Father Daughter Dance

Album: High Road (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kesha and her older brother Lagan were raised by a single mom; the singer doesn't know who her biological father is. This sparse ballad finds her delving into her feelings at missing out on having a daddy.
  • Somebody to help with a flat tire
    Somebody to walk me down the aisle
    The worst part of this is I'm not even sad
    How do I miss something I never had?


    Kesha told Apple Music that she hadn't planned on penning a track about growing up without her father, but one day the words came pouring out.

    "The song just kind of started flowing out of my mouth," she said. "I opened some sort of unconscious floodgates; I had no idea I had all these feelings about the subject. It feels so vulnerable and embarrassing when you're writing a song like that, because there's shame, there's guilt, there's sadness, there's resentment - so many questions that are in the back of your mind when you have a situation in the way I grew up in."
  • Kesha has always acted tough and strong when asked about her father and expressed surprise at how emotional it was writing the song. She didn't plan on putting it on High Road, but after playing it for several people, "They all insisted that being a strong woman doesn't mean you always have to be strong."
  • Out of respect, Kesha told her mom first about including the track on the album, as she's been there for her daughter throughout her life. The singer added that she has such admiration for "single parents and women that decide to have children on their own or without a man."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top Proverb

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

Donny Osmond

Donny OsmondSongwriter Interviews

Donny Osmond talks about his biggest hits, his Vegas show, and the fan who taught him to take "Puppy Love" seriously.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.