THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

203-Cat Stevens-Morning Has Broken.

1972-Number 9 single.

Best Bit-At 1.39. Here is a piece of silly trivia, Rick Wakeman played the piano on David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars,’ and he also played the piano on this song about life on earth.

In 1931 the editor of ‘Songs of Praise Discussed,’ who was the English Priest Percival Dearmer, (1867-1936) wanted a new hymn which gave thanks for each day. He approached the English poet and children’s author Eleanor Farjeon, (1881-1965) who wrote the lyrics to ‘Morning Has Broken,’ inspired by the village of Alfriston, in East Sussex, England. The lyrics were set to the traditional Scottish Gaelic tune ‘Bunessan,’ which was first associated with the Christmas Carol ‘Child in the Manger,’ The lyrics to ‘Morning Has Broken’ first appeared in the second edition of the book ‘Songs of Praise,’ in 1931.

While searching for new material for his fifth studio Album ‘Teaser and the Firecat,’ Cat Stevens (see also best songs 384) came across ‘Songs of Praise’ in a bookshop, Stevens has said,’I accidentally fell upon the song when I was going through a slightly dry period, and I needed another song or two for ‘Teaser And The Firecat.’ I came across this hymn book, found this one song, and thought, this is good. I put the chords to it and then it started becoming associated with me.’
When Cat Stevens recorded ‘Morning Has Broken’ it only lasted 45 seconds, and his producer Paul Samwell-Smith (see also best songs 361) told Stevens that it was far too short to be a track on his Album. In order to fill the song out Stevens brought in Rick Wakeman, who he had recently heard recording a demo for a song that would later be called ‘Catherine Howard.’ At first Wakeman wasn’t keen, but he eventually adapted the composition to what we hear now, while ‘Catherine Howard’ can be found on Rick Wakeman’s second studio Album ‘The Six Wives of Henry V111’ from 1972.

Richard Christopher Wakeman was born on May 18th, 1949, in Perivale, London, England, he has been a member of the rock bands ‘The Strawbs,’ and then the rock band ‘Yes,’ with whom he has appeared on eight studio Albums. Wakeman has also as a solo artist, and with various others issued over 90 Albums, and sold over 50 million records. He has also contributed to many Albums as a session musician, notably playing the mellotron, and electric harpsichord on David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity,’ in 1969, and the piano on Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ Album, (see also best songs 5) Wakeman also played the piano on the T. Rex song ‘Bang a Gong (Get It On’) (see also best songs 386.)

‘Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning. Born of the one light Eden saw play, praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning, God’s recreation of the new day.’