🎸 Father’s Day Special: “Father and Son” & A Global Reflection

Honoring Fathers — A Brief History

Father’s Day in North America is celebrated on the third Sunday in June—a tradition that started in the early 1900s. But did you know that in Taiwan, Father’s Day falls on August 8? That’s because “8-8” (bā-bā) sounds just like “bà ba” — the Mandarin word for dad. A sweet little phonetic pun that grew into a national tradition.

🎵 Why “Father and Son” Resonates So Deeply

This Father’s Day, I picked up my acoustic guitar and recorded a heartfelt cover of Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son.” It’s one of those rare songs that doesn’t just talk about emotion—it is emotion. It plays out like a real conversation, complete with tension, love, misunderstanding, and the painful ache of growing apart.

I’ve felt drawn to this song since the first time I heard it. My own relationship with my father has always been… turbulent, to say the least. We rarely agreed, and when I left home at 17, I didn’t just walk away from a house—I walked away from expectations, fear, and a future someone else had planned for me.

That’s why the son’s voice in this song hits me hard. That line—“Now there's a way and I know that I have to go”—has been the soundtrack to my journey. And yet, I avoided covering this song for the longest time. Why? Because it’s not meant to be sung alone. The third and fourth verses have father and son singing over each other, talking without listening. It’s powerful. And painfully impossible to replicate solo.

But this year, I said screw it. Because even if I can’t sing both voices at once, I am both voices. I’ve been the frustrated son. And as I get older, I hear more of the father’s voice in me too.

💿 Watch My Performance

Here’s my stripped-down, honest, and slightly raw version of “Father and Son.” Just me, my guitar, and a lifetime of things unsaid:



Let’s Talk About Legacy

This blog post, this cover, this little moment? It’s a love letter. To music. To stubbornness. To every person who has ever felt like they needed to leave in order to grow. And to every father who tried, even if they failed.

🌐 Explore more of my journey:
TigerTactile.com – my art, my voice, my mission.
JohnnyTiger.com – for the documentary, biography, and my music.

#FathersDay #FatherAndSon #CatStevensCover #BlindMusician #JohnnyTiger #TaiwanToCanada #CulturalRoots #AccessibilityMatters #NoOneEverKickedAssesBySayingICant 

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