The story behind this song
He held the back of her bicycle seat long after she could fly, and never told her the day he finally let go. Now the organ swells, the doors swing wide, and there are maybe forty steps of polished floor between here and the man at the end — the one he checked out twice. She squeezes his arm the way she did at the doctor's at age five.
He whispers the same words out the side of his mouth: I've got you. Forty steps go by too fast. For the father who isn't giving her away, just walking beside her while she leads.
Lyrics
Forty steps of polished floor
That's all the time I've got
That's all the time I've got
I held the back of your bicycle seat
Long after you could fly
You never knew I'd let go, baby girl
And I never told you why
Long after you could fly
You never knew I'd let go, baby girl
And I never told you why
Now the organ swells, the doors swing wide
And the whole room stands for you
And the whole room stands for you
So let me walk you down, one last time as mine
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
You're squeezing my arm the way you did
At the doctor's, age of five
I whisper "I've got you" out the side of my mouth
Same words, whole different life
At the doctor's, age of five
I whisper "I've got you" out the side of my mouth
Same words, whole different life
He's waiting at the end up there
Good man — I checked him twice
Good man — I checked him twice
So let me walk you down, one last time as mine
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
Someday you'll hold a small hand at some doorway
And feel your throat go tight like mine is now
That's not sorrow, sweetheart — that's the good ache
The one love leaves when it keeps its vow
And feel your throat go tight like mine is now
That's not sorrow, sweetheart — that's the good ache
The one love leaves when it keeps its vow
So let me walk you down, one last time as mine
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
Your arm through mine like training wheels you don't need
I'm not giving you away — there's no such thing
I'm just walking beside you while you lead
My girl, my girl — let me walk you down
Forty steps went by too fast
Save your old man one more dance
Save your old man one more dance
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