Daddy Was A Badass
Jesse Dayton Lyrics

Daddy was a badass, oil field white trash, never took nobody's lip
My father was a tough and confident man who worked in the oil fields and wouldn't let anyone disrespect him.

He was a honky tonk dancer and even beat cancer, 40 years smokin' just quit
My father, besides being a hard worker, was also a great dancer and had beaten cancer in addition to smoking for 40 years before finally quitting.

He had Korean pin-up black ink tattooed forearms from the war
My father had tattoos on his forearms that he got during his time serving in the Korean War.

He won a purple heart medal, but never heard him peddle, the killin' he did with the Corps
My father earned a Purple Heart for his bravery during wartime, but he never boasted about the people he killed while serving in the military.

So they shipped him on home, his mind all blown, and nightmares about his past
After he finished serving in the military, my father was sent back home to Texas with a troubled mind and nightmares about what he had experienced.

Well it's a dang good thing, Mama met Daddy, cuz Daddy was a badass
Luckily, my mother met and fell in love with my father because he was a strong and capable person.

He met Mama on the dance floor in deep East Texas, she was the bell of the ball
My parents met while dancing in East Texas, and my mother was considered the most beautiful woman there.

He had a oil baron's son givin' him a run for her hand in marriage to call
Another man who was the son of a wealthy oil baron was trying to win my mother's hand in marriage as well.

So he took the rich kid to the back of the bar, threatened him with his life
My father, being protective of my mother, took the wealthy man to a corner of the bar and threatened him with violence if he didn't stay away from her.

Said hey little girl your date had to leave, now you're gonna be my wife
My father told my mother that her other date had to leave and that he was going to be the one to marry her.

I guess his country charm turned her on cuz 50 years has past
My father was able to win my mother over with his charm, and they have now been married for 50 years.

Well Daddy made it out of the drillin' rig patch and gamblin' paid for his school
My father was able to escape working in the oil fields by gambling and using his winnings to pay for his education.

The University of Texas sure got reckless, livin' on 8 ball pool
My father went to the University of Texas and had a wild time, spending most of his time playing pool.

He had back room all night poker games, a pistol by a rotary phone
My father hosted poker games in the back of his establishment and kept a gun by his rotary phone for protection.

He was a hot-tip handicapper on football, never took a student loan
My father was an expert in predicting the outcome of football games and never needed to take a student loan to pay for his education.

So he passed with honors by sellin' numbers to everybody in his class
My father graduated with honors by selling his expertise in picking football winners to his classmates.

Then he drove back home to ol' East Texas....well, you know what he was
After graduating, my father returned home to East Texas and resumed his former lifestyle.

So they had us kids and he built us a house and he started his company
Eventually, my parents had children and my father built us a home while also starting his own business.

He made drillin' bits for the oil rigs and made a truck-load of money
My father's business involved making drill bits for use in the oil industry, which made him a lot of money.

Hired all my uncles and the good ol' boys from back in his rough neck days
My father employed my uncles and their friends who had also worked in the oil fields with him.

Til his shop burned down lost everything he had and they went their separate ways
Unfortunately, my father's shop burned down, causing him to lose everything he had and to make his employees seek new employment elsewhere.

Well he flew to Vegas, he borrowed 5 grand and he put it on the red and black
My father went to Las Vegas and borrowed $5,000 which he bet on roulette on the colors red and black.

He made 200 g's, he got the business back
Fortunately, my father won $200,000 on his bet and was able to reopen his business.

Daddy retired, sold the business the kids are grown and gone
My father eventually retired and sold his business once my siblings and I had grown up and moved out.

He said woman I just can't sit around here ya know I got to keep bringin' it on
However, my father couldn't stay idle and needed to keep doing something to stay active.

Climbed on his 1963 Pan Head Harley Davidson
My father rode his 1963 Pan Head Harley Davidson, a prized possession of his, to stay active.

And rode it wide open to the end of the world, off a cliff and into the sun
He rode his motorcycle as far and as hard as he could, eventually to a point where he went off a cliff and passed away.

Well at his funeral, Mama was cryin' sayin' that's the way he should've passed
At his funeral, my mother cried but was also happy that he had passed the way he would have wanted to.

In a blaze of glory, just done with the world, cuz Daddy was a badass
My father passed away on his own terms, feeling satisfied with his life and the legacy he had left behind.