The lyrics tell a story of a day that I wish had never happened.

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On July 9, 1985, after a long battle with lymphoma, my father died. He worked in his office the night before he died. He had chest pain that night and the next morning went to the hospital. I received a call and drove three hours to get to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, I saw him in the ICU and watched him die. Images of that day were so firmly etched in my mind that fifteen years after the incident and even today, I can remember the details. I originally recorded the song in 2001
but was not happy with the recording so this summer, I redid it.

JULY 9




VERSE: FIFTEEN YEARS AGO TODAY
I WATCHED YOU SLIP AWAY
FELT LIKE I WAS IN A PLAY
HAVEN'T FELT THE SAME SINCE THAT DAY
NEVER CAN FORGET THAT FEEL
EVERYTHING WAS SO SURREAL

CHORUS: LET ME GET PAST JULY NINE
THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE
LET ME GET PAST JULY NINE
THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

VERSE: REMEMBER THE THREE HOUR DRIVE
WONDERING IF YOU WERE STILL ALIVE
IN THE ICU, I WATCHED THE BLOOD PRESSURE DROP
AND I SAW YOUR HEART STOP.
AND I REMEMBER ON THAT DAY
FELT LIKE I WAS WATCHING A PLAY

CHORUS:

VERSE: DIDN'T KNOW THAT LAST FATHER'S DAY
THAT YOU WOULD BE GOING AWAY.
ON THAT DAY, THINGS WERE SO GREAT
BUT IN JULY, DEATH WOULDN'T WAIT.
YOU WORKED THE NIGHT BEFORE
BUT NOW IT IS NEVER MORE.

CHORUS:

VERSE: SINCE THAT DAY AND THAT NIGHT
THINGS HAVE NEVER SEEMED RIGHT.
YOU LEFT US IN A LURCH
FOR ANSWERS WE STILL SEARCH
FADING SOUND OF YOUR VOICE
I KNOW YOU HAD NO CHOICE.

CHORUS: