| "Matthew and Son" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swedish picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Cat Stevens | ||||
| from the album Matthew & Son | ||||
| B-side | "Granny" | |||
| Released | 30 December 1966 | |||
| Recorded | 1 December 1966 | |||
| Studio | Decca, London | |||
| Genre | Baroque pop | |||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Deram | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Cat Stevens | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Hurst | |||
| Cat Stevens singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Matthew and Son" on YouTube | ||||
"Matthew and Son" is a song written and released by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in 1966. Following his discovery by producer and manager Mike Hurst, Stevens debuted professionally in the music business with the release of his single "I Love My Dog" in September 1966. The song's surprising commercial success established his idiosyncratic songwriting style and extended his contract with Deram Records. "Matthew and Son" was musically inspired by a previous song he had written, while the lyrics were inspired by his girlfriend at the time, who worked a lot. Musically, the song is a baroque pop song with both brass and string arrangements while the lyrics tells the tale of the titular company exploiting their timid workers. "Matthew and Son" was recorded on 1 December 1966 at Decca Studios in London with Hurst producing.
Deram released "Matthew and Son" as Cat Stevens's second single on 30 December 1966, with "Granny" as its B-side. Stevens was called in to perform the song at a variety of light entertainment programs in 1967, including Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops. "Matthew and Son" entered the Record Retailer chart in January 1967 before peaking at number two in February, becoming Stevens's highest-charting single in his home country. Elsewhere in the world, the song also charted high in both Africa and Oceania, reaching number one in New Zealand. Owing to its success, the song became the title track of Stevens's debut album in March 1967. Upon initial release the song received critical acclaim, with many critics noting the lyrics. Being one of Stevens's best known songs, it has been included on several of his compilation albums and has inspired other artists.