Maybe I'm traditional, my father's world is gone Women have been seen as less, for far too damn long As a boy I was raised to be depended on, weakness was expected to meet with staying strong I clocked in when the sun was low, and stayed 'til the job was done Didn’t chase the spotlight, just made sure the gears would run Built my name for myself, not other’s titles or demands I showed up when it mattered most —that’s how I understand It takes a lot to be the measure of a man It's not about how tall you are or whether you can't or can Just look to those around you, back to where you began For they can see if you are the measure of a man I’ve held her hand through the years, through silence and through song She knows I’ll stand beside her, even when the nights are long It’s not just vows or wedding bands, it’s showing up each day To love her in the little things, in every word I say It takes a lot to be the measure of a man It's not about how tall you are or whether you can't or can Just look to those around you, back to where you began For they can see if you are the measure of a man I’ve taught my kids to chase the truth, not take the easy win To own their faults, to lift the weak, and start where grace begins I’ve tried to be the kind of man they’ll one day understand Not perfect, but the kind who stays, who listens before commands It takes a lot to be the measure of a man It's not about how tall you are or whether you can't or can Just look to those around you, back to where you began For they can see if you are the measure of a man So when the mirror asks you who you’ve been and where you stand I hope you see a life well-lived, beyond your master plan The hardest test ain’t from the world, it’s looking back again At how you did and who you loved as the measure of a man
