Little Dad

Verse 1:

Back in Strawberry Hill, aged six in a picture perfect family
Everybody smilin’ in the photos on the mantelpiece,
The birds make merrily music up in our family tree
No ruffled feathers, weather is beautiful, just my dad and me
Teaching me to ride my bicycle, grippin’ the saddle
Anxious to tackle the pedals, twistin’ the handles
I quickly hit naught - to sixty ‘Rossi rips torque’,
My father’s shoutin’ “brakes!!” I crash into a brick wall,

I wake up, what what was that? Alarm clock struck like a smash,
“on and on that soddin car! what we gonna do for cash!?”
Dash to the lounge, mum and dad clash the sound
Like a thousand crash symbols smashed to the ground
Louder, scrap defensive like an episode of a drama
Though this ain’t eastenders, it’s real, mother and father,
Arguing, listen you did this, don’t blame me,
Don’t touch me, just kiss me, I love you, you hate me,

You’re self-centered, crazy, emotionally mixed up,
Mum why are you crying? Shit you woke the kids up!
Your voices were noisy, I found both these rings
With that glass on the floor, why you packing your things
Dad? He knelt down and told me, it’s ok go back to bed,
I’ll never forget that, he stood to leave I grabbed his leg,
Begging him, pleadin’ don’t go, father please!
The door slammed, I fell to my knees, and watched my father leave.

Chorus:

I know it‘s hard, now your father’s gone,
But you got to be strong now, walk into the sun,
Y’ can’t change the past, no, don’t turn and run,
Got to, stand up little soldier and walk into the sun.

Verse 2:

I’m sat scribbin’ in class, snapped’ my pencil in half,
I’ve moved to this new school, it’s cool, but feel my old world just fell apart,
He’s pressin’ hard with the chalk, I’m tacklin’ mathematics,
I’m trying to add up why my father packed his bags and vanished-
Smash my calculator, maybe they just grew apart?
Maybe I should’ve got better grades? I should’ve asked.
Maybe the well of love dried out of the stuff?
God’s forsaken I hate you for not fillin’ it up!

A rupture of laughs, shakes the room, I ran out of class,
Down the corridor, bash alarms and shatter the glass,
A stampede of kids panic’ I’m scatterin’ fast
rattle the school gates, mother’s waitin sat in the car,
Put on a brave face but blatantly I‘m missin my dad,
Afraid to ripple any waters, til I’m home then I splash,
Slam my door, kickin punch the walls, hittin till plaster cracks
Alone in this cold home, jus’ wish I had my father back

Build to Chorus:

Stand strong and walk into the sun . . .

Chorus:

I know it‘s hard, now your father’s gone,
But you got to be strong now, walk into the sun,
Y’ can’t change the past, no, don’t turn and run,
Got to, stand up little soldier and walk into the sun.

Verse 3:

The phone rings, its dad, just about to hang it up,
Wait a second John lets have a minute just chat n’ stuff,
Chat n’ stuff? What, bout how you turned your back on us
Look It’s not that simple son, lets jus talk and grab some lunch.
We sat together, but our words were a world apart,
He’s lookin’ rough, hasn’t shaved and he needs a bath,
He seems emotional, your mum and me just couldn‘t last,
I ran to hell and back to find the tools to fix her heart.

I watched a tear drop falling from my fathers eyes,
My whole world spun around when my father cried,
Been wrapped up in how I feel, payed him little mind,
Dad can’t always be the shield for me to hide behind
We said goodbye, son you don’t deserve this,
Dad you’ve still made me who I am, nobody’s perfect,
Picked my helmet up, sword, shield and armour,
And stood up like a soldier, to be my own father.

Chorus:

I know it‘s hard, now your father’s gone,
But you got to be strong now, walk into the sun,
Y’ can’t change the past, no, don’t turn and run,
Got to, stand up little soldier and walk into the sun.