Some songs are just fated to happen. How else can you describe it when a confluence of events puts all the creative forces on the same page, driving towards a common goal? And when those creatives are extremely talented, magic can ensue.
That’s what occurred with the Mike + The Mechanics classic “Living Years” in 1988. Three men wounded by the deaths of their fathers united to deliver a touching message that tried to bridge the divide between parents and children.
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A Stacked Side Project
Mike Rutherford started Mike + The Mechanics with the idea of stepping out on his own in between Genesis albums in much the same way that Phil Collins did. But Rutherford didn’t fancy himself a lead singer. Instead, he hired a pair of aces in Paul Carrack and Paul Young to handle those duties.
Rutherford occasionally wrote lyrics with Genesis. But he was more comfortable handling the music and getting the words from other sources. He found an ideal collaborator for his side group in BA Robertson, a Scottish musician who had been out in front earlier in his career. By the time he connected with Rutherford, he was fine just being the writer behind the scenes.
Robertson came through for Mike + The Mechanics right off the bat, co-writing their smash lead single “Silent Running” in 1985. He then wrote a song that was earmarked for the band’s second album, a song so personal that he could barely get through it without breaking down.
Working for a “Living”
Robertson wrote “The Living Years” about his relationship with his father, who had recently passed away. The song makes the point that the generational divide is somewhat illusory. But people believe in it anyway, causing them to clam up instead of telling their parents how they feel.
In Robertson’s case, he wished that he could have told his father so much more before his death. When he brought the song to Rutherford, it struck a chord, as the guitarist had recently lost his father as well. Rutherford helped with the music before bringing it to the band. And that’s when the last piece of the creative triumvirate took charge.
Paul Carrack didn’t necessarily need a special occasion to deliver a standout performance. His voice had already adorned classic tracks by Ace (“How Long”) and Squeeze (“Tempted”), as well as some popular solo songs, by the time he sunk his teeth into “The Living Years”.
A Vocal for the Ages
But if his performance seemed more lived-in than usual, that was because the topic hit home for Carrack. His own father passed away when Carrack was young. As such, the notion of wanting to say something to a parent and not being able to do so certainly made sense to him.
“The Living Years” benefited from the combined expertise and emotional investment of the three men. Not only did it become a huge hit single for Mike + The Mechanics upon its release in 1988, but it also ended up doing big damage at the Grammy Awards. Considering its inspiration and execution, we would have been surprised by anything less.
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