He’s about a five foot-six, full blooded Danishman.
       I guess he doesn’t stand very tall in the world of men.
And some think he’s a funny, even different sort of guy.
       But I have to tell you, he sure stands tall in my eye.
I’d like to say we’ve always gotten along but that isn’t the truth.
       There were times when I clashed with him when I was in my youth.
I remember one time when he made me sit for half an hour,
       until I managed to tie my shoes under my own little power.
It would have been so much easier for him to tie them instead,
       but he made me do it myself, no matter how I cried and pled.

You see, he had already shown me a dozen times how to tie em on my own,
       I guess he knew if he didn’t make me, he could be tying em till I was grown.
In just that one simple lesson, dad taught me I could do more than I believed.
       A simple lesson that has come back to me with everything I’ve achieved.
My mother, bless her heart, would always come to my troubled aid.
       She’d make excuses for me and try to solve the messes that I made.
But dad was different. He’d hold me accountable for the things I’d done,
       not willing to excuse them away as just a young boy having fun.
While mom tried to protect me, fighting my battles that came along,
       my dad knew I had to fight them myself so I’d learn to be strong.

My mother is extremely special to me. I love her more than I can express.
       But dad’s firmness has helped me gut through many of life’s tests.
If there is one thing I’ll remember about him until my dying day,
       it’s that no matter what happened to him, he never lost faith or turned away.
You see, no matter how hard dad tried, a lot of his dreams never came true.
       But he taught each one of us kids to stick things out until you see’em through.
During many of his darkest hours, when I would have quit and said, "Oh well!"
       I never once saw him where he didn’t get up ...one more time than he fell.
And no matter how many times I saw his dreams crumple to the floor,
       I never once saw him turn and curse and try to blame the Lord.

He’s strong in the gospel, always leading us in family prayer
       and dad would give us his last dollar without hesitation or care.
He’s kind and gentle, this little old man among men,
       who is only five foot-six now, but once stood five foot-ten.
And it won’t be long before he leaves this world for another,
       to go prepare a way for us, his family and his girlfriend, my mother.
Yeah, ...that little guy might not be much in the eyes of men,
       but I have to tell you I love that little big man more than I can pen.
Where I thought these words were meant for the man who bounced me on his knee,
       as I wipe my tears I can plainly see ...that they were actually meant for me.