“The film shows how much we need art to direct our thoughts sometimes towards inexpressible goals; to relive early childlike innocence and keep our eyes of hope open beyond the clouds of war and darkness.” – Yusuf / Cat Stevens

Yusuf / Cat Stevens launches his latest music video for ‘Wild World’. The fourth single taken from ‘Tea for the Tillerman²’ – the reimagined rework of his classic 1970 album, recently debuting at Number 4 in the Official UK Albums Chart. The video was directed by Effie Pappa and produced by Monster @ Dirty Films.

The brilliantly eccentric style of the new video combines elements of Wes Anderson, Casablanca and Bugsy Mallone. Child actors play out a Blackjack gambling duel which bounces back-and-forth as the ill-fated cards fall between the house dealer and the plucky winner. Mental games of revenge invoke thoughts which jaunt us into a bruising boxing match as well as brutal excursions into WW2. 

With its Tango lilt, Berlinesque accordion and smooth clarinet lines, this new cinematic reworking of ‘Wild World’ is one of the biggest stylistic departures on the new album. 

As with ‘Where Do The Children Play?’ and ‘Father & Son,’ the new video of ‘Wild World’ adventurously draws upon the timelessness of the song’s lyrics to capture the powerful message they contain. The central motif of a “Wild World” succinctly represents the precarious state of the world we are living in right now, with war and aggression closing in on us from every side. 

In the video, relief from the oppressive visions of the power-hungry card player comes through the even greater imagination of a pure soul (a childish re-cast of Ingrid Bergman) who, unburdened by desires for material and power gains, is able to transcend into the realm of the stars with a smile – and an accompanying cup of ‘Tillerman Tea’. Yusuf’s words tell us of the dangers that are to be found in the world are overcome with love and a dream of something better…beyond.

Order/Stream Tea for the Tillerman² here: https://CatStevens.lnk.to/TFTT2
Learn about the good things to come: peacetrain.org