Meece often incorporates classical piano works into his songs. "This Time" (from LEARNING TO TRUST) borrows its opening section, bridge and ending tag from Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude" (Op. 10, No. 12) in C minor. Similarly, the introductory melody for "You Can Go" (from the album 7) is taken from Bach's Two-Part Invention No. 13 in A Minor (BWV 784) and "Falling Down" (from COUNT THE COST) has its basis in a sonata by Mozart.
His song "We Are the Reason" has been recorded by over 200 other artists and CHRONOLOGY's "Seventy-Times-Seven" peaked at No. 77 in Australia's Top 100 chart. David worked with Canadian Juno Award winner Gino Vannelli for his albums CHRONOLOGY and CANDLE IN THE RAIN.
David and his wife currently live in Franklin, Tennessee.
My Father's Chair
David Meece Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Longing inside for my father's embrace
Sometimes at night I'd wander downstairs
And pray he'd returned, but no one was there.
Oh, how I'd cry, a child all alone
Waiting for him to come home.
Chorus:
My father's chair, sat in an empty room
My father's chair through all the years
And all the tears I cried in vain
No one was there in my father's chair.
Sometimes at night I sit all alone
Drifting asleep in a chair of my own
When sweet sleepy eyes peer down from the hall
Frightened by dreams they cannot recall
I hold them close, calming their fears
Chorus:
My father's chair sits in a loving room
My father's chair, no matter what I do
My father's chair, through all the years
And all the tears I need not fear
Love's always there in my father's chair.
Sometimes at night I dream of a throne
Of my loving God, calling me home
And as I appear, He rises and smiles
And reaches with love to welcome His child
Never to cry, never to fear
In His arms, safe and secure.
Chorus:
My Father's chair sits in a royal room
My Father's chair holds glory beyond the tomb
My Father's chair, my God is there
And I am His eternal heir
Someday I'll share my Father's chair.
David Meece's song "My Father's Chair" is a poignant reflection on loss, grief, and the power of love. The song's opening verses describe the singer's deep-seated longing for his absent father's presence, particularly at night when he feels most alone. The line "sometimes at night I'd lie awake longing inside for my father's embrace" captures this feeling beautifully - the child's sense of emptiness and yearning for connection with someone he loves but who is not there to comfort him. Similarly, the image of the father's chair sat in an empty room, covered with "sheets of gloom", speaks to the singer's grief and sense of absence.
As the song progresses, we see the singer's relationship with his own children mirrored against the background of his own losses. He describes holding his own children close when they are frightened, reminding us that he has found love and meaning even in the midst of his grief. The chorus takes on a new meaning as the song reaches its conclusion, with the singer's father's chair now transformed from a symbol of loss to one of love and hope. The throne he dreams of at the end of the song - representing his connection to a loving, eternal God - promises safety, security, and healing in the face of all loss.
In sum, "My Father's Chair" is a powerful exploration of themes that are universal to the human experience: love, loss, grief, and the faith that sustains us in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes at night I'd lie awake
There were times when I would stay up all night.
Longing inside for my father's embrace
Feeling a deep desire for my father's hug.
Sometimes at night I'd wander downstairs
Occasionally, I would go downstairs in the middle of the night.
And pray he'd returned, but no one was there.
I would hope that my dad had come home, but he wasn't there.
Oh, how I'd cry, a child all alone
I would sob uncontrollably as a lonely child.
Waiting for him to come home.
I was eagerly anticipating my dad's return.
My father's chair, sat in an empty room
My dad's chair was in an unoccupied space.
My father's chair, covered with sheets of gloom
The chair was drapped with gloomy coverings.
My father's chair through all the years
My dad's chair remained in the same spot for many years.
And all the tears I cried in vain
All of the tears I cried were for naught.
No one was there in my father's chair.
My dad's chair remained empty and unused.
Sometimes at night I sit all alone
I still find myself sitting alone in the dark at times.
Drifting asleep in a chair of my own
Falling asleep while sitting in one of my own chairs.
When sweet sleepy eyes peer down from the hall
Children's tired eyes look down at me from the hallway.
Frightened by dreams they cannot recall
The kids are scared by dreams they can't remember.
I hold them close, calming their fears
I embrace them tightly to help them overcome their fears.
My father's chair sits in a loving room
My dad's chair is now in a room where love abounds.
My father's chair, no matter what I do
No matter what happens, my dad's chair remains constant.
And all the tears I need not fear
I don't have to worry about crying because love is present.
Love's always there in my father's chair.
My dad's chair represents love that is always present.
Sometimes at night I dream of a throne
I have dreams about sitting on a throne.
Of my loving God, calling me home
The throne is being called by my loving God to come home.
And as I appear, He rises and smiles
When I arrive, God stands and smiles at me.
And reaches with love to welcome His child
God embraces me with love as His child.
Never to cry, never to fear
I won't ever need to cry or be afraid.
In His arms, safe and secure.
I am safely and securely held in God's embrace.
My Father's chair sits in a royal room
My heavenly Father's chair is in a regal space.
My Father's chair holds glory beyond the tomb
The Father's chair represents a glorious afterlife.
My Father's chair, my God is there
My God is seated in my Father's chair.
And I am His eternal heir
I am God's heir forever.
Someday I'll share my Father's chair.
One day, I will share my Father's chair with my God.
Writer(s): Dwight Liles, David Meece
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.