Dutiful Daughter Inherits Religion

‘But Daddy, I Love Him’ Personal Interpretation

I know the writer/narrator has their own story attached to the song. This is my personal interpretation of the song. The title of the song doesn’t match the poem and doesn’t give you an idea of what it’s about. If the song didn’t have the current title I think it could be:

• clutch their pearls
• running with my dress unbuttoned
• dutiful daughter undone
• floor it through the fences

The chorus pulls me out of the song. Reading it as a poem without the singsongy chorus and changing the reflexive pronouns opens up to different perspectives and interpretations. With the church imagery I immediately thought of religious shame. It’s about a coming of age within your religious beliefs.

I forget how the West was won, I forget if this was ever fun

I just learned these people only raise you to cage you

Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best

clutching their pearls, sighing “what a mess”

I just learned these people try and save you cause they hate you

too high a horse for a simple girl to rise above it