I Wasn'T There

I wasn’t there when she was small To see her scrape her knee Or ride her bike around the block Or scramble up a tree Or listen all about her day And what she did at school How Lisa was her new best friend But all the boys were fools I wasn’t there when bedtime came And nightmares made her weep To hold her in my arms until She drifted off to sleep And when she reached that awkward age I wasn’t there to say You’re beautiful my little girl You’ll realize that some day And when she had her first real date I wasn’t there back then To give her boy my sternest look And growl “be home by ten” But I’m here now to be the dad I couldn’t be before To tell her what she means to me I couldn’t love her more How proud I am of how she’s grown Through hurts and fears and lows How smart and charming she’s become Her fiery passionate soul I can’t make up the time I’ve missed Those years we were apart But now and even when I’m gone She’ll have her father’s heart