Katmandu

In several interviews, Yusuf has mentioned that he was on a spiritual journey in the early seventies up to his conversion to Islam. The album "Mona Bone Jakon" is a striking example of personal meanings. Lady D'Arbanville metaphorically to Patty D'Arbanville, Mona Bone Jakon as a metaphor for a male erection, and Katmandu, one of my personal favorites with such a mystical presence. Cat Stevens always has been an intellectual and a creative spirit – I doubt that it refers to Nepal's capital; he would certainly not have misspelled "Kathmandu".

If you take the syllables "Kat" "Man" "Du", however, Cat is strikingly similar to "Kat" as in Cat Stevens, and "mandu" could come from the Sanskrit word meaning "joyous", "pleased", and "cheerful".

In this sense, the meaning could be related to something like "joyous/cheerful Cat". If this is the case, the lyrics convey a path towards the culmination of happiness and a mystic interpretation of conquering the mountain peak of bliss and joy. This adds to the gravitas of the song itself (i) introspective/reflection in the first verse "(…) I sit beside the dark Beneath the mire", (ii) resolution to work for achievement "(…) chop me some broken wood" (iii) commitment to travel far in once a search of finding ones spiritual truth "(…) Until I go Be nice to know".

katmandu is the last stop on the way to climbing everest, but i dont knwo if this has anything whatsoever to do with the song.

Well, it's spelled Kathmandu, I dont think that he would have made that mistake. I his position at that time reflect maybe the same feelings that someone trying to climb Mt. Everest. He was facing superstardom at this time, a daunting thing to stare in the eye especialy for someone like him. I think the mood of this song is slightly expectant of things to come

The part that i think has the most meaning to is,"Katmandu I'll soon be touching you And your strange bewildering time Will hold me down." Replace "katmandu" with superstardom, doesnt flow, but it makes sense....well as close making senxe as any of Cat's songs.

i like your interpretation but this is what it is: he's singing about kathmandu city- it used to be an important stop in the hippie trail.

tired hipo is right, cause cat stevens was a crazy hippie, but a kool one at that

I think it's about heaven but at the same time it's so sad!

Cat Stevens is referring to the cannabis plant when he makes reference to satan's tree. In chapter 3 of Genesis, the tree of knowledge of good and evil is described there. One of it's attributes is giving one insight and wisdom. In the lyrics of Katmandu, it is stated "help me see, o satan's tree" Nepal was the last place on earth to make to make cannabis illegal. Royal Nepalese hash was a major national product in that country. Also Lord Shiva.. is the patron saint of Nepal. One of his favorite pastimes was smoking cannabis on Mount Kailish. The holy men that are his followers, sit on the Bagmati River smoking cannabis and chant "dum muro dum, mit jay gum, aloh subah sham, Hare Krishna, Hare Ram. This translate to "you smoke and smoke, your mind is in Cosmic consciousness, you always see reality" Very deep in a very deep place. That is why all the hippees traveled there.

I love all these interpretations. Who knows for sure but perhaps they are all a bit what was going through his mind. It's certainly more nuanced than Bob Seger's... though that one also has its charms.

In several interviews, Yusuf has mentioned that he was on a spiritual journey in the early seventies up to his conversion to Islam. The album "Mona Bone Jakon" is a striking example of personal meanings. Lady D'Arbanville metaphorically to Patty D'Arbanville, Mona Bone Jakon as a metaphor for a male erection, and Katmandu, one of my personal favorites with such a mystical presence. Cat Stevens always has been an intellectual and a creative spirit – I doubt that it refers to Nepal's capital; he would certainly not have misspelled "Kathmandu".

If you take the syllables "Kat" "Man" "Du", however, Cat is strikingly similar to "Kat" as in Cat Stevens, and "mandu" could come from the Sanskrit word meaning "joyous", "pleased", and "cheerful".

In this sense, the meaning could be related to something like "joyous/cheerful Cat". If this is the case, the lyrics convey a path towards the culmination of happiness and a mystic interpretation of conquering the mountain peak of bliss and joy. This adds to the gravitas of the song itself (i) introspective/reflection in the first verse "(…) I sit beside the dark Beneath the mire", (ii) resolution to work for achievement "(…) chop me some broken wood" (iii) commitment to travel far in once a search of finding ones spiritual truth "(…) Until I go Be nice to know".