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:

Don't Tell MeMadonna

Madonna's hit "Don't Tell Me" was written by her brother-in-law, Joe Henry, who has produced albums by Hugh Laurie and Bonnie Raitt.

DaughterPearl Jam

When Pearl Jam plays "Daughter" live, they usually extend the ending so Eddie Vedder can improvise, saying or singing whatever is on his mind.

StayLisa Loeb

"Stay" by Lisa Loeb was the first #1 hit by an unsigned artist. It got a boost from Ethan Hawke, who got it into a movie he starred in called Reality Bites.