[Verse 1]
You taught me how to ride that old red bike
Held the seat, said, "You'll be just fine"
I’d fall, you'd laugh, then pick me up
Every scrape healed with your tender touch
[Chorus]
But Daddy, I wish you could see me now
In my cap and gown, hear the crowd so loud
Walk me down the aisle, hand in mine
Bounce my baby on your knee sometime
But all I’ve got, all I’ll ever see
Is the man you were, in my memory
[Verse 2]
The smell of sawdust, your flannel shirt
The way you'd whistle through the work
You'd call me "pumpkin," ruffle my hair
Now I close my eyes, and you're still there
[Prechorus]
The days go on, but the ache stays deep
You're the one thing my heart can't keep
[Chorus]
Oh Daddy, I wish you could see me now
In my cap and gown, hear the crowd so loud
Walk me down the aisle, hand in mine
Bounce my baby on your knee sometime
But all I’ve got, all I’ll ever see
Is the man you were, in my memory
[Bridge]
I picture you with silver hair,
Rocking chairs on the porch out there
A fishing pole, a grandkid’s grin,
The life we’d share if you’d been let in