Where Do The Children Play?

Cat Stevens

Well, I think it's fine
Building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want
'Cause you can get anything

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well, you roll on roads
Over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads
Pumping petrol gas
And you make them long
And you make them tough
But they just go on and on
And it seems that you can't get off

Oh, I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well, you've cracked the sky
Scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher
'Til there's no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh?
Will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live?
Will you tell us when to die?

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Where Do the Children Play? Lyrics as written by Yusuf Islam

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Where Do The Children Play? song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment
    Over-development yes definetly. It's about how we're building skyscrapers, pumping gas, destroying the world, and not thinking about where the children play. Where do the children play? on the ground. If we develop and dig holes to find gas and put pollution in the air and destroy the outside world where the ground is, where WILL the children play? And do children need slot machines to enjoy their summers? We have come a long way and everyday we change more, in some ways its a good thing and in some ways its a bad thing. by the way, Cat Stevens voice is so amazing, it makes songs as serious as this so much lighter, but makes you remember them and keep thinking...
    jessyon August 04, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    When its all become an overbuilt over-populated city of skyscrapers blocking out the sun, where will the children play? There's nowhere left for them.
    ZeroOneon October 23, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Thank you ZeroOne. For a moment I thought I was the only one who gets that this song is about all of the development that is happening (and has happened for decades) that is destroying all of our green, green grass, trees, and playgrounds, taking away land that the children can play on. Yes, development and technological advances have brought some good, but they have also definitely brought some bad.
    kaleidoscopeeyes8on May 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    A simple song, speaking about how society is changing, but not neccesarily for good... yes we can have all these technological advancements, but what about the simple things..'Where do the children play?'
    nails_in_my_feeton December 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The priorities are out of control. (Tell me what's more important) We are thinking the wrong way. Have a look on red hot chilli pepper's californication
    bernhardon December 15, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I love this song. One of my wierder choices of astists but i get alot of my taste in anything really off my dad so im stuck with it :P. This is one of my favourite Cat Stevens songs
    syko_braton November 09, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I love the part that says, "Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?" I think it's referencing that when country's start wars, they are essentially sending their young people off to die.
    dan356on April 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    to me? this song reminds me of poland. random eh? i was there when i first heard it. i see the meaning about over-development, it does make sense. I must be one of the only 16 year old cat stevens fans whose parents DONT like Cat Stevens. I just randomly heard a song (father and son) and like him.
    Avatar-rockon June 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this song is about how technology and cities are booming and destroying the world and nature and when all is said and done, where will the children play?
    Sunset Rubdownon December 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I love this line: and you make them long and you make them tough, but they just go on and on, and it seems that you can't get off. The message I get from this song is that the world is getting so "built up" and we can't ever get away from that and the cities are getting bigger, as the open "green grass" etc are getting smaller.
    gocatstevenson October 18, 2007   Link

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