Daddy's Hands

• By: Holly Dunn

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the terminal part of the arm, from the wrist to the end of the fingers
remember /rɪˈmem.bər/ A1	verb - to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind
prayer /preər/ B1	noun - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity.
reach /riːtʃ/ A2	verb - to stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something.
hold /hoʊld/ A1	verb - to grasp, carry, or support with one's hands
nightmare /ˈnaɪt.mer/ B1	noun - a very upsetting or frightening dream
read /riːd/ A1	verb - to look at and understand the meaning of written or printed matter
story /ˈstɔː.ri/ A1	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
lines /laɪnz/ A2	noun - a long, narrow mark or band
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. verb - be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result.
worry /ˈwɜː.ri/ B1	noun - the state of being anxious and troubled about actual or potential problems. verb - give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
mark /mɑːrk/ B1	noun - a visible impression on a surface
tight /taɪt/ B1	adjective - fixed firmly in place; difficult to move, open, or separate.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
soft /sɔːft/ A2	adjective - easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch.
kind /kaɪnd/ A2	adjective - having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature.
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - solid, firm, and rigid; not easily broken, bent, or pierced.
steel /stiːl/ B1	noun - a hard, strong, gray or bluish-gray alloy of iron with carbon and usually other elements, used extensively as a structural and fabricating material.
wrong /rɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect.
gentle /ˈdʒentl/ B1	adjective - having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character.
bled /bled/ B1	verb - past tense of bleed: lose blood from the body
sacrificed /ˈsæk.rɪ.faɪst/ B2	verb - past tense of sacrifice: give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations.
granted /ˈɡræn.tɪd/ B2	verb - past tense of grant: agree to give or allow (something requested) to (someone).

Grammar:

• I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer

  ➔ Past Simple with 'remember' + past participle as adjective.

  ➔ Here, "folded" acts as an adjective describing "daddy's hands". "I remember" signifies a past action. The hands were not actively folding; they were in a folded state.

• You could read quite a story in the caluses and lines

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for possibility/ability in the past.

  ➔ "Could read" indicates that it was possible to infer a story based on the father's hands. It suggests an ability or opportunity that existed in the past.

• Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense.

  ➔ "Had left" indicates an action that was completed before a point in the past. The years of work and worry left their marks before the time the speaker is remembering.

• There are things that I've forgotten that I loved about the man

  ➔ Present Perfect ('I've forgotten') + Relative Clause ('that I loved').

  ➔ "I've forgotten" signifies an action completed at an unspecified time before now, or a state that continues from the past to the present. "That I loved" is a relative clause modifying "things".

• Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

  ➔ Past Simple tense with the conjunction 'when' to describe a time-related condition.

  ➔ The phrase describes what daddy's hands were like (soft and kind) during a specific time (when the speaker was crying).

• Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

  ➔ Past Simple with Past Perfect ('I'd done') and Simile ('hard as steel').

  ➔ "I'd done wrong" (past perfect) describes an action that happened *before* daddy's hands became hard. "Hard as steel" is a simile, comparing the hands to steel to emphasize their firmness.

• Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand

  ➔ Past Simple (weren't) + Present Perfect ('I've come to understand') indicating a change in understanding over time.

  ➔ "Weren't" describes a past state that is now being re-evaluated. "I've come to understand" shows that the speaker's understanding has evolved since that past state.

• Sacrificed unselfishly just to keep us all fed

  ➔ Past Simple (implied - he 'sacrificed') with infinitive of purpose ('to keep').

  ➔ "To keep" expresses the purpose of the sacrifice. The infinitive phrase explains why the father sacrificed.

• If I could do things over, I'd live my life again

  ➔ Second Conditional ('If' clause with Past Simple, main clause with 'would' + base form of the verb).

  ➔ This sentence expresses a hypothetical situation and its consequence. It indicates that the speaker is reflecting on the past and considering what she would do differently.