Country demo
pop
rock
songwriter
country
songwriting
christian contemporary
Story behind the song
I was scheduled to play in an outdoor concert for the Classical Guitar Society in Centerville, Ohio. I had only recently started playing halfway decently, and I was nervous about playing in front of all these top-notch players - so I covered by writing a song to honor them, since most of them don't sing. The 1940 Gibson archtop reference, by the way, is legitimate - a good friend of mine is an expert, and there were a few trial models produced and sold (a bit of trivia).
Lyrics
When Daddy Played Guitar
(Jim Melko)
A 1940 Gibson, an archtop cutaway
Daddy worked hard to buy that guitar, then he taught himself to play
He used it to court Mama on sultry summer nights
The moonlight and those gentle sounds made stars in Mama's eyes
CHORUS
Nobody played guitar like Daddy did
No words could ever say what Daddy said
His voice was silent, but he spoke straight from the heart
When Daddy played guitar
I remember evenings as a child when all the work was done
The sunset spilled across the sky while Daddy softly strummed
Mama sat beside him and the years would melt away
The girl was dancing in her eyes to the love songs that he played
REPEAT CHORUS
I won't forget the night
When Mama passed away
She held my hand and closed her eyes
And we listened to Daddy play
INTERLUDE
Daddy finally left us a little at a time
Day by day another name would slip right from his mind
But then one night I heard the notes ao gentle, sweet and strong
Tears filled my eyes when I realized it was Mama's favorite song
REPEAT CHORUS
© 1994 Pretty Pony Music