Father Of Mine
Everclear Lyrics

Father of mine
The singer addresses his absent father.

Tell me where have you been
The singer wants to know where his father has been all this while.

You know I just closed my eyes
The singer closed his eyes for a moment, but his father's absence weighs heavily on him.

My whole world disappeared
The artist feels like his world has been turned upside down due to his father's absence.

Father of mine
The artist once again addresses his father.

Take me back to the day
The singer wants to go back in time to when he was close with his father.

When I was still your golden boy
The singer was once his father's favorite.

Back before you went away
The artist's father left him and his family, causing their relationship to fall apart.

I remember the blue skies
The artist remembers a time when he was happy and carefree.

Walking the block
The artist used to take walks with his father.

I loved it when you held me high
The singer enjoyed when his father lifted him up.

I loved to hear you talk
The artist enjoyed listening to his father speak.

You would take me to the movie
The singer's father used to take him to the movies.

You would take me to the beach
The singer's father used to take him to the beach.

You would take me to a place inside
The singer's father knew how to make his son feel happy and safe.

That is so hard to reach
However, that feeling of happiness and safety is no longer attainable.

Father of mine
The artist addresses his father yet again.

Tell me where did you go
The singer wants to know why his father left him and his family.

You had the world inside your hand
The singer's father had many opportunities in his life.

But you did not seem to know
However, he did not make the most of these opportunities.

Tell me what do you see
The artist wants to know how his father reflects on his own life.

When you look back at your wasted life
The artist's father may see his life as unsuccessful or misspent.

And you don't see me
The singer's father does not acknowledge the impact of his absence on his son's life.

I was ten years old
The artist recalls a specific moment in his childhood.

Doing all that I could
The singer was trying his best during this time.

It was not easy for me
The singer faced challenges during his childhood.

To be a scared white boy
The singer felt out of place due to his race.

In a black neighborhood
The artist lived in an area with a different racial makeup than his own.

Sometimes you would send me a birthday card
The artist's father would occasionally acknowledge his birthday.

With a five dollar bill
The singer's father would include a small amount of money as a gift.

I never understood you then
The singer did not comprehend his father's actions at this time.

And I guess I never will
The artist has come to terms with the fact that he may never fully understand his father's choices.

Daddy gave me a name
The artist's father named him.

My dad he gave me a name
The artist refers to his father as his 'dad.'

Then he walked away
However, his father left soon after he was born.

Tell me how do you sleep
The artist confronts his father about his actions.

With the children you abandoned
The singer emphasizes how his father left him and other children behind.

And the wife I saw you beat
The singer witnessed his father's abusive behavior toward his mother.

I will never be safe
The singer does not feel secure after the trauma he has experienced.

I will never be sane
The artist's past experiences have affected his mental health.

I will always be weird inside
The artist feels different from others after his childhood experiences.

I will always be lame
The singer feels inadequate due to his father's absence.

Now I'm a grown man
The singer has since grown up.

With a child of my own
He has a child of his own now.

And I swear I'm not going to let her know
The artist will make sure his own child does not experience what he did.

All the pain I have known
The artist reflects on his own pain and trauma.

Daddy gave me a name
Once again, the singer refers to his father having named him.

My dad gave me a name
He also calls his father his 'dad.'

Then he walked away
The song ends with a repetition of the line about his father's abandonment.