Pawpaw

Lyrics

[INTRO — Slow Piano + Distant Electric Guitar] ummmhhhhhhh I drove past that old house yesterday And swear I could hear you laughing through the screen door… But it got quiet when I pulled in the yard. [VERSE 1 — Acoustic Guitar + Piano] Grandma still makes that sweet tea But it don’t taste like it did before Daddy’s old Ford’s still sitting Right beside that weathered porch That old horse is in the pasture Still looking toward the barn And that same old tractor from 2004 Still got your fingerprints on the arms That house still got that same smell Like when I was just a little boy Same hallway, same old pictures Same floorboards making noise And that old rocking chair is sitting Right where it’s always been But Paw Paw, I ain’t the same no more Since I can’t watch you rocking in it again [PRE-CHORUS — Violin Builds] Funny how a house can hold a lifetime In every wall and every door But when the man who made it home is gone It don’t feel like home anymore [HOOK — Full Drums + Electric Guitar + Violin] That house ain’t the same since you left There’s an emptiness I can’t explain Grandma pours that sweet tea But somehow it don’t taste the same Your chair still makes that old noise But nobody’s sitting there And I’d give anything in this world Just to hear you say my name That old Ford still starts up That tractor still turns the dirt But nothing on that property Can cover up this hurt Yeah, everything’s still standing But something’s gone away ‘Cause Paw Paw, you were that house And it ain’t been home since the day you went away [VERSE 2 — Acoustic + Piano] I remember sitting beside you While you talked about the old days You’d tell me things about my daddy And the mistakes you made You taught me how to shake a hand How to work and keep my word Said, “Son, a man’s worth ain’t measured By the money that he earns” Now I’m walking through that kitchen And I swear I see you there Leaning back against the counter Like you hadn’t got a care I almost called out, “Paw Paw” Then reality hit hard Sometimes losing somebody Makes a ghost out of every yard [BRIDGE 1 — Piano Alone, Violin Underneath] If heaven’s got a front porch I hope you’ve got a rocking chair I hope there’s an old Ford parked outside And your favorite hat is there I hope that horse still knows you I hope that tractor still runs And when I finally get there I hope you say, “Boy, I’m proud of what you’ve become.” [HOOK — Bigger, Gritty Vocals] That house ain’t the same since you left There’s an emptiness I can’t explain Grandma pours that sweet tea But somehow it don’t taste the same Your chair still makes that old noise But nobody’s sitting there And I’d give anything in this world Just to hear you say my name That old Ford still starts up That tractor still turns the dirt But nothing on that property Can cover up this hurt Yeah, everything’s still standing But something’s gone away ‘Cause Paw Paw, you were that house And it ain’t been home since the day you went away [BRIDGE 2 — Emotional Breakdown, Piano + Acoustic] I still look toward the pasture Expecting you to wave Still think I’ll hear that screen door Slam around the end of the day I still catch myself remembering Things I thought I’d never miss The sound of that old rocking chair And the way you’d laugh at this I didn’t know those little moments Were the ones I’d beg to keep Didn’t know the man I thought was forever Could leave this world so deep Now every corner tells your story Every picture brings me back And I’m learning that you don’t lose someone You just learn to live with what you lack [BREAKDOWN — Drums Drop, Raw Vocal + Piano] So Grandma, keep making that sweet tea Daddy, keep that old Ford running Leave that tractor in the pasture Let that old horse keep on coming And don’t move that rocking chair Let it sit exactly where it was ‘Cause that’s the closest thing we’ve got To feeling like he’s still with us [FINAL HOOK — Full Band, Violin Soaring] That house ain’t the same since you left But your memory still lives inside In Grandma’s kitchen, Daddy’s Ford And that pasture stretching wide That old tractor from 2004 Still sitting in the same old place And I swear every time the wind blows I can almost see your face That rocking chair ain’t rocking But sometimes I swear I hear it move And maybe that’s just my heart Trying to find a little piece of you Yeah, I’m still that little boy Running barefoot through that yard And losing you, Paw Paw Taught me why growing up is hard [OUTRO — Piano + Solo Violin] That house still smells the same… That porch still looks the same… That old chair still sits there… But Paw Paw… I ain’t the same. Not since you went away.