I left my phone in the other room, Didn't feel like getting up. Sat there staring through the window, With my half-forgotten cup. October fog was settling in, The world was quiet and still, And suddenly I saw my daddy Coming down that grassy hill. Three dried cornstalks in his arms, And a Chevy LUV out front, A couple bales of golden hay, And pumpkins in the trunk. I'd asked him for some decorations, Like I'd done each fall before, And Daddy never questioned why, He just brought a little more. Three cornstalks and a Chevy LUV, A daddy's heart and a daughter's love. He couldn't walk like he used to do, But he still had promises to see through. And I watched him struggle down that hill, Lord, I can see him standing still. Three cornstalks and a Chevy LUV, And all the things I didn't know were love. He said he'd never broken bones, Though he'd fallen now and then. "I learned to roll when I go down," He'd laugh and grin again. Those dimples would come shining through, Like sunshine after rain, But watching him that afternoon, I wished I'd spared him pain. He chose the grass instead of steps, Though the hill was steep and small. I held my breath behind the glass, Afraid that he might fall. He'd make that trip, then turn around, And head back to his truck, For one more bale, one more pumpkin, One more little act of love. Three cornstalks and a Chevy LUV, A daddy's heart and a daughter's love. He couldn't walk like he used to do, But he still had promises to see through. And I watched him struggle down that hill, Lord, I can see him standing still. Three cornstalks and a Chevy LUV, And all the things I didn't know were love. I wonder if I thanked him enough, Or saw what it cost him to give. He was trying to be the man he'd been, While I was busy trying to live. Now I know how hard it can be To do what once came easily. And sometimes I wonder if my children Will remember things like these. Three cornstalks and a Chevy LUV, A lifetime filled with quiet love. No fancy gifts, no grand goodbye, Just my daddy beneath an October sky. And if I could have one autumn day, I'd meet him halfway along the way. Take those cornstalks from his hands, And tell him what I understand. The phone was ringing in the other room, But I just let it be. 'Cause no little screen could ever hold What Daddy left with me. Three cornstalks... And a Chevy LUV.
