Daddy's Hands – English Lyrics

• By: Holly Dunn

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the touching tribute to fatherhood with Holly Dunn's "Daddy's Hands." This classic country song beautifully illustrates the multifaceted love of a father, as seen through the eyes of his daughter. Discover the vocabulary of familial affection and the heartfelt expressions that made this song a lasting tribute to fathers everywhere.

[English]

I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer

And reachin' out to hold me when I had a nightmare

You could read quite a story in the caluses and lines

Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember daddy's hands how they held my momma tight

And patted my back for somethin' done right

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

But I'll always remember the love in daddy's hands

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

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

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

There was always love in daddy's hands

...

I remember daddy's hands workin' 'til they bled

Sacrificed unselfishly just to keep us all fed

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

And never take for granted the love in daddy's hands

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

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

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

There was always love in daddy's hands

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

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

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

There was always love in daddy's hands

...

Key Vocabulary

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).

Key Grammar Structures

• 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.