Daddy

I am posting this song for Father’s Day of 2022.  I don’t think my father would have liked it very much. The inspiration for it came from a confluence of things. I was in a songwriting workshop  for which our prompt was to write a song related to Bill Wither’s “Grandma’s Hands.” My previous song had been about my mother. She suggested that I try writing about my father. “Hmmm…” I said, “Not sure what I could write. Most of what I know about him is what you have told me.”

The process was a bit different than usual for me. My starting point was Bill Withers’s chord progression, and a 12-bar structure, a form that I had only used once before. As the song developed, the progression changed a bit, but I owe him the bones–thank you Bill Withers! After I was done, I sent it to my cousin, Garth Webber, an amazing blues musician who has played with many famous people, to get some feedback. He graciously offered to help me record it. I could not have done it justice on my mandolin. Over a couple of weeks we passed it back and forth, and this is where we landed.  Garth is an amazingly humble and kind person who never makes me feel bad about being an amateur. Thank you, Garth!

So here it is. I hope you like it.

Anne Page McClard · Daddy

Lyrics

Daddy was a pilot
A hundred flights or more
Daddy was a pilot
Ain’t no heroes in war
Daddy was a pilot
Mama used to say
“He wanted to be better
Than his dad in every way
Was afraid of flying,
at the end of the day”
Daddy was a pilot
Mama used to say

Daddy was a looker
Square jaw, eyes, denim’ blue
Daddy was a looker
Homberg hat, french-toed shoes
Daddy was a looker
Mama used to say
“He wanted to be better
Than his dad in every way
Couldn’t dress himself,
at the end of the day”

Daddy was a doctor
Fixed many broken hearts
Daddy was a doctor
Just like fixing cars
Daddy was a doctor
Mama used to say
“He wanted to be better
Than his dad in every way
Couldn’t fix himself,
at the end of the day”
Daddy was a doctor
Mama used to say

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

Daddy was a captain
Sailed many different ships
Daddy was a captain
Kissed other womens’ lips
Daddy was a captain
Mama used to say
“He wanted to be better
Than his dad in every way
Seems he lost his compass
at the end of the day”

Daddy was a father
Bounced five babes on his knee
Daddy was a father
He didn’t father me
Daddy was a father
Mama used to say
“He wanted to be better
Than his dad in every way
Never really knew me
at the end of the day”
Daddy was my father
Mama used to say

Daddy was my father
Mama used to say

Daddy was my father
At the end of the day