George Michael: Father Figure Meaning
Song Released: 1988
Father Figure Lyrics
Something sacred in your eyes,
For just one moment, to be bold and naked
At your side
Sometimes I think that you’ll never understand me
Maybe this time is forever, say it can be
That’s all you...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:This is clearly a song about an older man and a younger person.
Because he’s gay I think it was a younger male.
Because he said this love can be mistaken for a crime I definitely think he’s referring to a boy. Possibly Asian because if you notice at the end of the song the music that come up has an Asian theme.
It’s a nice song until you listen to the lyrics.
It definitely has a Lolita feel to it. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:GM was the most beautiful, talented, easily bruised gay man in the world. (Why are gays often so gorgeous?!!). This song has nothing to do with loving a woman or a young woman, it's one of his efforts to hint at his true sexuality when he was scared to death of the consequences. I'm a straight woman, biologically old enough to be his mother and I could tell early on he was gay, and I will love him for eternity. His voice, music and conflicted persona is what makes GM a Greek god IMO.
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:First of all I would like to say...I AM a woman that was molested from age 5 to 11 and then "violently" raped at gun point at the age of 13.
Recently, someone sang this song to me and this is "MY" interpretation of the songs meaning.
That’s all I wanted, something special,
Something sacred in your eyes,
For just one moment, to be bold and naked
At your side
(everyone wants something special in their lives...TRUE LOVE. Love is sacred and VERY hard to find in this world regardless of the time and age. The eyes are believed to be the window to the soul. Bold and naked by your side...this is speaking of true intimacy...just lying with someone, nothing to hide...just simply being)
Sometimes I think that you’ll never understand me
Maybe this time is forever, say it can be
(again, going from my personal experiences in life...I am often misunderstood. Actions are often misunderstood for something they are not. It's not about JUST sex...it's more and deeper than that. When GM says 'maybe this time is forever, say can it be'..This has been an ongoing thing between the two...they come together but are never 'together' he wants it to be forever this time...he's expressing his hope that they WILL be together FOREVER)
That’s all you wanted, something special,
Someone sacred in your life
Just for one moment, to be warm and naked
At my side
(this is where he states that she really wants the same thing as he does...something special..undying)
Sometimes I think that you’ll never understand me
But something tells me together, we’d be happy
(actions are misunderstood but he knows the two are compatible on EVERY level and that they would be happy if they would just be together)
I will be your father figure (oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine (I’d love to)
I will be your preacher teacher (be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind (it would make me)
I will be your father figure (very happy)
I have had enough of crime (please let me)
I will be the one who loves you
Until the end of time
(when GM speak of a 'father figure'...he's talking of someone that will ALWAYS be there much like a father. We all love our children unconditional and there is no love more pure and GM is saying that's the love he has for her. ANYTHING she needs him to be...he can and will because of this 'PURE' love he feels for her. GM says,'I have had enough of crime'...being with someone out of wedlock is considered a crime in most peoples eyes, he is tired of it and wants her to be his. Until the end of time..well that speaks for itself..undying love)
That’s all I wanted
But sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime
That’s all I wanted just to see my baby’s blue eyes shine
This time I think that my lover understands me
If we have faith in each other
Then we can be strong
(there is the crime again..he just wants to see her eyes shine...I have seen peoples eyes shine ONLY when they are completely happy. Now through everything she FINALLY gets it..she understands that this is real and he tells her to have faith in that and they will have a strong relationship)
I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind
I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime
I will be the one who loves you
Until the end of time
(Father figure...a protector, someone you feel safe and protected with, that won't ever hurt or mistreat you. Tiny hand in mine...women like to feel delicate and for their men to be strong. Preacher, teacher...he will be sincere and loving with her best interest in mind. He will teach her, show her the way to finding REAL love. I already explained crime and the rest is self explained)
If you are the desert, I’ll be the sea
If you ever hunger - hunger for me
Whatever you ask for, that’s what I’ll be
(if you are the desert, I'll be the sea...he is telling her that when she falls he will pick her up, when she is thirsty he will be the wine, when she is weak he will be strong. If you ever hunger - hunger for me...come on now, we ALL know about desire. Wanting something so bad it becomes like a hunger. He wants her to want him. Again, whatever she needs....strength, loving, compassionate, caring, protective)
So when you remember the ones who have lied
Who said that they cared
But then laughed as you cried
Beautiful darling, don’t think of me
(When you remember the ones who have lied, who said that they cared but then laughed as you cried Beautiful darling, don't think of me...here he is saying other men have lied and said they loved her and when they broke her heart they laughed and walked away. He's saying that he can not be put in that category because he has ALWAYS been there for her and loved her and cared.)
