I wrote this one on a lonely night when Cassidy was just a very young girl. I was thinking about how every kid gets asked the same question: what do you want to be. The verses turn that question into a game, running through jobs from pilot to beekeeper, dancer to mechanic, architect to activist. It is not a checklist. It is a way of saying that all doors are welcome.
It was important at the time for her that despite the fact her mum and I had separated, that she was still the most important thing to me, no matter where I ended up. That is why it was important feature her name in the song. The rest of the song is quickly paced, a reflection of how quickly time passes, and the opportunities that were in front of her.
The chorus is the heart of the song. Whatever it is you choose to do. Wherever life takes you. It will not change how proud I am or how quickly I will show up when you call. That is the whole point. The job title can change a hundred times. The love does not.
You can hear the lullaby in it. Simple chords, bright images, a steady pulse that feels like a hand on a shoulder. I wanted it to feel light and encouraging, the kind of tune you can hum while packing a lunch, driving to school, or walking home after a hard day.
Fifteen years later, the promise has been tested and it has held. Plans have shifted, new interests have appeared, and real life has done what real life does. Through all of it, I have stayed exactly where the song says I would be: in her corner, proud as a dad can be.