Dear Father (Complete Unknown) by Sum 41

Album: Underclass Hero (2007)

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley wrote this song about his father's absence throughout his life. Writing the song helped Whibley to deal with the scary issue of growing up without a father. He told Metro: "I wrote out about 20 pages of what I found confusing and frustrating in my life. There were really deeply held personal things that scared me. The first thing I did was a song called 'Dear Father.' I've never met my father - he split before I was born. I grew up with a single teenage mother and writing a song about it had always scared the s--t out of me. I realized that when anything scares you, that's the best thing you can possibly do. It's an album about my view of existence."
Deryck Whibley has described this as the most meaningful song he's ever written, and says it's the hardest topic he's ever had to sing about.

Comments: 1

Mike from Denver, Coive been here. now my fathers gone for good (alcohol is the drink of death i tell you) and only when i was 18 too. i remember coming to the hospital only to watch him die after a car wreck. i cant really feel what it is like to never know your father, but in my case, i didnt want to know him. but u never know how much u might miss a person until they are gone. sure he had his moments where he was the best father in the world, but sometimes, he loved his drink too much. it just got worse and worse till i had reached the point of being scared for me and my family, and the night he died, i drove my whole family (except my intoxicated father away from the house.) i remember him screaming through the windows, telling us to go away forever. now im getting married in a few months without my father watching. i had tried alcohol to see what the big deal was. i was only 15 and i had finally managed to stop at 17 (at my girlfriends request) and it made me a monster just like dad. i wish he was here, to realize what had happened, i always wish he was here.

Rest In Peace pops, i hope your in a better place.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

MMMbopHanson

Zac Hanson was just 11 years and 7 months old when "MMMbop" topped the Hot 100, making him the youngest group member to co-write and perform a US #1 single.

No More I Love You'sAnnie Lennox

The Annie Lennox hit "No More I Love You's" is a cover, originally sung by a man.

RehabAmy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse really did refuse "Rehab." She said she drank because she was lovesick, and "you can't go into rehab for that."

Let It GoIdina Menzel

The Frozen song "Let It Go" was recorded in 42 different languages for the movie's foreign releases. This earned it an entry in the 2016 Guinness World Records publication for "Most Languages Featured on a Single."

Ship Of FoolsWorld Party

One of the great "we're all going down" songs is "Ship Of Fools" by World Party, written when Margaret Thatcher was in power in England.

Master Of PuppetsMetallica

When Metallica performed in China in 2013, they weren't allowed to play "Master Of Puppets," probably because the theme of being controlled by a higher authority didn't sit well with the Chinese government.