Because all I ever wanted
It’s in your eyes baby, baby
And love can’t lie, no...
(greet me with the eyes of a child)
My love is always telling me so
(heaven is a kiss and a smile)
Just hold on, hold on
I won’t let you go, my baby
(all he ever wanted was in her eyes...to have her soul be his and the happiness that comes with being with your soul mate. Greet me with the eyes of a child...innocent and pure love. He's telling her to hold on to him because he won't let her go. He won't fail her.)
I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind
I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime
So I am gonna love you
Until the end of time
I will be your father
I will be your preacher
I’ll be your daddy
I will be the one who loves you
Until the end of time
(I have already explained this earlier)
To me this is one of the MOST accurate songs of PURE LOVE. This man is willing to give all of himself to this woman because of his love for her. Isn't that what we are ALL searching for?? Our "Soul Mate". -
This is the song of a man an woman lost an finding thier way in a taxi cab. Unfortunately the road is long an confusing. As time travels both become confused an become bored an day dream about becoming famous characters. Him a famous singer . Her a brilliant model . As time will travel they come to thier senses an head down thier dreams an wake up to reality an keep driving down thier roads of reality.
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I will be your father figure = a priest. Put your tiny hand in mine. I will be your "preacher-teacher" (for) anything you have in mind. During the refrain what is lightly sung? "...through the eyes of a child."
The reason people question the lyrics is natural.
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GM always said he was emotionally attached to men. Therefore to write lyrics of such depth, I doubt sincerely this was about a woman. He was not out at the time so the music video had nothing to do with the lyrics. I believe he had someone in mind when writing the words. Its not about a woman or a child or a father/son/daughter relationship at all. Its about two men and how he really falls in love and wants to be loved the same way. Its not about sex but rather sacred love, the kind most of us never find. The absence of any reference to a man or woman is obvious, "I have had enough of crime' refers to a gay relationship. In the 80's it was taboo to be gay and unless you were there to experience it, you will never understand why people did not come out during this time. HIV epidemic was worse than you can imagine and gay people were blamed. "Sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime" is another reference to a gay relationship. It was considered dirty, disgusting and criminal, apart from laws preventing gay people to be free in their choices, the social sigma was bigger than anything you have experienced. The song is about true love, despite the challenges faced and teaching someone how to be free with their love, regardless of the outcome. "I will love you til the end of time" Its a song about REAL love between two men, and that it exists. He wants to teach this person how to love, because he is in love. Beautifully written and so deep in meaning, we can only be in awe of his talent and that a man could feel so much, he truly was a remarkable man who tried really hard to hide his vulnerability and failed. What a beautiful way to fail.
