How Yusuf Islam Broke My Heart

King of Trees, by Cat Stevens, is a very good song - a little melodramatic, maybe, but very good, music- and lyrics-wise. However, my original interpretation of the lyrics was better than the real thing, which I deciphered listening closely one day, and have confirmed by Googling the words. The official version, first verse:

He was the King of trees
Keeper of the leaves
A deep green god of young
Love stained memory
We used to meet by him
Far from the hustling town
I loved you
Now they've come to cut you down

Like I said, a little melodramatic. The thing is, though, that I had translated the ultimate line above as now I've come to cut you down, lending the song a whole guilt-racked, age-coming-of, Giving Tree quality that's really touching. As it turns out, however, it's they've, not I've, giving it a whiney, pop-star, I-(Stevens)-want-to-live-in-Candyland feel that's cute but relatively shallow.

But he did write

I wish I had, I wish I had
The secret of good and the secret of bad
Why does this question drive me mad?
'Cause I was taught when but a lad
That bad was good and good was bad

So he gets a pass.