Daddy She Says

Wrote this one late evening, during an impromtu outdoor concert on the farm in Oregon. I was sitting on the knoll, at the outer edge of a circle of oaks and maples, looking out over the fields, meadows, and the woods beyond, that formed a natural amphitheater. There was still the light of a sunset in the sky stretching out towards us from the coast range to the west, and the first stars were showing over the High Cascades to the east. My daughter was sitting on a blanket under a the umbrella of a huge maple, just down the slope from me. My grandmother and father had died recently. It was the end of a long summers day, and I looked at her and remembered our day, and it came to me how very precious, beautiful and ephemeral the very best in life is. Still can’t sing it very well, I still get choked up trying to work through the emotions.(I know, I’m a total sap)
Lyrics: Daddy She Says
Daddy He Said
Did you ever notice
How the stars seem to have a song of their own
Daddy he said
Did you notice how the crickets seem to sing right along
Daddy he said
I love how the water skippers
Skate across the water
So free, and light, and easy
Me too, boy, me too

Come on son lets go
And pick those berries
Lets walk in the cool of the morning
Before the sun
While we still have the time
While we still
Have the time

That was a long time ago
Down on the banks of the Sweetwater
He’s an old man now, and gone
I’ve got a little one of my own
And two are grown

Daddy she says
Did you ever notice how the stars
Seem to twinkle and dance
Daddy she says
And the crickets seem to sing
Right along
Daddy she says
Lets go for a walk
Daddy she says
Let’s take the dogs down
To the woods
Run and play, lets have some fun
Daddy she says
Lets pick some berries, just you and me
Daddy she says
Where does the sun go, when the sun goes down

Daddy she says
Where do the stars go
when the nights fade away
Daddy she says
Why did Great grandma Lu
And grandpa Ernie have to go
Didn’t they know I’d miss them so
Daddy she says
I miss them so

I don’t know babe
I just don’t know
But I think maybe
They didn’t leave at all
They’re in the same place the sun and the stars go
They’re not gone
They just shine a light somewhere
We don’t see

Little Angel I say
Let’s take that walk
Take the dogs to the woods
Lets pick those berries
Run and laugh and play
Just you and me
It’ll be all too soon
This time will be gone,
And I’ll look back and ache
At the memory of this moment

Daddy she says…
Daddy he said…
Daddy she says…
Daddy he said…
Daddy she says…