smaller boats are for those condemned to live with Hades. The bigger or (Longer) Boats are for the souls that are to live in bliss in the heavens.

[shanson786]

Then the song has a dual meaning. Check out the live 1971 verson elsewhere here. There is an added verse which says in part "Look Up, you may see them looking down...asteroid in the void...dying but not destroyed." It is indeed about an alien invasion. I saw Mr. Stevens perform this in San Antonio, and aliens are the subject.

[dasgellendehorn]

but whats if the song is about viking longboats? didnt they "hold on to the shore"?

[SpotterOz]

Longboats are often associated with the Vikings, but they weren't the only ones using them...

Regardless, the only person that can say for sure what the song is about is Cat himself, though I tend to stick with the camp of "He writes about events in his life" and that was initially Greek Orthodox

[WossneR]

maybe theres a 0.0000000000000000000000000000­000000000000000000000000000000­00000000000000 till ifinite chance of usmeeting them but i definately believe there are aliens

[sjllow1]

this brings back great memorys

[VanGoghsEar1890]

If an advanced civilization ever came upon us one of two things would probably happen:They'd become bored within seconds and fly away,or(thinking they were doing us a favor)blow us into extinction.

[jumpinmexican4]

Laughed my F'n ass off at how "TheSoSoAgnostic" and "doorcat13" are just going at it by commenting a video.

XD

[doorcat13]

Is that a sentence in English?

[jumpinmexican4]

yea it is, there are these 2 guys arguing back and forth on this video. check out the previous comments

[nihilusmaster]

can we not argue about what the song is about, but agree that this is one of the greatest songs ever written

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

I had this album on vinyl.

[honkycabbit]

Beautiful song! One of my favorites. I kinda wish the drums would've kicked in sooner.

[acetoned76]

This song has always given me chills, and I have no idea what it's about. Cat was definitely onto something back then. Saw him live in the 70's--absolutely mesmerizing.

[wetweasel56]

IMO when Cat said this was about aliens he was pulling the interviewers leg.

I think this is about religion. How he considers it yet sees all the hypocrisy in it as well and is yet undecided.

"Mary dropping her pants by the sand", "and the soul of, no one knows, where does the parson go" is of confusion of the hypocrisy.

[doorcat13]

what makes you think that religion and aliens isn't the same thing?

[wetweasel56]

If you mean believing in God is akin to believing in Aliens I have to disagree.

[doorcat13]

that's not what I mean...I mean perhaps God IS an alien

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

That doesn't actually get you anywhere. Where did the alien come from? Do they have religion on the alien's planet? Or are the aliens on that planet gods?

[doorcat13]

who really cares? being a good agnostic you must believe that none of us are going to know til...we get there. That's fine with me. I'm not going to hook myself up with any organized religion...i don't get any of them

[doorcat13]

whoops...didn't mean to call you a "good" agnostic...it's clear yer a "SoSo" one

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

That was uncalled for. You brought it up. I'm just saying I don't see how an alien could be god, as an alien is just a being from another planet.

[doorcat13]

what was uncalled for exactly? since it seems this is our private conversation...does it matter what we say?

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

Yes! After all, there almost certainly are aliens.

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

Are you a Scientologist?

[doorcat13]

Hell no dude....do scientologists believe in aliens?

[TheSoSoAgnostic]

Oh yeah. You may want to google scientology. If you don't know what it's about, it will blow you away. It's ALL about aliens. Xenu, the head alien or god or some combo. All your problems are caused be the alien souls that inhabit your body.

The first time I saw this (on Southpark!) I thought it was a joke, even though they kept flashing "This is what scientologists actually believe." Which is what made me check it out.

[scumgrizzly]

yes, scientologiests believe in aliens. No bullshit, southpark was REALLY close to the scientologist beliefs.

Screw all that, though, this song (whole album!) is awesome.

[doorcat13]

Mine's not a hypothesis ED. I have no idea where the "black man" thing came from ...that's why I asked. But....I read interviews where Cat Stevens said this song was about aliens. Why Mary "dropped her pants"...I don't know. Only Cat does....

[edmundm2002]

Black men? Aliens? So how does "Mary dropped her pants by the sand and let a parson come and lend a hand" fit with these hypotheses?

[Enafable]

Its possum the rat creature the one that hides in trees and ditches and such. The possum took her by the hand. And no one knows where the possum goes.. really deep actually

[doorcat13]

let me revise my last comment: Black men? Longer boats?...sexually insecure much? get over it.

[doorcat13]

black men? I'll tell ya....I don't know what this song means...but I KNOW it means something...cuz of the way it makes me feel...Cat Stevens insisted it's about aliens....maybe it is...

[Pesticle]

Yes this song is clearly about black men.

The symbolism is so visceral it really hits you in the head and sends your brain sliding and smashing into your skull.

[williemckenzy]

incredible song... way back then and now. thanks for posting it

[usergently]

@williemckenzy Agreed!. Peace out!

[Soldier21921]

tea for the tillerman is a span-fuckin-tastic album

[jirinkaf]

Mike how old are you??? ale there young people who like it???in my opinion its FANTASTIC

[krazykritik]

lol..just saw your question..I'm 45..and I bought Tea for the Tillerman..on the same day I purchased "Street Legal" by Bob Dylan..those were the days for music..

[muzik982]

to respond to your question, yep, young people like cat stevens, i'm 29, started listening to cat when i was 13, so, we're out there, maybe few and far betweent though, not that i'm so young anymore...but i was and i did

[greatbigseafan]

I'm 15. Bought the Tea for the Tillerman record from the local library about a year ago. I love it.

[PeAcEbWiTHu67]

hI FrIEnD IM 15 AnD i LoVe CaT SteVeNs i GrEw uP lIStEnIng To HiM MoStlY BeCaUse HE iS mY dAdS FavORiTe ArTiST aNd i HaVE lIstEnEd To hIm EvER SiNcE i WaS bOrN AnD HaRoLd aNd mAuDe iS mY FavORiTe mOviE I wILL aLwAyS LiStEn tO hIm HiS muSiC iS bEaUtiFuL

[princessv71]

Harold and Maude is also one of my favorite movies. Cat Stevens music is beautiful I have listened to it most of my life to I love his music.

[krazykritik]

awesome underated song!..I am thrilled to have found this!..I see not too many have the same appreciation for it as I do..I wore out the Tea for the Tillerman album..thanks so much for posting this gorgeous song!..Mike from Canada..