To my knowledge, the meaning of this song is regarding areas of the industrial revolution, especially in england where you would have a company that owned a coal mine and essentially owned the adjacent town where most of the workers lived.
When Cat Stevens sings about "Matthew and Son" I assume he is talking about the stereotype of these companies.
I believe this verse sums up the meaning of the song,
"He's got people who've been working for fifty years
No one asks for more money 'cause nobody dares
Even though they're pretty low and the rent's in arrears"
This is where entire families would work for the same company on a minimum wage with the fear of being fired if they were to ask for more. These scenarios were quite common in England in the 19th century. Only when labour governments became prominent did these conditions change
@frankammaniti No, he has said that he was just annoyed because his girlfriend seemed to work a lot. The historical context you suggest is contradicted by the contemporary references to commuting via train and taking a coffee break, neither of which were features of the 19th century industrial model.
@frankammaniti No, he has said that he was just annoyed because his girlfriend seemed to work a lot. The historical context you suggest is contradicted by the contemporary references to commuting via train and taking a coffee break, neither of which were features of the 19th century industrial model.
To my knowledge, the meaning of this song is regarding areas of the industrial revolution, especially in england where you would have a company that owned a coal mine and essentially owned the adjacent town where most of the workers lived. When Cat Stevens sings about "Matthew and Son" I assume he is talking about the stereotype of these companies. I believe this verse sums up the meaning of the song,
"He's got people who've been working for fifty years No one asks for more money 'cause nobody dares Even though they're pretty low and the rent's in arrears"
This is where entire families would work for the same company on a minimum wage with the fear of being fired if they were to ask for more. These scenarios were quite common in England in the 19th century. Only when labour governments became prominent did these conditions change
@frankammaniti No, he has said that he was just annoyed because his girlfriend seemed to work a lot. The historical context you suggest is contradicted by the contemporary references to commuting via train and taking a coffee break, neither of which were features of the 19th century industrial model.
@frankammaniti No, he has said that he was just annoyed because his girlfriend seemed to work a lot. The historical context you suggest is contradicted by the contemporary references to commuting via train and taking a coffee break, neither of which were features of the 19th century industrial model.