my father taught me to listen
to look people right in their eyes
to try your hardest to know what they’re saying
in spite of their words or their lies
my father taught me to work
that a full day grants a good rest
to mean to do well when doing one’s job
to concentrate on doing one’s best
my father taught me to care for my wife
by the way that he cares for his own
she’s his most prized asset
his most wonderful joy
he knows that he’s got her on loan
my father taught me to do things on purpose
to plan and to mean to make good
to draw out and measure and measure again
get the most of one piece of wood
and my father taught me when i don’t do all this
to get up and try it again
and since my god goes with me that my life is bigger
than all of the sum of my sin