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This song's meaning is a tough one because the lyrics(brilliant) convey and hint at so many layers..which I think is definitely deliberate on the part of GM. I think with the video he went with the easiest and SAFEST interpretation,especially for that time period when few celebrities were openly gay. The video accounts for so many people automatically seeing this as a love song from a man to a woman. To me, that's just the surface meaning. I think the sex of the loved one is ambiguous..could be male or female, and that also is deliberate on GM's part. This song is kind of a tease by GM...figure out who and what I'm referring to, GM teases, and his biggest point is probably that there is more than one meaning to his lyrics! For me personally, I remember hearing this song when I was the same age as George was when he sang it. I was born the same year as GM, which is pretty cool in my opinion, since he was so talented. So I was 23-24 heard old. I am female, and at 24, was like GM, a young adult at that time.As fate would have it, I was in a very intense, but very unique relationship with a man much older than me..a real father figure in the total sense of that term.I say that because my emotional attachment & love for this man was very passionate, BUT our relationship was platonic , never sexual, except probably subconsciously,.at least on my part. In every other way, we were as close as a man & a woman could be. And I fully admit & recognize that he was my father figure, even at the "ripe old age" of 24 when I should have been over that! But then again I grew up with an emotionally distant father, so I was craving that relationship I had missed, especially during those crucial teen years when I think kids need it most. I love my real dad & he never hurt me physically or sexually, but due to family dynamics I missed out on his love & influence in my younger years.So just when this song "Father Figure" was all over the radio waves ironically, I was in such an intense emotional relationship with my very own father figure! So I have a very special attachment to this song. I would hear some of GM's lyrics when he was talking to his beloved in this song,& could identify with it and with this man I was involved with saying these very same words to me.."put your tiny hand in mine" "I will be your preacher, teacher" These lyrics were very similar to what this man actually had said to me since our relationship had begun. So I totally identified with & was drawn to this song & how it mirrored my experience at that time in most ways, except in the sexual sense. For me, this magical and haunting song will always have that significance ..reminding me of one of the most intense & profound relationships of my life. For G Michael however, besides teasing us with different layers of meaning, I believe it was probably his veiled attempt to give us a hint of his true sexuality. Almost like this was the most he could dare to "come out" at that time. I truly believe that he personally had a man in mind with these lyrics, not a woman, since that was his sexual orientation. I have definitely heard interpretations of this song's lyrics that supposedly describe a male homosexual dynamic..older "father figure" to younger less experienced man, that I trust is probably true. I don't have a problem with that as long as it involves two consenting adults, same goes for a straight relationship. Anything that violates the age requirement is jailbait or pedophilia, and I do have a big problem with that! So I hope that G Michael is not alluding to any such relationship in this song because that would be immoral & illegal, but then again there's this thing called freedom of speech. Mostly, I hope GM is not alluding to pedophilia because that would be so disheartening to say the least!There is no history of this during his career either in his music or actions that anyone knows of so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.Keep in mind when listening to his lyrics that not everything is to be taken literally..i.e "with the eyes of a child" does not have to mean that he is LITERALLY referring to a child or someone underage! Even the reference to "tiny hand" does not have to be automatically attributed to a child. I take it as his reference to someone younger or less experienced or simply to someone physically smaller, but that person can still be someone over 18. George was a brilliant lyricist...reallly practically a poet/ storyteller. It's just that his poems had beautiful music to accompany them. Think of all the best poems,stories or songs. Now think back to English class. The best ones use comparison, metaphors..basically words and phrases that symbolize or represent something else, rather than having a literal meaning. And George Michael was a writer of some of the best poems ever put to music. For sure he used a lot of symbolism. Remember that when you take his lyrics so literally! Enjoy the beautiful art he have gave us in every song he ever wrote. He was a true musical genius.
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Come on! I'm absolutely dumb struck by the Myriad of people who either, have experienced seriously bad people in their lives or sick people who's minds automatically twist to a warped view of a song about an older persons view of his/her relationship with a younger partner! I was 31 when I met my now wife, she was 20. We are 15 years into a very happy relationship (8 married) and, yes, I am the Father Figure, not that it would be said between us. The song is a favourite for us both and I firmly believe that GM was a good person whose name is being besmirched by anyone who thinks otherwise. Please don't turn everything beautiful into another reason to hate, we have enough of that in our lives in this day and age.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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He was seemingly trying to put off a growing public personna about his being gay. It really never worked and when it finally came out that he was, in fact, quite gay, I wanted to be his personal "Father Figure"!!!! Man, that guy always, even later on, had a BODY. SO---there ya go...... cf
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This song is about the very beautiful and consentual relationship between a Dom and his submissive, or the woman he would like to have as his submissive. Such relationships can be viewed as a crime by the mainstream because of the kink that is sometimes involved. The depth of trust, protection, and mutual service both members in the relationship bring is what is described in this song.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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You people are crazy. This is obviously a song about the older male/younger male dynamic that exists in the gay community. George Michael was gay. This song is about the desire to be the teacher and lover to a younger man. "I will be your daddy". A daddy in the gay vernacular is an older more experienced man. It usually revolves around sex.
