From the recording Miles Apart, Standin' Still
I’m Still Right Here
“I’m Still Right Here” is a father’s love song to his sons.
This song comes from a quiet evening in the Tennessee hills, when the house is still, the light is fading, and the heart starts reaching toward the people it loves most. It is about wanting your children to know, no matter how much time has passed, no matter what roads life has taken, and no matter how often the words have or have not been said, the love has never left.
At its heart, this song is about pride, memory, and a father’s steady place in his children’s lives. It remembers where they were raised, honors the men they have become, and speaks the truth that distance, silence, time, or different paths do not change the roots of love.
“I’m Still Right Here” is a message from father to sons: you are loved, you are carried in my heart, and wherever life takes you, I am still right here — just like I have always been.
— Lane Alan Dumser
Lyrics
I’m still right here…
Just like I’ve always been
Evenin’ settles soft on these Tennessee hills
Golden light fading, everything still
Boots by the door and a quiet house breathes
With the kind of peace you don’t have to think about, it just is
Ain’t much said in a moment like this
Just a heart full of things you don’t wanna miss
So I bowed my head just thinkin’ it through
And I reached for my phone like I sometimes do
Didn’t need a reason or some grand design
Just a simple truth laid on my mind
I’m still right here, just like I’ve always been
A little more time, more grace inside
I see the men you’ve grown to be, and son I couldn’t be more proud
I don’t say it near enough, but I’m sayin’ it right now
No matter where this life may lead you, through the joy or through the unknown
You’ve got a home deep in my heart… wherever you may roam
Raised you down where the gulf winds roll
Barefoot laughter and a wide-open soul
Sun on the water and salt in the breeze
Lord, time don’t slow like it used to, it just leaves
Different paths but the same last name
Different roads but the roots don’t change
And every mile don’t change a thing
You’re still my son in everything
I don’t need a church bell or a Sunday pew
To feel the truth I’m holdin’ onto
A father’s love is a quiet prayer
Lifted up anywhere
And when my time here finds its end
If there’s a way, I’ll still look in
And I’ll still be proud of the man you are
With a love unbound, wherever you are
Through every road you walk ahead, whatever you go through
You’ve got a home deep in my heart…
I’m still right here…
Just like I’ve always been
Love you both…
No matter what
Love Dad