The story behind this song
The boots went on in the dark every working morning, the truck warming up while the whole street slept. He came home smelling of diesel and effort and never once said what that paycheck cost to earn. Rain, heat, a back that complained louder each winter — he just laced up and went, because that's what keeping a family fed looked like to him. His hands still wake at five out of pure habit.
For the dad who finally gets to leave the boots by the door — forty before-dawn years bought every slow morning from here on out.
Lyrics
Five a.m. ain't yours no more
Leave them boots beside the door
Leave them boots beside the door
You laced 'em up in the dark, Dad, every morning
Truck warming up while the whole street slept
Came home smelling like diesel and effort
Never once told us what that paycheck cost to get
Truck warming up while the whole street slept
Came home smelling like diesel and effort
Never once told us what that paycheck cost to get
Well the sun's up, old man, and look —
You ain't gotta chase it
You ain't gotta chase it
Hang up the boots — you've done your share
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
Your hands still wake at five from habit
Coffee black, then nowhere you gotta be
There's a fishing rod been patient in the garage
And a hammock with your name carved in the tree
Coffee black, then nowhere you gotta be
There's a fishing rod been patient in the garage
And a hammock with your name carved in the tree
Well the sun's up, old man, and look —
It's waiting on you now
It's waiting on you now
Hang up the boots — you've done your share
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
We never went without — not once
Took me years to do that math
Every steak on the table, every light left on
Walked in on your bootprints' path
Took me years to do that math
Every steak on the table, every light left on
Walked in on your bootprints' path
Hang up the boots — you've done your share
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
Let some young buck learn that route
Forty years of before-the-dawn
Bought you every slow morning from here on out
Hang up the boots
Kick 'em off, prop 'em high
Dad, you bought yourself the sky
Dad, you bought yourself the sky
Write your own
Someone in your life deserves a song like this
Tell us about them. We turn your story into a song they’ll play until they cry — then play again. Yours in 24–48 hours.
Create your songFrom $39.904.7 on TrustpilotUnlimited revisions24–48h
More retirement songs
