There is no genre that quite copes as well wth the Father / Daughter song, as country music. For a female songwriter it is almost a rite of passage to knock one out and Jessi Pugh in "Cowboy Cry" had done just that. Musically it is pretty light, there is not a huge amount going on, a mandolin on the intro - it wins out though on sheer sentiment alone and Jessi's ability to make us lap up every line.
I walked out in that white dress
And I saw him standing there
Daddy hadn't worn that stetson
In I don't know how many years
He said "You'll always be my little girl"
He kissed me on the head
That chiuch filled up with fiddles
and then he held my hand"
The chorus sees a shimmering cymbal appear and some percussion but don't go expecting a big explosion it is still Jessi pulling through on a general feel good factor.
"We walked down that red rose petal aisle
It was only twenty steps but to him it was a mile
Cos when I look down those give me away eyes
That's the only time I've seen that cowboy cry"
The second verse just nails things down further with a lyrical portrait of just who this weeping man is and naturally he is exactly the sort of man not prone to these sorts of emotional outpourings
"He's a mountain of a man only takes his whiskey straight
Those callous hands taught me what hard work is and how to pray
His love is John Wayne tough but you won't find a heart more gold
and there's a softer side of him, as he gets older"
For the second chorus the percussion is more pronounced and a pedal steel i also more prominent.
"I bet that blue bandana in his pocket tucked away
Has been waiting on a day like today"
It is a song that undoubtedly means a lot to Jessi, and it will no doubt trigger universal feelings for fathers and daugters across the globe. it certainly invited us into the world of Jessi Pugh and her excellent "Chocolates & Roses" EP which is equally worthy of further investigation for more lyric rich country material - the title track and "Over The Influence" immediately standing out.