Daddy Sang Bass

Dad and I took a trip to Mississippi Women’s College one weekend for him to do a speech there. It was an adventure for us, I always loved going on trips with him because we could talk about life and just bond. On this trip we were listening to old country music on the radio and he was telling me stories about his childhood and growing up in Vincent. All of a sudden Johnny Cash’s voice started to fill the car, I was mesmerized by what I was hearing. I had always liked Johnny Cash and had listened to him from time to time but this song was different. He was doing his version of You Are My Sunshine.

I can’t even describe the feelings that I had at that moment, Johnny and daddy singing a duet of that song. I had grown up having that song sung to me by my mom and dad, sometimes my grandfather (dad’s dad). I have always loved that song; there is just something special about it. That day in the car I told dad that if I ever got married and we did the traditional father-daughter dance that was going to be the song we danced to, Johnny Cash’s version of You Are My Sunshine. He laughed and said he thought that would be a great idea, if I ever were to get married. At that point in time, neither of us honestly thought I would ever get married, it just wasn’t something that I had envisioned for myself and he knew that is how I felt.

Well low and behold I met someone and fell hopelessly in love. So when the time came to talk about marriage, we did, he asked dad and got his blessing. But the wedding was never to happen; we didn’t end up getting married. That was just not the path God had placed before us. Now of course we are married thanks to dad and his foresight. Our path has been a long and rocky road but dad was there every step of the way for us and encouraged us to walk together and see where God was leading us. The walk has led us many different places but we have made it through each path together and with dad’s blessing.

On my phone I have always had specific ringtones for people in my life that are important to me. Dad’s ringtone has consistently been a song by Johnny Cash, Daddy Sang Bass. There is something about the lyrics that just touched me and made me think of dad. He got a kick out it being my ringtone, sometimes when we were together he would randomly call my phone just to hear it play. Then after he called he would start to sing the song to me, I’d join and we would laugh because I can’t carry a tune in a bucket and sound like a dying cat when I try to sing (hey I know, I’ve heard myself). I would always say to him that we are commanded to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

I say all of this to really tell you about a dream I had recently that has haunted me for days. See before he passed, you know that he and I planned a wedding ceremony for my husband and I on January 13, 2017 as a surprise. Well in the planning I told him I still wanted to do the father-daughter dance even if it was just in his and moms living room. He was perfectly fine with that, he always liked to dance, and so that was the plan. Well that ceremony never took place at their house, we did it at our house and there was no dancing. The other night I was dreaming about dad as I often do, this is where I get to see him again, and he was telling me in the dream that he wanted to dance with me. Then I heard the music, it was a mash-up of those two songs: You Are My Sunshine andDaddy Sang Bass. I danced with my father to the remix of Johnny Cash songs and he was singing right along with it, doing a duet.

I woke up crying and laughing all at the same time, which is a very weird experience. I never wanted that dream to end, I wanted to go back to sleep so I could keep dancing with him. As the lyrics say, The other night dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms, but when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken so I bowed my head and I cried. That is the exact sentiment I was feeling in that moment for I knew that he was really gone but somehow he was still with me. I know that I will see him again and it will be like no time has passed, and he will still be my sunshine, my first love, my teacher, the light of my life, mentor, best friend, and the best father any girl could be blessed with. My heart still breaks that his light has dimmed here on earth, that my sunshine was taken away from far too soon, but I know it is shining brighter than ever in heaven, and I know that he is singing with the angels and is still my sunshine on my darkest days. I know that I can turn to the music and hear his voice singing out to heal my pain. Until I am with him again, I know that he is waiting on me and I’m gonna join the family circle at the throne, for after all the circle won’t be broken by and by Lord, by and by. So for now I will hold onto the memories and the songs that bring me comfort when I am missing him so.