Daddy cut my hair. Didn't care for style
He'd just snip and snip then 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 some old scorched sheet 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. Hanged if I know why
But every time I think on it there's water in my eyes
We said some awful words, 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.
Buried Mom on Wednesday...

He never did remarry. Traveled quite a bit
As a father still some distance, 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 and he still don't care for style
I snip and snip the memories and then 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 a son
Right there in the middle of our kitchen's cluttered floor
In my middle fifties, 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...

He'd get out his old scorched sheet 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...