Dad's Clothes

My dad, he had his problems Bottled up emotions Had him reaching for the bottle Depression had his claws inside him Hard to break the throttle Prescriptions get addictive If they drift you to tomorrow Money short, he loaned it But it's time that felt borrowed Doubts about the man I am And men I had to follow Wonder if I'm destined just the same To end in sorrow A line of men All made hollow Saw my dad in tears you know The feeling hard to swallow My dad, he found it Hard to cope My mum, she really tried But over time she lost hope So after close to twenty years The marriage broke Now every time I visit Got to go to two homes Close my eyes and see it When my dad was at his weakest When they ask why I don't drink I guess this one of the reasons Boys need a role model Of a man And I wonder if that's Something I had, back when I was just a Young lad Trying to grow into a man Hoping one day I can grow Into my dad's clothes, I Dunno if his coat Will ever fit me But I try it every time When I go back home, I Hope I grow Into my dad's clothes, I Wanna grow Into my dad's clothes, I Try to grow Into my dad's clothes, I Wonder if I'll grow Into my dad's clothes My dad's dad, he had his problems Bottled up emotions Had him reaching for the bottles When he got mad, he beat my nan And held her throttled Ran a pub in white forgotten land And never won the lotto Kids learnt the hard way Never molly coddled Moved across from Ireland But didn't like the immigrants Or not the ones with brown skin Who looked a little different Wonder if he saw me back When I was young and innocent If he'd have changed opinion Or kept it to the bitter end The bitter end He beat my nan so bad The social service had to interject Took the family away from him My dad was round eighteen by then The first one to get a place in uni Till they return My dad opens the door His father's on the floor Rushes to his side But he ain't breathing any more Smoking and the drinking Had his heart a little shifty And he died of heart attack Before fifty, when my dad was a Young lad Trying to grow into a man Hoping one day he could grow Into his dad's clothes, he Dunno if his coat Will ever fit him But he tries it every time When he goes back home, he Hope he grows Into his dad's clothes, he Wanna grow Into his dad's clothes, he Tried to grow Into his dad's clothes, he Wondered if he'll grow Into his dad's clothes Yeah my dad, he had his problems We talk about them often But he did some things for me That I've never forgotten Telling stories to Make me laugh or help me sleep Football on a Sunday And my dad was referee My friends they loved him Always said that he's the best Christmas at my school He was Santa in fancy dress Made my first CD of raps He was the first one to spin it In his car like 'that's my son man, listen!' When his dad died, he stayed behind To help his mum Went to uni later on After they worked and kept the pub Never raised a hand, my dad He had a softer touch Always told us he was proud We were all he could ever want Me and my brother Got a mad amount of love If I become a dad I'll try to do it how he done Now he's years sober Couldn't be a prouder son Role model of a man I think I've always had me one Young lad Trying to grow into a man Hoping one day I can grow Into my dad's clothes, I Dunno if his coat Will ever fit me But I try it every time When I go back home, I Hope I grow Into my dad's clothes, I Wanna grow Into my dad's clothes, I Try to grow Into my dad's clothes, I Wonder if I'll grow Into my dad's clothes