Daddy picked guitar

"Daddy Picked Guitar"

By Gerald Logan

Verse 1

Daddy picked guitar in a small country band

In a hole-in-the-wall tavern called the Western Inn

He’d sing about love, heartache, and sin

With a Marlboro smile and a mandolin grin

The crowd would hush when he started to play

Folks lined the street just to hear him some days

Chorus

And I still hear his voice in the back of my mind

A little off pitch, but warm and kind

He wasn’t famous, but to me he was a star

With calloused hands and an old beat-up guitar

He left more than just songs behind

He left pieces of heaven in every line

Verse 2

Well Daddy died in July of 2005

A hot Saturday when we laid him by

Underneath a maple where the breeze barely blew

With a bottle of Jack and his old worn shoes

We played his favorite, He Stopped Loving Her Today

As the sun dipped down and the sky turned gray

Chorus

And I still hear his voice in the back of my mind

A little off pitch, but warm and kind

He wasn’t famous, but to me he was a star

With calloused hands and an old beat-up guitar

He left more than just songs behind

He left pieces of heaven in every line

Bridge

Now I pick up that same guitar

In a corner bar not too far

From the place where he used to sing

And I feel his spirit in every string

Final Chorus

And I still hear his voice in the back of my mind

A little off pitch, but warm and kind

He wasn’t famous, but to me he was a star

With calloused hands and an old beat-up guitar

He left more than just songs behind

He left pieces of heaven in every line

Outro

Daddy picked guitar in a small country band

And I’ll carry his song as long as I can