A Song for My Father on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday

I wrote this song late one lonely evening in 2008 while Lori was at work. At first, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone, but then decided I needed to sing it to my father and as his 80th birthday approached in 2009, worked with Barry Wood to hack it into something reasonably presentable.  

I make no apologies for the quality of these two video recordings; they are acts of love, not of polished art. I encourage anyone who wishes to make more professional recordings and share them with this memorial blog's audience. In the interest of any future endeavors in that direction, however improbable, I include the lyrics and basic chord progression at the bottom of this entry. -kcr-

Song for My Father on the Occasion of his 80th Birthday

C F

My father held me in his arms

C F

When I was just a babe

C F

No bigger than his forearm’s span

C F

and lighter than the day

My father pulled me to my feet

My own weak legs collapse

He told me, “Son, you’ll be a man,

And this pain too shall pass.”

CHORUS

G D

How fortunate that I have been

C G

To have my father’s love

G D

When I see children everyday

C F

Who never get enough

I sat quiet in the dark

And watched the street lamp’s glow

Waiting for a brightening

My father’s coming home

I raced quickly down the hall

Pulled shoes from his tired feet

I polished them on Saturdays

I polished them for free

CHORUS

My father watched me struggle with

My own identity

Patient with my platitudes

And longing to be free

My father watched me leave the drive

My eyes on distant skies

Suddenly it all rushed back

What did he realize?

CHORUS

My father jokes about my hair

How it is turning grey

My own two daughters growing up

What more is there to say?