Today is Father’s Day, as I’m sure most of you have realized by now. I’ve decided to deviate from my plan for today’s blog, because I realized this morning that there are certain songs that just get fatherhood. I’ve decided that I want to share three of my favorites with you today. They aren’t necessarily my top 3, but they are definitely among those that I consider the cream of the crop.
I’ve listed them here with just the lyrics, because it’s easy to miss the power of the words when you’re listening to the tune. I feel that these words need to be acknowledged, and so they are here for you to read, digest, reflect upon, and enjoy.
The first song is “Family Man” by Craig Campbell:
I’ve been working as a temp
At the local factory
I hope they hire me on full time
I’ve got shoes to buy
and a mouth to feed.
I drive a buy here, pay here truck
It ain’t new, but it is for me
It ain’t much but it fires right up
and get me from A to B
What puts the dirt underneath my nails
What keeps the calluses on my hands
Family man
They’re a world my world revolves around
My sacred piece of solid ground
The flesh and bone that gives me strength to stand
They are a fire in my drivin on
The drive behind my comin home
The livin, breathin, reason that I am
A family man
There’s dirty shirts to wash
Dishes in the sink to do
And there’s how many times
Does 17 go into 52
There’s bedtime prayers to pray
Sleep tights and I love you’s
And then there’s a pair of eyes
I get to lose myself into
What keeps me keepin the faith
What makes me believe I can
Family man
They’re a world my world revolves around
My sacred piece of solid ground
The flesh and bone that gives me strength to stand
They are a fire in my drivin on
The drive behind my comin home
The livin, breathin, reason that I am
A family man
There’s a fire in my drivin on
The drive behind my comin home
The livin, breathin, reason that I am
A family man
A family man
The second song is called “Lead Me by Sanctus Real:
I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying…
“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”
I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying…
“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”
So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?
To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up
I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone
Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone
The third is Will Smith’s “Just the Two of Us”:
From the first time the doctor placed you in my arms
I knew I’d meet death before I’d let you meet harm
Although questions arose in my mind, would I be man enough?
Against wrong, choose right and be standin up
From the hospital that first night
Took a hour just ta get the carseat in right
People drivin all fast, got me kinda upset
Got you home safe, placed you in your basonette
That night I don’t think one wink I slept
As I slipped out my bed, to your crib I crept
Touched your head gently, felt my heart melt
Cause I know I loved you more than life itself
Then to my knees, and I begged the Lord please
Let me be a good daddy, all he needs
Love, knowledge, discipline too
I pledge my life to you
Just the two of us, we can make it if we try
Just the two of us, (Just the two of us)
Just the two of us, building castles in the sky
Just the two of us, you and I
Five years old, bringin comedy
Everytime I look at you I think man, a little me
Just like me
Wait an see gonna be tall
Makes me laugh cause you got your dads ears an all
Sometimes I wonder, what you gonna be
A General, a Doctor, maybe a MC
Haha, I wanna kiss you all the time
But I will test that butt when you cut outta line, trudat
Uh-uh-uh why you do dat?
I try to be a tough dad, but you be makin me laugh
Crazy joy, when I see the eyes of my baby boy
I pledge to you, I will always do
Everything I can
Show you how to be a man
Dignity, integrity, honor an
An I don’t mind if you lose, long as you came with it
An you can cry, ain’t no shame it it
It didn’t work out with me an your mom
But yo, push come to shove
You was conceived in love
So if the world attacks, and you slide off track
Remember one fact, I got your back
Just the two of us, we can make it if we try
Just the two of us, (Just the two of us)
Just the two of us, building castles in the sky
Just the two of us, you and I
It’s a full-time job to be a good dad
You got so much more stuff than I had
I gotta study just to keep with the changin times
101 Dalmations on your CD-ROM
See me-I’m
Tryin to pretend I know
On my PC where that CD go
But yo, ain’t nuthin promised, one day I’ll be gone
Feel the strife, but trust life does go wrong
But just in case
It’s my place
To impart
One day some girl’s gonna break your heart
And ooh ain’t no pain like from the opposite sex
Gonna hurt bad, but don’t take it out on the next, son
Throughout life people will make you mad
Disrespect you and treat you bad
Let God deal with the things they do
Cause hate in your heart will consume you too
Always tell the truth, say your prayers
Hold doors, pull out chairs, easy on the swears
You’re living proof that dreams do come true
I love you and I’m here for you
Just the two of us, we can make it if we try
Just the two of us, (Just the two of us)
Just the two of us, building castles in the sky
Just the two of us, you and I
DAD and FATHER 