The Greatest Man I Never Knew Lyrics
Reba Mcentire
Lyrics
The greatest man I never knew
Lived just down the hall
And everyday we said hello
But never touched at all
He was in his paper
I was in my room
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon
The greatest man I never knew
Came home late every night
He never had too much to say
Too much was on his mind
I never really knew him
And now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had
Then the days turned into years
And the memories to black and white
He grew cold like an old winter wind
Blowing across my life
The greatest words I never heard
I guess I'll never hear
The man I thought could never die
S'been dead almost a year
He was good at business
But there was business left to do
He never said he loved me
Guess he thought I knew
Song & Lyrics Facts
Reba McEntire's "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" was released in 1992 as the second single from her album, It's Your Call. The song was written by Richard Leigh and Layng Martine Jr., and it features a band of session musicians backing Reba on the track.
The lyrics tell a story about a woman who never got to know her father, but she still loves him despite not knowing him. She reflects on how his life could have been different if he had stayed around, and ultimately sings that she will always love him no matter what. The song became one of Reba's biggest hits, peaking at number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart and spending four weeks at number one on the Radio & Records chart.