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I am so happy that some of the interpreters of this beautiful song have been able to see the innocence of the song. The cab driver always appears when the model needs him. She presents a strong persona, but has most likely been used and abused by the men who dominate her and her profession, such as perhaps the photographer. She begins to become conflicted, not only pushing away the photographer but also her make-up routine that symbolizes the false and untouchable symbol of desire that she has been molded into to participate in the fantasy world in which she occupies, in a ruthless industry that uses and abuses her, and by those who have lied to her for selfish motives. The model demonstrates her confusion and disullusionment when she slaps the cab driver, who rather than be angered or dissuaded, immediately returns her action with tenderness. I believe that the end of the video demonstrates that the model has re-affirmed herself in finding that in the fantasy world in which she now can take ownership and also transcend, that she arouses the admiration of the crowds and cameras, knowing full well that the nature of her work is an illusion and that the cab driver is real. He will always be there to love, protect and understand her, as she is beginning to understand the intensity, boldness, and integrity of his love for her.
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I always think of it as spiritual, with the lyrics 'someone special, someone sacred, 'preacher teacher'
Then he sings 'Sometimes I think you'll never understand me'. People don't understand what the real meaning is.
Makes sense when people interpret it as pervy than spiritual.
Somebody worships him like a god, in the god the father and people being his children kind of way. He will love them until the end of time. Who can do that but a god/Jesus like type figure?
'Sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime' How many saints have been killed by others saying they're committing a crime?
'If we have faith in each other'
'I have had enough of crime'
'whatever you ask for, that's what I'll be'.
'Love can't lie' 'Greet me with the eyes of a child'. Jesus said if you want to know god become like the children.
'Heaven is a kiss and smile'.
If anybody thinks that's stupid, think of how many of his songs have a spiritual meaning, such as Jesus to a child, Praying for Time etc. -
I know I love this song because I've listened to it literally countless times. I think it's beautiful.
I sincerely believe it was written from the perspective of a man who desperately wanted to love a woman, in the fullest, most true and pure meaning of the word, but who was almost painfully aware that it was beyond his grasp for some inexplicable reason, at the time it was written.
To his enormous credit, I think he made himself astonishingly vulnerable when he wrote and sung this song, and created the music video. I love the song and the music video. -
Wow...some of these are to funny to contain my laughter..sorry but true.
The song is about him being on the road all the time n he meets a younger female at one of the places he was singing, he asks her backstage after the concert. They kiss n she smiles but tells him she is to young n it would be seen as a crime to be together n she would also miss her father (daddy as she calls him)and she doesn't want him destroyed over the age difference by her father or the public. IT is NOT ABOUT MOLESTATION or sexuality etc. The video IS NOT REFLECTIVE of the song EITHER...bless be people. It was about a brief meeting of a younger female after a concert that he fell in love with but she rejected him based on her love for him not to be in trouble with the age difference her 17 , him 21. They spoke n were together for sometime after the concert but she parted for she didn't believe his words of him professing his love for her after only kisses and smiles n talking. She also didn't wish to leave with him for she would miss her father n needed her father..so he told her he would be this for her to feel loved n secure, but in all reality you had to be there when George Michael wrote the song n be there to see the event that made him write this song. For it was real event in his life as he wrote a lot about his life n relationships on that album n solo songs early on.
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