The Leader of the Band

One song that has always resonated with me is Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg. It is a tribute to his father that hits home with me in a deep and personal way. It speaks about how his father set a standard that he can never reach, but he carries his legacy as a tribute to his father.

The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old

But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul

My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man

I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band

My father set a standard for me that I know I will never reach. He showed me with his deeds and often lack of words, what it meant to be a good man. He didn’t have a role model to show him this path. He figured it out and lived it everyday of his life. When I fail to live up to what I know I should be, I feel like I have disappointed him and his legacy. His legacy lives through me and my children and it is the most valuable thing that I possess.

He left his home and went his lone and solitary way

And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay

People like my father don’t come along in life very often. I was lucky. When we recognize these people, we must stop and pay attention because they remind us of who we can and should be. I think we often avoid these people because they make our failings so apparent to ourselves. But these people should lift us up, inspire us, activate us to be better people.

I feel a great responsibility to honor my father through my life. I want him to always be proud of me and the way that I make my way through this life. I have been blessed to know other “Leaders of the Band” that have had significant impact on who I am and what I will be. It is so important to not step away, but step toward these people. Bring them into your life. Learn from them. Be accountable.

I am a living legacy to the leader of the band