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Child is father to the man

from Harry Smith was my father by Hiawatha Telephone Company

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about

'Child is Father To The Man' is the title of the first Blood Sweat and Tears album (although it contained no song of that name) and also a largely instrumental track recorded by the Beach Boys for their 'Smile' sessions.

This song has nothing at all to do with those recordings. It was inspired by a scene in the Johnny Cash bio-pic 'Walk the Line' starring Joaquin Phoenix.

lyrics

The child is the father to the man
When you're older you will understand
All our castles are made of sand
And the tide is coming in

Solid air and solid rock
Keep me running around the clock
Something's telling me I should stop
But I don’t know when

I used to take my time too slow
Before you'd know it, I'd let things go
There is just one thing that I know
There’s nothing to be afraid of

My father used to say to me
Son, you'll be a rich man or a thief
You could be a waster or an indian chief
You know the choice is yours

Now my father he's been dead for 15 years
And I don't think about him much
Can't say I shed that many tears
When I remembered his tough love

But I remember what he said
And I remember how he tried
To teach me be a better man
Teach me not to waste my life

Solid air and solid rock
Keep me running around the clock
Something's telling me I should stop
But I don't know when

But I don't know when

credits

from Harry Smith was my father, released January 23, 2009

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about

Hiawatha Telephone Company Brighton, UK

A singer-songwriter sort-of-thing, named after a t-shirt and never intended as a viable commercial proposition HTC was a vehicle for some excellent songs.

2009 album 'Harry Smith was my Father' is described as "immaculate, the acme of intimacy in music" (Common Folk Meadow). A second album 'Passengers Greatest Hits' followed in 2014.

HTC now records and releases music as 'The Family Grave'.
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