Daddy

Cathie Ryan (Wake the Neighbors Music, ASCAP)

Cathie's Notes

This song sung itself to me from start to finish one day in 1998. I never sang it publicly until 2012. After that I decided it was time to release it on a record. Thank you to Danny Ellis for the encouragement. I dedicate it to anyone who is living, or has lived, with active alcoholism. It is a heartbreaking disease. Hold on.

Daddy, are you coming home tonight
And if you do, do you promise you will be all right
You won’t stumble up the stairs
Or fall over the front room chairs
And you and mommy won’t get in a fight

Daddy, when you stay out late mommy cries sometimes
She tells us she’s ok, but she keeps on crying
Her face is sad and mad
We wish she’d be more glad
Maybe you could make her laugh sometime

Daddy, if you have some time would you talk to me
And maybe if you look hard enough you’ll see
That I’m lonely deep inside
But it’s ok cuz I can hide it
And no one else will ever have to see

Bridge:
And all the things I feel I keep inside
And mommy says, “Don’t talk about it”
So I keep quiet
I’ll be good, I promise, I’ll be good

Daddy, I heard you tell momma that it wasn’t true
All the things I know you did, you said you didn’t do
You said you didn’t wanna hear that your children live in fear
Daddy, I’m telling now they do

Daddy, are you coming home tonight
And if you do, do you promise you will be all right
You won’t stumble up the stairs
Or fall over the front room chairs
And you and mommy won’t get in a fight