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Sunday Classics 24.08.25
Hey members! This week’s Sunday Classic hits us right in the living years.
We’re talking about The Living Years by Mike & The Mechanics—a powerful ballad released in 1988 that still resonates decades later. It’s a song about regret, reconciliation, and the things left unsaid between generations. Inspired by the loss of lead singer Paul Carrack’s father, the lyrics tap into something many of us have felt: that complicated blend of love, silence, and missed chances.
It’s not just the message that stands out—the track’s rich harmonies, swelling arrangement, and that emotional chorus create a haunting beauty that’s hard to forget. It topped charts around the world and earned a Grammy nomination, proving that sometimes, a quiet song can be the loudest of all.
So grab a cup of something warm, give it a listen, and maybe even make that call you’ve been meaning to. And hey—drop your own timeless picks in the comments. We’re always listening.
Source: Electricchris1 / YouTube
Lyrics:
Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door
I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years
Oh, crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got
You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence
Say it loud (say it loud), say it clear (oh say it clear)
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late (it's too late) when we die (oh when we die)
To admit we don't see eye to eye
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts
So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be okay
So say it loud, say it clear (oh say it clear)
You can listen as well as you hear
Because it's too late, it's too late (it's too late)
When we die (oh, when we die)
To admit we don't see eye to eye
I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say
I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years
Say it loud, say it clear (oh say it clear)
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late (it's too late) when we die (it's too late when we die)
To admit we don't see eye to eye
So say it, say it, say it loud (say it loud)
Say it clear (come on say it clear)
Say it loud
(Don't give up, don't give in and don't look away 'til it's too late)
Say it clear
Say it loud (say it loud, say it loud)
beautiful. Truer words ever spoken.
