Your Father

All right I said I’d see him, it’s been near twenty years
I don’t know what’s different, there’s no smiles and no tears
As I saw him nearing, he was slumped and at a crawl
My big tough tall daddy he had taken quite a fall
I fought off feeling sorry and said I’d listen for a while
He came a little closer is that a tear in his eye
He said, Son, I can no longer tell you any more lies
Sooner than later I’ll be leaving this is goodbye

You sure got her sadness but some of it was mine
It’s all we had together, we were unable to shine
And yeah she had her reasons but none of them was you
Neither were they me, Son, I’m sorry but it’s true
I tried real hard to raise you, I gave you everything I had
But you wouldn’t call me Father, never was I Dad
Now I’m sure gonna miss you, more than you would know
You see it takes some men a lifetime just to let their fears show

So Son here’s her number, she’s not that far away
She’ll always be your mother, she just couldn’t stay
Won’t you give a chance to know her, don’t try to rearrange
And when you meet her husband, try and understand
You see, she knew him long before me, but he left her for a while
I thought that they were over, but I was wrong by a mile
But let that past be over, let your feelings mend
Give them both a chance, Son, and let him be your friend

And that’s all I’ve got to tell you as he turned I saw his pain
He said, just to be your father, I’d do it all again
Then his words became a whisper and as he walked away
I fought real hard within me to find something to say

Don’t leave, please stay
but nothing came but quiet and now he’s gone away

But there’s something in the quiet, something in the calm
It feels like we’re together, feels like he’s not gone
So I guess I’ll call her number and I’ll try to start anew
But first there’s goodbye to the only father I ever knew
It sure took a lifetime but now I’m here to say
I’m your son, Dad, each and every day

So I told her about his dying, his quiet goodbye
How much he loved her but understood why
He sure taught me something it took real long to know
Something about my family, I’ll never let go

Don’t leave, please stay
I’m your son, Dad, be my father today