Tag: Harold and Maude

I first got Tea for the Tillerman back in the early eighties and got hooked on Cat Stevens although I do remember his songs growing up. He has one of those voices that when you first hear it…you know who it is without any doubt. This song I didn’t know about until I heard it in a movie.

This is the ultimate optimistic song about following your own path. Like the best of Cat Stevens songs, it will stay with you after a listen. It’s optimistic without going overboard.

I first heard this song in the dark comedy 1971 “Harold and Maude” where it was featured. Stevens wrote and performed all of the songs for the movie after being recommended by Elton John.

This song did not chart which really surprised me when I first heard it. The reason it didn’t chart was that was it never released as a single or on an album. The song was finally released in 1984 on a Cat Stevens Greatest Hits album called “Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.”That was 14 years after the movie. The soundtrack for Harold and Maude wasn’t released until 2007.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes dark or offbeat comedies. The movie was directed by Hal Ashby. The music was a perfect fit for this movie. Both Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon were nominated for Best Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture -Comedy at the Golden Globes.

“If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out”

Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
‘Cause there’s a million things to be
You know that there are

And if you want to live high, live high
And if you want to live low, live low
‘Cause there’s a million ways to go
You know that there are

[Chorus:]
You can do what you want
The opportunity’s on
And if you can find a new way
You can do it today
You can make it all true
And you can make it undo
you see ah ah ah
its easy ah ah ah
You only need to know

Well if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
‘Cause there’s a million ways to go
You know that there are

And if you want to be me, be me
And if you want to be you, be you
‘Cause there’s a million things to do
You know that there are

[Chorus]

Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
‘Cause there’s a million things to be
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are