Story Behind The Song

My father's life and death. He was my best friend. When I graduated from high school I was sent to Viet Nam, which worried him. He and my mother got divorced while I was there. Because of the "Sullivan Act" he quit his job and joined the military since two people from the same family did not have to serve in combat at the same time. Hard headed, we both ended up in combat at the same time. He served 2 tours; I did 3. We both got out and went about our lives but he had been exposed to agent orange numerous times. He got cancer from it (according to the VA) and he died at the age of 57. It broke my heart.

Song Description

A good father raises his family, gets divorced, goes to war with his son. Both make it through the war but the father has cancer from chemicals used to defoliate the jungle and dies of cancer.

Lyrics

?The Hardest Thing I?ve Had To Do? (Is Watch My Daddy Die) .............by Jim Miller Copyright 2005


He wasn?t handsome to everyone nor the smartest guy they knew
But to me he was Robin Hood and the Lone Ranger too
He fixed my every problem with the wisdom of Sol
But I guess his own problems weren?t as easy to resolve

When I was just a little boy he gave me a wonderful gift
He told me funny stories and taught me how to laugh
His humor I kept with me, when things got rough or bleak
I?d think of one of his stories and a smile would touch my cheek

At night he?d hug and kiss me and give me horsey rides
I knew he was awful tired, but he didn?t seem to mind
He?d tell me funny stories of when he was a child,
Some were so damned funny, they?d make our ole dog smile.

He taught me how to pan for gold, and how to camp and fish
He was the best companion, that a boy would ever wish
He taught me how to catch, and how to bat the ball
Twenty years my senior, didn?t mind playing with me at all.

He left at three in the morning, and drove a truck all day
At night he?d come home tired, but he?d take some time to play
We?d spend our weekends camping, and he?d rest a little then,
Come Monday he?d start all over, and do it all again

At night he?d hug and kiss me and give me horsey rides
I knew he was awful tired, but he didn?t seem to min
He?d tell me funny stories about when he was a child,
Some were so damned funny, they?d make our ole dog smile.

When he was thirty-two we moved to Oregon
He bought us forty acres and thought he?d try to farm
But the berries wouldn?t grow and he couldn?t make a buck,
So back he went to what he knew, driving a damned old truck

When I graduated from high school, I was sent off to the war
My job was building bridges (which I?d never done before)
When I came back home on leave, I learned that mom and dad
Weren?t living together anymore, things were pretty bad

There weren?t no hugs and kisses, no more horsey rides
He was looking mighty tired, and he?d been doing lots of cryin?
He didn?t tell stories about when he was a child,
He was only thirty eight or nine but he?d lost his boyish smile.


He told me that he?d learned, that if he went to the war
Only one of us had to be there, and I wouldn?t have to go anymore
I thanked him for his kindness, but assured him I was fine
But he went and joined up anyway, to take my place in line

We both ended up over there, in the burning jungle hell
I had my reasons for staying, he had his as well
We thought that we were lucky, to both come back alive
But the chemicals he?d been breathing were going to make him die

At night he?d call me on the phone and talk to me with pride
Of the life he was living, with a new wife at his side
He?d tell me funny stories, about when he was a child,
Like the one?s he use to tell me, that made our ole dog smile.

A few years passed by us, and his back began to ache
He thought it was from years of driving trucks, of every brand and
make
But the morning came when he could not walk, nor could he bear
to stand
The war had caught up with him, and was going to take another
man

For three months I stayed beside him, as often as I could,
He was weak and awful tired, and he wasn?t looking good,
He was only fifty seven, when he gave up the fight
The hardest thing I?ve had to do was watch my daddy die

At night my daddy hugs me, and talks to me as I sleep
The tears well up in my eyes, but he tells me not to weep
Of all the things I?ve done so far, as I?ve traveled through this life,
The hardest thing I?ve had to do, was watch my daddy die

Some day he?ll hug and kiss me, and give me horsey rides
We?ll spend our time in heaven with our ol? dog at our side
He?ll tell me funny stories about when he was a lad,
Some so doggone funny, they?ll make our ole dog laugh.