Sensitive boy, military father
Both of them needing something very badly from the other
They had no choice; they could not reach eachother
Now the boy's an angry man; he holds it in no longer
(He says) I could never win anything 'cause I already felt beaten
And you have always hated me so I guess now we're even
So look at me now - I'm not afraid to fight you man to man
And the old man says
I am your father
I am not another
Of your schoolboy classmates
I am your father
And you will not forget me
I will stay part of you forever
Listen to my side
Looking back I wonder
Why I couldn't feel for you the way I felt about your brothers
And there were times
I'm sure you still remember
When I tried to talk to you and you left me an outsider
I avoid painful things so you were avoided
And I never really hated you, just sometimes dissappointed
So look at me now
Am I the same as the man you love to hate?
No matter what....
I am your father
I am your father
And you can mess up my face - go ahead
But I'll still be your father
And you cannot forget me
I will stay part of you forever
I could never look at you and say I love you
I was taught that real men never broke down
I feel like a victim I know you do too
Like father like son
I'm so sorry for the things I've done
I am your father
I am your father
Come what may
I'll be part of you forever
Notes: This is a REALLY old one. I wrote this in 1981 about a friend's relationship with his father. A producer once told me that he loved it but thought I shouldn't ever release it because it's too sad. I said "Oh, I have much sadder songs than that!". This is my old band from the 80's playin' on this one. This is for them toughing it out with me playing midnight on Mondays and loading a piano into my old truck at 2:00 a.m. These things stay with you.
Both of them needing something very badly from the other
They had no choice; they could not reach eachother
Now the boy's an angry man; he holds it in no longer
(He says) I could never win anything 'cause I already felt beaten
And you have always hated me so I guess now we're even
So look at me now - I'm not afraid to fight you man to man
And the old man says
I am your father
I am not another
Of your schoolboy classmates
I am your father
And you will not forget me
I will stay part of you forever
Listen to my side
Looking back I wonder
Why I couldn't feel for you the way I felt about your brothers
And there were times
I'm sure you still remember
When I tried to talk to you and you left me an outsider
I avoid painful things so you were avoided
And I never really hated you, just sometimes dissappointed
So look at me now
Am I the same as the man you love to hate?
No matter what....
I am your father
I am your father
And you can mess up my face - go ahead
But I'll still be your father
And you cannot forget me
I will stay part of you forever
I could never look at you and say I love you
I was taught that real men never broke down
I feel like a victim I know you do too
Like father like son
I'm so sorry for the things I've done
I am your father
I am your father
Come what may
I'll be part of you forever
Notes: This is a REALLY old one. I wrote this in 1981 about a friend's relationship with his father. A producer once told me that he loved it but thought I shouldn't ever release it because it's too sad. I said "Oh, I have much sadder songs than that!". This is my old band from the 80's playin' on this one. This is for them toughing it out with me playing midnight on Mondays and loading a piano into my old truck at 2:00 a.m. These things stay with you.