“Paul Brown Petty,” is a song close to Brandon Heath’s heart as well as a lyrical portrait of his maternal grandfather. “He’s just always been one of my heroes,” Heath says. “You never heard him complain. He worked in his garden every day. He was an elder at his church. He sang in the choir. He fought in the war.
“When things were really rough here in Nashville with my parent’s divorce, I could always go back to Waverly, Tenn., which is where my grandparents lived. I always felt at ease around him. A lot of people will never know who he was, but he made a big impact on me. He was a part of building my character and my story; through this song I hope to pay tribute to him.”
Paul Brown Petty Lyrics
Paul Brown Petty was a good ol’ man
You felt a little better when he shook your hand
Let me tell you a little ‘bout him and you’ll understand
Why Paul Brown Petty was a good ol’ man
He grew up in the depression and he fought in the war
He never talked too much about the other shore
But he was real good-looking in his uniform
Officer Petty in ‘44
And you might say, hey, what’s so great
Sounds like a simple man
He wasn’t rich or famous but
To me, he sure was grand
He married a girl from down the street
Built her a house down by a creek
One girl, two boys, five mouths to feed
Paul Brown Petty built a family
He opened a shop down on the square
He’d set you on up in his barber chair
Get a summertime buzz or a real close shave
Get you all cleaned up, send you on your way
He was a Cumberland Presbyterian
He went up to meet his Maker in ‘91
Sometimes when I talk about him, I get sad
You see, Paul Brown Petty was my granddad
His courage runs down in my blood
His kindness in my eyes
If you can see a man in me
He’s the reason why
Paul Brown Petty was a good ol’ man
You felt a little better when he shook your hand
And if you could’ve known him, you’d understand
Why Paul Brown Petty was a good ol’ man
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