George Michael's "Father Figure" Is So Beautiful

While you're trying to come to terms with the fact that George Michael has passed away, you might be burying your feelings in his discography. I mean, between Wham! and his solo hits, there's a lot of music to help you through this time. One of Michael's most prolific songs, and yet under-appreciated compared to "Careless Whisper", is "Father Figure." The song — which describes a relationship in which the narrator wants to be everything to the person that he loves — has a particular resonance to anyone who has ever been in an all-consuming romance. It's a song that's certainly worth revisiting now that the man with the legendary voice who sang it is no longer with us.

The song is from Michael's album, Faith, and the music video reinforces the theme, with the singer portraying a cab driver enamored with a fashion model played by Tania Coleridge. The song came out before Michael did, so the music video portrays a heterosexual relationship, but the lyrics, particularly lines like "but sometimes love can be mistaken for a crime", could show the song as an early hint of his true sexuality.

Regardless of the gender identities of the lovers in the song, it's beautiful. Michael pledges,

I will be your father figure. Put your tiny hand in mine. I will be your preacher teacher, anything you have in mind. I will be your father figure. I have had enough of crime. I will be the one who loves you until the end of time.

And, yeah, OK, honestly, I could do without the "father figure" comparison that makes up the heart of the song, but the sentiment is lovely. To care about someone so much that you want to take care of them, teach them, and love them for all the rest of their days is something that anyone who has ever been in a relationship can empathize with. In fact, it's something that anyone who has ever been in love can empathize with, whether a relationship came of your feelings or not.

There's something pure and all-encompassing about it, and Michael gets at that feeling beautifully with these simple lyrics and an instant classic of a song that goes down as one of his best-known. It's no wonder that numerous fans are choosing to give this song another listen right now — or reference it while paying tribute to Michael.

Obviously, Michael was a father figure to a lot of people, who loved him purely and utterly. He will be missed by his family, his friends, and his fans all over the world. Goodbye Preacher Teacher. You truly taught us all well.