The heartbreaking tune tells a story of a father and his son who just can’t schedule a good time to be with each other. This serves as a warning against putting your career before your family. The first verses portray the tale of a father with his newborn son. Although dad gets the basics of childcare covered, he doesn’t ever put in quality time with his son because his career takes up most of his time. At first, this seems like nothing because of his hectic and oblivious life dedicated to working and paying bills.
Over time, both the father and his son naturally switch life roles. The father realizes his son’s successes in college, grades, and driving, and wants to be there more for him, yet the father slowly comes to face the reality that his son is now getting older, and has no time for such things anymore.
The last verse, paints an image of the son as an adult. He has a fast-paced job and children of his own, now. In a melancholic switch of roles, we see that the son now has no time to spend with his father. With a heavy heart, his dad realizes that his boy has become just like him.
“I’m gonna be just like you, dad. You know I’ll be just like you.”
This Fathers Day, make sure to spend some quality time with your children and/or your good old pops. Take Harry and Sandy Chapin’s advice and never take that relationship for granted!