Story Behind The Song

This is a song about the man who made me what I am today.

Lyrics

My daddy never was short of words
And you knew you better move when you heard him curse
He could warm my heart with his favorite song
and he was already workin' at the crack of dawn

He'd look straight in the eyes of men twice his size
and he would never ever back down
He felt well dressed with his coveralls pressed
And he knew every soul in town
Now he was never mean, but if you got in his way
You better know how to take your stand
He was tougher than steal but he knew how to heal
He was a genuine blue collar man

For his morning caffeine he tapped a vending machine
for some Joe that could quicken the dead
If he knew what I paid for a Starbuck's latte
He'd slap me upside my head
He wasn't much on glamour but when he swung a hammer
The world was comin' to an end
And instead of bench presses
He was pulling wrenches
This rock hard blue collar man

Chorus
O I hear his voice when I want to give up
"Keep your nose to the grindstone boy"
I wear corporate chains but I got oil in my veins
I am proud to be the son of a blue-collar man

Now for eighteen years I watched as he was workin'
It was an honor just to be at his side
I still remember his ways, he laughed all of his days and
he took everything in stride
He used a cutting torch like a scalpel, he was an artist with a burning flame
Ask any man around the best mechanic in town, and I'll guarantee they bring up his name

O I hear his voice when I want to give up
"Keep your nose to the grindstone boy"
but when the workin' was done he knew how to have fun
He had a motorcycle named Leroy
I am a CEO and a Board of Directors
And a million dollar stock option plan
But with each setting sun
We know who's getting it done.
Is the hard workin' blue collar man

Bridge
Though He respected my education, his diploma was his hard earned pay
And his straight talkin' mode of persuasion
They made me what I am today
I got nothing but praise for the way I was raised
For the times he kicked me in the can
And all these corporate games can't wash the oil from my veins
I am proud to be the son of a blue-collar man

Chorus
And the legend lives on in my brown eyed son
Who is working just as hard as he can
These corporate chains can't wash the oil from my genes
I am proud to have a son who's a blue-collar man

O I hear his voice when I want to give up
"Keep your nose to the grindstone boy"
I wear corporate chains but I got oil in my veins
I am proud to be the son of a blue-collar man