‘Simpsons’ Couch Gag Inspired by Cat Stevens’ ‘Tea for the Tillerman’
'The Simpsons' has aired hundreds of couch gags over its years on the air (seriously, just look at them all), establishing a rich tradition that includes some of the most memorable show openers in TV history -- and one that, as of the show's Oct. 12 episode, includes Cat Stevens.
The singer, who currently records as Yusuf, saw his classic 'Tea for the Tillerman' LP honored by the show with an opening scene that, instead of the 'Simpsons' theme song, was scored to the album's title track; appropriately, the sequence has the same gauzy, soft-edged frame as the 'Tillerman' album cover, and finds beloved doofus patriarch Homer Simpson sipping tea before destroying everything in typical Homer fashion. You can check out the whole thing in the above clip.
The tribute comes at a busy time for Yusuf, who's getting ready to release 'Tell ‘Em I’m Gone,' his first album in five years, on Oct. 27. The new record follows his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and will be followed by a run of fall tour dates that are scheduled to send him to Europe, Canada and the U.S. during November and December.