Daddy Cut My Hair

Daddy cut my hair, didn't care for style
He'd just snip and snip and sweep it in a pile
I could not keep still, but he would understand
Some things are just known between a boy and a man
Right there in the middle of our kitchen's cluttered floor
In the middle of the fifties in between a couple wars
He'd get out his old scorched shirt and wrap it round my neck
And he would be so close to me, I'd smell the coffee on his breath
He would be so close to me

We had a fallin' out, I don't remember why
But every time I think on it, there's water in my eyes
We said some awful things, he ordered me to leave
For years, my sister wrote about how hard my mother grieved
Second tour of duty, when the thrill had long been gone
I started giving haircuts to my buddies there in Nam
The wire came on Friday, I was cutting Jo Jo's hair
We buried Mom on Wednesday, Dad was happy I was there
We buried Mom on Wednesday

He never did remarry, traveled quite a bit
As a father still some distance, but as a Grandpa, quite a hit
The stroke was unexpected, there is so much to relearn
He gets around with just a cane, but his speech has not returned

Now I cut Daddy's hair, he still don't care for style
I snip and snip the memories and I sweep them in a pile
I don't say a word, he smiles when I'm done
Some things are just known between a father and his son
Right there in the middle of our kitchen's cluttered floor
In my middle forties, I feel the ache once more
For all the years, our anger kept us far apart
Thank God that there's forgiveness to mend a broken heart
Thank God that there's forgiveness