Walker Hayes Shares ‘Briefcase’ Lyrics for Father’s Day
This is the constant struggle for dads having to leave for work, and kids watching them go.
Walker Hayes is a proud dad of six amazing kids – Lela, Chapel, Baylor, Beckett, Everly, and Loxley. His job as an artist and songwriter takes him out on the road for days or weeks at a time, but when he’s home, he’s completely present with his family. This internal battle between the desire to be a family man and chasing his country music dream is a constant pull in either direction—one that was immaculately captured in his emotional new song, “Briefcase.”
The track, which appears as part of his Country Stuff EP, has Hayes recalling his life as a young boy, dreading the moment his dad would pick up his briefcase and leave for work. As a grown man now with a family of his own, Hayes realizes the striking parallels between his own life and that of his late father.
“All dads are just grown up sons doing the best that we can. Here’s to doing the best we can and the ones who did the best they could,” Hayes shared with Sounds Like Nashville.
As we head into the Father’s Day weekend, the singer is sharing the full lyrics of the heart-rending track with SLN and hopes it allows both fathers and their children to find some comfort whenever they are apart.
Listen to “Briefcase” above and read along with the lyrics below.
BRIEFCASE
(Walker Hayes/Lori McKenna)
I HATED WHEN DAD PICKED UP HIS BRIEFCASE ‘CAUSE IT MEANT
THAT HE WAS LEAVIN’, BUT I LOVED THE SOUND THAT HIS KEYCHAIN MADE
WHEN HE GOT HOME IN THE EVENIN’, I WAS ALWAYS SAD, MOM WAS ALWAYS MAD
‘CAUSE MOST NIGHTS HE SHOWED UP LATE, SET HIS BRIEFCASE DOWN
LIKE IT DIDN’T WEIGH A POUND, NO, I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE WEIGHT
MY MAMA ALWAYS LEFT HIM A PLATE
WELL EIGHTEEN SAID IMMA’ BE ANYTHING, BUT JUST LIKE MY OLD MAN
SELLING HOUSES TO ALL THOSE FAMILIES WHILE HIS FAMILY WAS AT HOME
MISSIN’ HIM, GOT SICK OF PLAYIN’ BALL GAMES WATCHING
ALL THE OTHER DADS WATCH THEIR KIDS
SO I PICKED UP A GUITAR CASE ‘CAUSE IT WASN’T SQUARE LIKE HIS
AND NOW I SOUND LIKE HIM AND I LOOK LIKE HIM AND I WALK LIKE HIM
AND I TALK LIKE HIM AND I TRY TO MAKE MY WIFE LAUGH WHEN SHE’S MAD
‘CAUSE I LOVE MY JOB, LIKE HIM, NOW I GET IT DAD, IT’S A JUGGLING ACT
BETWEEN FEEDING THE KIDS AND FEEDING THE DREAMS WE CHASE
I GUESS A GUITAR DOESN’T FALL TOO FAR FROM THE BRIEFCASE
WELL MAMA CLEANED AND DADDY WORKED, AND I LEARNED TO PLAY THE GUITAR
A MCGREGOR CHORD THAT’S HOW WE COPED, WITH ALL OUR BROKEN HEARTS
I KNOW I HELD IT AGAINST HIM, THROWIN’ THAT BASEBALL ‘GAINST THE STEPS
BUT DADDY DIDN’T HOLD IT AGAINST ME, ‘CAUSE I WASN’T A FATHER YET, NOT YET
AND NOW I SOUND LIKE HIM AND I LOOK LIKE HIM AND I WALK LIKE HIM
AND I TALK LIKE HIM AND I TRY TO MAKE MY KIDS LAUGH WHEN THEY’RE SAD
‘CAUSE IT’S ALL MY FAULT, LIKE HIM, NOW I GET IT DAD, IT’S A JUGGLING ACT
BETWEEN FEEDING THE KIDS AND FEEDING THE DREAMS WE CHASE
I GUESS A GUITAR DOESN’T FALL TOO FAR FROM THE BRIEFCASE
YEAH, IT’S A BLESSING AND A CURSE IN THIS CASE I CARRY ‘ROUND
EVERY TIME I PICK IT UP, MY KIDS SAY “DADDY PUT IT DOWN”
AND I SEE ME IN THEM, AND I FEEL HIM LIKE THE CATS IN THE CRADLE
AND THE APPLES IN THE TREE, AND I JUST SMILE WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS
THAT I SOUND LIKE HIM AND I LOOK LIKE HIM AND I WALK LIKE HIM
AND I TALK LIKE HIM AND I RUN TO THE FATHER, WHEN I AIN’T NOTHIN’ AT ALL
LIKE HIM, NOW I GET IT DAD, ITS A JUGGLING ACT, BETWEEN FEEDING THE KIDS
AND FEEDING THE DREAMS WE CHASE
I GUESS A GUITAR DOESN’T FALL TOO FAR FROM THE BRIEFCASE
