Pretty Good Life
Dustin Bentall & The Smokes Lyrics

He was not the kind of man
He was not the type of man who would show affection by holding hands or being physically affectionate.

that would walk you to school hand in hand
He was not the type of man to walk his child to school holding hands due to his personality and characteristics.

he was hard work leathered and tan
He had rough skin and had spent a lot of time working outside, and was a hardworking man in general.

and he spoke with a throat full of sand
He had a rough voice, possibly from smoking or working outside in dusty conditions.

me I'd hang on every word you never know
Despite his exterior, the artist (presumably the son) paid close attention to his father's words, understanding the importance of learning from him.

what you might learn
The son acknowledges that there is always something to learn from his father, even if his advice is not always explicit.

Son, don't let your horseshoes point down
The father is advising his son to stay positive and keep moving forward in life, rather than letting himself become downtrodden.

never put a blade in the ground
The father is warning his son to not engage in violence and to avoid conflict whenever possible.

always look a man right square in the eye
The father is telling his son to be confident and assertive, to not shy away from confrontation and to look others in the eye so they know he is in control.

don't let the good life pass you by
The father is telling his son to appreciate the good things in life and not take them for granted.

any little problem of mine
The singer is reminiscing about how his father would always dismiss his minor issues and reassure him that they were nothing to worry about.

he'd spit and say boy you'll be fine
The father's reaction to his son's problems was to casually dismiss them, reiterating that everything would turn out alright.

he knew that there'd come a time
The father was aware that at some point his son would face more significant problems and required more substantial solutions.

when I'd find real mountains to climb
The singer (son) anticipates facing bigger, tougher challenges than the small problems he had as a child.

life can be cruel to us all
Amidst his father's positive outlook, the son acknowledges that life can be harsh and unkind to everyone.

sooner or later we fall
The son understands that people will inevitably face setbacks or failures during their lives.

I only ever once saw him cry
The artist is recalling the only time he ever saw his father cry.

the day that his own mother died
The father cried due to the death of his own mother.

just one tear in the corner of his eye
Even though he was crying, the father did so in a quiet, reserved manner, shedding just one tear.

then he smiled and said, softly, goodbye
The father quickly composed himself and acted as a source of comfort to others during his time of grief.

Me I've got two of my own
The son has two children of his own, whom he presumably wants to raise as his father raised him.

and a love that is solid as stone
The son has a strong love for his own family that is unwavering and steadfast, similar to his father's love for him.

Son, don't let your horseshoes point down
The father repeats his message to his son, reminding him to always stay positive and look toward the future.

never put a blade in the ground
The father reiterates his warning to his son to avoid violence whenever possible.

always look a man right square in the eye
The father repeats his advice to his son on how to be confident and assertive in life.

don't let the good life pass you by
The father again tells his son to appreciate the good things in his life and be mindful of their value.