Oh, precious boy. You walk so alone

Blistering your feet ′til they're cut to the bone

Oh, young man. You never seem to speakWhen you do your voice is always weak

You once told me about grandad′s charm

His fun always involved some harm

If I could go back and be there I would

Stand in the place your mother stood

I would never have let him spend months away

I would've fetched you from school everyday

You wouldn't have had to hide your cry

And I wouldn′t have let the garden die

Oh, happy thing. You′ve found a place that's yours

Candles and ink behind your doors

In your nightstand you hid jelly beans for all the nights you′d have bad dreams

But if I was your mother I would've made sure

Wouldn′t have forced you to endure isolation every night

I would've held you close and tight

Oh, sweet soul. You′d just figured out

Yourself and what life's about

I'm sorry he forced you all away

I know how much you wanted to stay

But then you would′ve found some other one and there wouldn′t have been me or Matt or mum

But I still think had I been there, I would've taken a bit more care

I asked you where you′re sister'd gone

She′d left when things had gone too wrong

You mention'd that when I laugh or speak, we both have bumps in our cheek

So now in my face all you see, is your lost sister smiling through me

I share her name and through me you′ve found closure for a friend who's no longer around

And it's knowing all this, that made the fights so much worse

They say it′s just a dad daughter thing

No ones words cut quite like yours do

It a complicated thought I′ve fought

But you're my glue and possibly the only man I′ll ever say I love you to

They say it's just a dad daughter thing

Its leaving drawings beside my bed with a cup of tea

Its how being skinny is the only way to make you proud of me

They say it′s just a dad daughter thing

Its all my favourite music coming from you

Its feeling more loved at 12 than at 22

Its sweets wrapped in the Sunday news. You read the papers of 2004

And I sit watching not needing anything more

It's just a dad daughter thing

Every time a man shouts, its your voice that I hear

Every first bloom of Jasmine, it′s your hand putting it behind my ear

You gave me the book that read, "Some women aren't meant to be daughters

And I'm not sure if you meant for me to read that but it cleaned me of my guilty waters

There was a time when we forgot how to say the simple things

And historical debate was the only way we could relate

A ′How are you today?′ lead to things that were too confusing for you at any rate

You didn't have to understand women before me

A wife is one thing but a daughter was a different entity

But I misunderstood you too

I misjudged how much you were willing to do

How much you′d work to see me through

And for that I will always defend you

When I'd gone adrift you swam to my raft and pulled me ashore

Healed my scars and said this is what fathers are for

I′m so proud to be yours

One minute bandaging the scratch over broken roller skates, the next waving goodbye at airport gates

As your figure gets smaller and you mouth goodbye

I turn away to finally cry

You do the same once you've closed the car door

This is what father′s are for