The story behind this song
Peppermints and a pocketknife, calluses older than his own kids. He built the deck the whole family's standing on tonight with the same two hands that built everything they have — taught one generation to hold a hammer, the next to whistle through a blade of grass, slipped twenties into every graduation card, and never let a hard year touch the rest of them. Three generations are standing on those shoulders.
For the grandpa clocking out after sixty years of someone else first — tonight the whole backyard stands up for him instead.
Lyrics
Somebody get that man a chair
The good one — in the shade
The good one — in the shade
He's got peppermints and pocketknives
And calluses older than my dad
Built the deck we're standing on this evening
With the same two hands that built everything we have
And calluses older than my dad
Built the deck we're standing on this evening
With the same two hands that built everything we have
Punch the clock one final time
The whole family's in line — to say
The whole family's in line — to say
Grandpa's clocking out — raise 'em high
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
He taught my father how to hold a hammer
Taught me to whistle through a blade of grass
Slipped twenties into every graduation card
Never let a hard year touch the rest of us
Taught me to whistle through a blade of grass
Slipped twenties into every graduation card
Never let a hard year touch the rest of us
Sixty years of someone else first
Tonight, old man, you're first
Tonight, old man, you're first
Grandpa's clocking out — raise 'em high
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
The littlest one just asked him
"Grandpa, what's your job now?"
He looked around the yard at all of us and said
"This. This right here. That's the job now."
"Grandpa, what's your job now?"
He looked around the yard at all of us and said
"This. This right here. That's the job now."
Grandpa's clocking out — raise 'em high
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
The man who held the floor up gets to rest
Three generations standing on your shoulders
Tonight we're standing up for you instead
Grandpa clocks out
Kick back, old man, the work is through
Everything good here started with you
Everything good here started with you
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