Today I've been counting the many blessings
in the family my dad raised.
All the love we shared through the years
has come back to me in many ways,
And today my mind flashed back to my childhood days.
I recall my first day of school
and how much it hurt my dad to see me start off in patched-up blue jeans.
But today, Dad, that's the style.
My boy won't go anywhere without his patched-up jeans.
They're old and faded
and they look like they've never been cleaned.
And I remember Sunday school
and how I'd get mad when you'd make me go,
But now I can see why that was so important to you.
Because we prayed together and we stayed together.
Now, my dad was a man who knew his own mind
And I remember when he'd call us all together
and say, "Family, it's loving time."
His world was built around Mom and the four kids they raised
And I can still see the smile that always came on Mama's face
each time Dad would say the table grace.
The house was filled with lots of noise
But when we got too loud, Dad would always say,
"Oh, those devilish boys!"
There was three of us; the fourth was a girl.
Well, you know, Dad had a choice--a favorite, that is--
But he'd say, "I love one just as much as I love the other.
Would you look at her? She looks just like her mother."
I heard a lot of other people talk about my dad
And talk about the things that he done when he was young.
I might be a little bit prejudiced, but he was the best in the county
when it came to a contest in games,
'Cause he'd could outrun, outbox, outshoot
any of the professionals that came to town.
Now, my dad was a good man,
and his family came first,
And he did his best for us,
and I know sometimes he worked till it hurt.
The Depression wasn't an easy time;
a dollar a day was the pay back then,
And I remember my dad leaving the house before daybreak
and walking fourteen miles to get to work without being late.
I guess everyone remembers the good times and the bad,
Good times were happy and bad times were sad.
And when I'd do something wrong, he'd straighten me out
with his hand or a belt out behind the house.
But, now, Mama didn't raise her voice or fuss
when we'd get out of hand.
She'd just say, "Now, that's enough!" and if we didn't obey,
she'd tell Dad what was wrong and without a question, Dad would lay it on.
Why, we picked cotton, chopped cotton, stacked hay, pulled corn,
Well, that's the way we made our living back then on the farm.
But things are different now
'cause it's like a new world we're living in.
Everything's a mad rush,
and not enough time for friends.
And when I think of my dad, it makes me proud, you see,
'Cause he gave so much of himself to make life easier for me.
Now, not everyone is as lucky as I am
to have a father who wanted the best for me out of life
And now when I hear a church bell chime
it's almost like my dad saying, "Family, it's loving time."
So why don't you go to your dad right now
and tell him you love him,
And I'll bet you a dollar against a dog biscuit
that it'll mean more to him than any gift that money could ever buy.
'Cause you know you can't ever repay him
for all the things he's done for you,
And the best way I know to let him know
is just say, "Daddy, I love you."
in the family my dad raised.
All the love we shared through the years
has come back to me in many ways,
And today my mind flashed back to my childhood days.
I recall my first day of school
and how much it hurt my dad to see me start off in patched-up blue jeans.
But today, Dad, that's the style.
My boy won't go anywhere without his patched-up jeans.
They're old and faded
and they look like they've never been cleaned.
And I remember Sunday school
and how I'd get mad when you'd make me go,
But now I can see why that was so important to you.
Because we prayed together and we stayed together.
Now, my dad was a man who knew his own mind
And I remember when he'd call us all together
and say, "Family, it's loving time."
His world was built around Mom and the four kids they raised
And I can still see the smile that always came on Mama's face
each time Dad would say the table grace.
The house was filled with lots of noise
But when we got too loud, Dad would always say,
"Oh, those devilish boys!"
There was three of us; the fourth was a girl.
Well, you know, Dad had a choice--a favorite, that is--
But he'd say, "I love one just as much as I love the other.
Would you look at her? She looks just like her mother."
I heard a lot of other people talk about my dad
And talk about the things that he done when he was young.
I might be a little bit prejudiced, but he was the best in the county
when it came to a contest in games,
'Cause he'd could outrun, outbox, outshoot
any of the professionals that came to town.
Now, my dad was a good man,
and his family came first,
And he did his best for us,
and I know sometimes he worked till it hurt.
The Depression wasn't an easy time;
a dollar a day was the pay back then,
And I remember my dad leaving the house before daybreak
and walking fourteen miles to get to work without being late.
I guess everyone remembers the good times and the bad,
Good times were happy and bad times were sad.
And when I'd do something wrong, he'd straighten me out
with his hand or a belt out behind the house.
But, now, Mama didn't raise her voice or fuss
when we'd get out of hand.
She'd just say, "Now, that's enough!" and if we didn't obey,
she'd tell Dad what was wrong and without a question, Dad would lay it on.
Why, we picked cotton, chopped cotton, stacked hay, pulled corn,
Well, that's the way we made our living back then on the farm.
But things are different now
'cause it's like a new world we're living in.
Everything's a mad rush,
and not enough time for friends.
And when I think of my dad, it makes me proud, you see,
'Cause he gave so much of himself to make life easier for me.
Now, not everyone is as lucky as I am
to have a father who wanted the best for me out of life
And now when I hear a church bell chime
it's almost like my dad saying, "Family, it's loving time."
So why don't you go to your dad right now
and tell him you love him,
And I'll bet you a dollar against a dog biscuit
that it'll mean more to him than any gift that money could ever buy.
'Cause you know you can't ever repay him
for all the things he's done for you,
And the best way I know to let him know
is just say, "Daddy, I love you."