Half the Man
Jennifer Smestad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴Growing up, there
Wasn't much my daddy couldn't fix
If it
Wouldn't work he'd make the old look new again
The house
The fence
The bike
The car The little girl tears from a broken heart
Daddy set the bar real high
Showed me what a real man looks like
Its gonna take one to fill those shoes
In his eyes nothing less will do
He's gotta be a man of God
Keep it tight when he ties that knot
Lucky as a girls ever gonna get
To love the man that's half the man that my daddy is
It's never gonna fly
If he's the kinda guy that doesn't fish
He better
Keep his word
Aint
Afraid to work
And knows who he is
Strong with his hands
Gentle with his touch
And no such thing as lovin' me too much
Daddy set the bar real high
Showed me what a real man looks like
Its gonna take one to fill those shoes
In his eyes nothing less will do
He's gotta be a man of God
Keep it tight when he ties that knot
Lucky as a girls ever gonna get
To love the man that's half the man that my daddy is
Man of few words
A man who leads
The man he is is who he wants for me
Daddy set the bar real high
Showed me what a real man looks like
Its gonna take one to fill those shoes
In his eyes nothing less will do
He's gotta be a man of God
Keep it tight when he ties that knot
Lucky as a girls ever gonna get
To love the man that's half the man that my daddy is
To find a man that's half the man that my daddy is
Overall Meaning
The lyrics of "Half the Man" by Jennifer Smestad are about the singer's relationship with her father and the high standards he has set for any man who wants to be with her. The song starts off by depicting her father as a handyman who could fix anything around the house, from the fence to the bike and the car. He could even fix her broken heart whenever she cried. The first verse establishes the bond between the father and daughter and how he has been a role model for her.
The chorus highlights the high standards the singer's father has set for any man she would be with. The man has to be strong in his faith, a hard worker, and uphold traditional values such as fishing. The father wants his daughter to end up with a man who is just like him or better. He wants her to be a lucky girl who will love a man who is half as good as he is.
The second verse reiterates the father's requirements- a man who is capable, gentle, and knows who he is. He should be a man of few words and a leader, like her father. The song ends by repeating the chorus, reminding listeners of the high bar set by the father and the type of man the singer wants to be with.
Line by Line Meaning
Growing up, there
As I was growing up
Wasn't much my daddy couldn't fix
My dad was skilled at fixing almost anything
If it wouldn't work he'd make the old look new again
If something wasn't working, he would repair it and make it look like new
The house, the fence, the bike, the car
He could fix anything around the house, including the fence, bike, or car
The little girl tears from a broken heart
He comforted me when I was sad or hurt
Daddy set the bar real high
My dad set high expectations for what a good man should be
Showed me what a real man looks like
He demonstrated the qualities of a true gentleman
It's gonna take one to fill those shoes
It will be difficult to find a man who matches my dad's standards
In his eyes nothing less will do
In my dad's opinion, only a man who meets his standards is acceptable
He's gotta be a man of God
He should have strong moral values and be religious
Keep it tight when he ties that knot
He should be committed and loyal when getting married
Lucky as a girl's ever gonna get
I would be very fortunate if I found such a man
To love the man that's half the man that my daddy is
To be able to love someone who has at least half the qualities of my dad
It's never gonna fly
It won't work out
If he's the kinda guy that doesn't fish
If he's not interested in fishing
He better keep his word
He should be truthful and keep his promises
Ain't afraid to work
He shouldn't be lazy and should be willing to work hard
And knows who he is
He should have a clear sense of self-identity
Strong with his hands
He should be good with manual labor and have a practical skillset
Gentle with his touch
He should be gentle and caring
And no such thing as lovin' me too much
He should have a lot of love and affection to give
Man of few words
He should be someone who doesn't talk unnecessarily and is quiet
A man who leads
He should be someone who can take charge and lead without being too dominating
The man he is is who he wants for me
He should be true to himself and his values, and that's the kind of man he wants for me too
To find a man that's half the man that my daddy is
To find a man who has at least half of my dad's good qualities
Writer(s): Erik Halbig, Josh Matheny, Jennifer Smestad
Contributed by Claire G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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