Tuesday's Dead

I think "Tuesday's dead" is about how so many people think that grace is gone from this world, but yet this song of humbleness from Cat Stevens(Yusuf Islam) who by his own public persona has always been a very spiritual person. My guess is that Cat Stevens wrote this song after reading the lyrics of the traditional song "Monday's Child" where it reads:

Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

"Tuesday's Dead" by Cat Stevens nee Yusuf Islam

(My take on the meaning of the lyrics) [My comment(s)]

If I make a mark in time, I can't say the mark is mine. (Just because he penned it, doesn’t mean he claims authorship) I'm only the underline of the word. (The pen pusher that received the message – “penned by”) [I myself have thought this at times when the words just flow] Yes, I'm like him, just like you, I can't tell you what to do. (None of us are God) Like everybody else I'm searching through what I've heard. (Sorting the wheat from the chaff in search of Truth)

Whoa, Where do you go? When you don't want no one to know? (Matt 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels in Heaven, but the Father only.”) Who told tomorrow Tuesday's dead? (who foretold the end has come) [The reference to “Tuesday” is in his own words “irrelevant” or a misnomer]

Oh preacher won't you paint my dream, won't you show me where you've been (What is the origin of the profit’s dire message) Show me what I haven't seen to ease my mind. (Foreknowledge to ease concerns) Cause I will learn to understand, if I have a helping hand. (Open minded, but in need of guidance) I wouldn't make another demand all my life. (Knowing would suffice)

What's my sex, what's my name, all in all it's all the same. (It matters not that he is male or famous) Everybody plays a different game, that is all. (We all have our roles to play) Now, man may live, man may die searching for the question why. (Answers abound, but what is the question, can take more than a lifetime to know) But if he tries to rule the sky he must fall. (Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”)

Now every second on the nose, the humdrum of the city grows. (The cities are rife with all manner of corruption and getting worse) Reaching out beyond the throes of our time. (Polluting inexorably into the future) We must try to shake it down. Do our best to break the ground. (Ground breaking shake-up required for the people of the world to come their senses) Try to turn the world around one more time. (Give hope for a new day, another revolution, another chance) Yeah, we must try to shake it down do our best to break the ground (As above) Try to turn the world around one more time (As above)

I think it is about the world as it is today, with parallels to the Genesis Babel story. It begins with the people united, and not wanting to part on gods command. They are a curious people and attempt to reach the sky, god, the limit. In the second and third couplet the changing of the people becomes apparent, and it slowly leads to the climax in the fourth couplet in which the god figure decides to destroy Babel and scatter its people. The parallel to the modern age could be that we are estranging from each other, retreating into our own worlds, a thing which I for the sake of this interpretation will take for granted as to allready being apparent in 1971, and how we will have to start over by throwing out some of the given, another parallel (the language difference), so we can start with a new system from the ground up.

one of my favorites, if u have any chnce of downloading it or hearing it, dont pass up a good thing!

one of my favorites, if u have any chnce of downloading it or hearing it, dont pass up a good thing!

Back with September 11..it conjurs up some interesting coincidence imagery....

...but if he tries to rule the sky. He must fall. (WTC)

....the humdrum of the city grows...we must try to shake it down. Do our best to break the ground. Try to turn the world around-one more time...(first attempt not so good)

Other lines could be read into as well.

By no means do i think Cat Stevens promotes anything voilent, but the coincidences with the events are odd.

JME, that point is mute and ridiculous.

If he had not converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusaf Islam, you would have never made that connection.

In addition, while it took much planning to kill civilians by flying planes into buildings, I doubt the framework was out there when the song was written . . . about 30 years ago.

Sorry, but I love Cat Stevens and this is one of my favorate songs by him. I cannot stand it when people cast aspersions on all of his early music because he converted.

JME, you're completely retarded. just because something mentions the sky doesn't mean it is talking about 9/11. seriously...

I think it can resound with the images of 9/11. I don't particuarly like this song but it has meaning. I don't think "JME" made the connection because he converted, that would be a little "De-de-de". I mean, no rational person would think that Cat was talking about 9/11. I mean, from "Teaser and the Firecat" and 9/11 it was like 25 years.

I have no perception of this song as in pertaining to 9/11 - I think it references anyone or thing that tries to go back to correct something or overpower anything - it is a song of discovery and understanding the self as a part of the whole. There's no tomorrow is referencing the fact that all we know is today and to go with that even in the confusion of our past.