My father was kind and gentle and revered by everyone.

He told me: “People

will do what you do, not what you say.” He always had time for me and taught
me to read and write music, play various instruments and introduced me to
classical music, my foundation. One year I sent my mom an orchid for her
birthday, which I could scarcely afford. She was so touched – my dad wrote to
tell me I could have had “anything she owned” in return.

My father died in 1963 and I wanted to write a song in memory of him. He did
live to see some of my early progress towards success, but not the major songs
or stardom with Bread. As with all my songs, the music led and the words tried
to keep up, but they came pretty quickly. I wrote the lyrics – “I would give
everything I own just to have you back again” – so that they could be
interpreted as a love song, but when I played it for my wife, she knew right
away that it was about my father. She cried.
The recording session with Bread felt pressurised because I wanted to convey
the emotion in the vocal that existed when I played it with an acoustic guitar.
The covers [by Rod Stewart, Shirley Bassey, Boy George] have all felt genuine,
and it is magical to sing. Everything I Own has reached farther than any other
song I’ve ever written. It’s a tribute to the song and Ken that it was able to go
reggae.

Years after it was written, I started to reveal to audiences what it was about.
The song is an opportunity to feel very strong emotions for the loss of a time
with someone you loved. I’ve been fortunate to watch it have such an impact
on so many people.

Inna De Yard premieres at the Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House,

London, on 21 August and is released in cinemas on 30 August.

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