[Style: Minimalist acoustic folk, soft fingerpicked guitar, single female voice] [Performance: Quiet conversational delivery, steady natural pacing, dry mix] [Verse 1] He is a common man in a plain house on a quiet road, with a wife and three kids and no need to ask for more. He has a normal job and makes average pay with some extra duties to put food on our plates. New Balance by the back door, grass stains on the soles from catching pitches after supper in the yard that he just mowed. Saturday before the butt crack of dawn he's off to further his degree and make it back in time to load the gear, head to the field, and be coach for the team. Sunday at the church, he fills a role or two, teaches us to love the Lord, just like plain ol’ people do. He tells the worst kind of dad jokes and chuckles when we groan, singing wrong words louder than the right ones to the song. [Chorus] Just a common man with common steady hands, keeping his word and doing what he can. Just a common man with a common steady way, nothing much to prove and not a lot to say. [Verse 2] He didn’t call 'em "Dad Lessons", they were just normal life. Like measure twice and seek advice, learn to do things right. You Fix the thing, don't make a scene, leave it better than it’s been. When you fail the first time, just change it up and try again. He assumes a person worthy, till they show him otherwise. Lets folks hold their dignity, even when he knows they are not right. He shoulders things that leave a mark but never passed them down. When other men might split in half, he grumbles and carries on. He pours out grace like water, without watering down the truth. Never had to lift his voice or hand to prove he holds the room. He also never lets you win just so you feel good. He knows easy doesn’t teach the lesson that it should. [pre-chorus] he is the kind of dad I thought all dads would be. Seems obvious even to a kid, that’s the kind of dad kids need. [Chorus] Just a common man with common steady hands, keeping his word and doing what he can. Just a common man with a common steady way, nothing much to prove and not a lot to say. [Bridge] Just a common dad, or so it seemed to me. The kind of good you live inside before you learn to see. It’s hard to know the gift you've got when it’s all you’ve ever had. You just call it ordinary, yeah, that’s just my dad. [Verse 3] Outside of that shelter, I noticed something strange. The world seemed a little twisted in an uncommon way. Men had trouble standing steady ’cause their edges weren’t square, and the character I thought was normal was a suit some men would wear. There are common men that call it wisdom when they only mean control. And common strength goes missing when the weight gets hard to hold. So he's still the first call I make when the lines look wrong and I don’t trust where I stand, just to hold the whole thing up against the level of his hands. [Pre Chorus] Turns out what I was given was more than most folks had. He’s a long way off from common, yeah, that’s my dad. [Final Chorus / Outro] He is an un-common man with uncommonly steady hands, always keeps his word and always does what he can. He’s got nothing to prove and not a lot to say. He’s an un-common man with uncommonly steady ways. That un-common man. Yeah, that’s my dad. [end]
