Father Figure (George Michael song)

Background and composition

Michael had this to say on the genesis of "Father Figure":

The song is an R&B ballad, and features elements of Egyptian music and gospel music. On the track's origins Michael said:

Chart performance

Released in the United Kingdom in December 1987, "Father Figure" reached number eleven on the UK singles chart – the first time Michael had failed to reach the top ten in his home country.

In the United States, "Father Figure" debuted on 16 January 1988 at number 49, while "Faith" was still prominent (at number nine) in the top ten of the chart. "Father Figure" reached number one on 27 February 1988, staying at the top for two weeks. Altogether, the single spent 17 weeks in the chart.

After being prominently featured in Halina Reijn's 2024 erotic thriller Babygirl, the song recharted on the UK Singles Downloads Chart (No. 71) and UK singles chart (No. 73).

Critical reception

Sue Dando from Smash Hits wrote, "Once again, George unveils a blinding talent for wonderful sentiment and swoony lovesome lyrics, all elegantly swathed in pristine 'epic' production and the usual echoey voice-oice which trails-ails off almost every note-ote...It's in a similar 'vein' (though not nearly as good) as 'A Different Corner', it's perfect Radio Two fodder, and it will doubtless be a top ten hit." In 2017, a Billboard article about the song described it as a "smoky ballad" which alluded to his status as a gay man who had not yet declared his sexuality and was operating during a homophobic time in the music industry and wider society, with journalist Barry Walters saying it "established Michael both as a nuanced grown-up and as a skilled singer-songwriter, able to intertwine racy innuendo and romantic steadfastness". He added that "on the surface, it's a traditional love ballad, the particularly passionate kind George mastered when he wrote 'Careless Whisper'", but that "like his idol and contemporary Prince, George searched for something 'sacred' in sexuality; a healing balm that will protect both him and his beloved. He aims to provide it, both with his reassuring words and steadfast delivery – whispery and intimate during the verses, commanding and declamatory during the chorus." He concluded that the song "allowed George to celebrate forbidden desires without drawing explicit attention to his own [...] Without the elements that nudge the lyric toward off-limits territory, 'Father Figure' would be a far more conventional and much less compelling song. They serve as crucial metaphors that brought George as close as he could to writing from the heart, without alienating much of his audience and the industry."

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Father Figure" depicts a relationship between a cab driver (Michael) and a high-fashion model (Tania Coleridge). Various intercut flashbacks tell a backstory. Michael and Andy Morahan won "Best Direction of a Video" at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards for the video.

Track listings

Personnel

Personnel taken from Faith liner notes.

• George Michael – lead and backing vocals, keyboards
• Shirley Lewis – backing vocals
• Hugh Burns – guitar
• Betsy Cook – additional keyboards

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Samples and interpolations

• P.M. Dawn – "Looking Through Patient Eyes" (1993)
• LL Cool J – "Father" (1997)
• Destiny's Child – "Winter Paradise" (2001)
• Taylor Swift – "Father Figure" (2025)

References

;Bibliography

References

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