Shine OnSon writes touching song for formerly deaf father, ‘I Liked You Better Deaf’
Danny Hamilton wrote a touching Christmas song for his formerly deaf father chock-full of humour, insight and love.
After performing the guitar solo for his father on Christmas Day, he posted a video of his performance to YouTube.
"My Dad, who has been hard of hearing for about as long as I can remember, recently invested in hearing aids," Hamilton writes on the video's YouTube page. "So I wrote him a little song for Christmas to celebrate his newfound sense, affectionately entitled, 'I Liked You Better Deaf.'"
The song outlines all the things the younger Hamilton could get away with when his father was deaf, but now can't because his father can hear.
"It used to be if I'd run out of anything to say, I could just mumble and you'd usually go away," he jokes.
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"You never used to know the difference 'tween the bass and treble clef. And it isn't hard to tell you that I liked you better deaf."
Toward the end of the video the pleased father says, "That is going to be an Internet classic."
He may very well be right. Since being posted to YouTube on Christmas day, the video has been viewed more than 800,000 times with close to 1000 comments. Not to mention the attention it has received on Reddit with over 43,000 votes and close to 800 comments.
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Most of the online reaction has been encouraging and supportive of Hamilton, who has been singing in musicals since he was 12, with many commenters suggesting he is a rather talented song writer.
"These are what i call lyrics! Meanwhile, talentless pop stars repeat one chorus 20 times," writes one YouTube fan.
To read Hamilton's full song lyrics, see below:
There used to be a time, it was rather recently
When I'd play something on the stereo
And mom would say "Danny won't you turn that noise down"
And you'd say, "it's already very low"
Seemed that I could always count on you
To come and take my side
When I'd set the volume up at 62
And someone else wanted it at 35
But since you found out that your ears are micable
I have to say it's made you just a touch less likeable
You never used to know the difference 'tween the bass and treble clef
And it isn't hard to tell you that I liked you better deafIt used to be if I'd run out of anything to say
I could just mumble and you'd usually go away
It used to be what I was bringing to the conversation
Was subject to a wider range of your interpretation
But now I see
That I must be
Living in a nightmare, why it's every son's worst fear
To have a dad forever clad with supersonic ears
And I don't mean to tell you that I love you any less
But there's no doubt about it that I liked you better deafIf I had once forgot to tell you something, say a chord I hadn't struck
Like, "The mail's arrived" "I owe you five" "Run away" or "Duck!"
Once I could have played it off without blood sweat or tears
"I told you that," I'd tell you, and you'd blame it on your ears
It once was undetectable but now it's ineffectual
The odds are insurmountable and I am held accountable
And you never would've noticed if I swore under my breath
Now I don't have to shout to say I liked you better deafSee now I've reached a point where it's hard to make a rhyme
But the song needs another verse to reach a fitting time
And if I had been writing it for old deaf dad
I might have left a phrase or two... unfinished
But only the best for you and your new hearing
You will find that every rhyme is aurally endearing
And I'm afraid that now you've left me lyrically bereft
But I only need five words to say I liked you better deaf
