By the book.
A heartfelt, slow-burning country song about a grandfather’s quiet faith and how its meaning unfolds over time, blending nostalgia, loss, and legacy into a powerful reflection on living life the right way.
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# **BY THE BOOK** *(3:00 Radio Edit)*
**Tempo:** 74 BPM
**Key:** G or A
**Style:** Slow, sentimental country
**Instruments:** Acoustic, soft steel, piano pad, brushes, late fiddle swells
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## **Verse 1 (shortened)**
I’d go see my granddad from time to time
He’d be in that chair with his glasses slid down
Always had a book, never paid me much mind
Just turnin’ those pages while the world spun ‘round
One day he looked up, said, “Son, do you read?”
I laughed and said, “No sir, that ain’t for me”
He shut that book, smiled soft and slow
Said, “Someday you might… you never know”
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## **Chorus (tightened)**
Granddad was a good man, did the best he could
Always lent a hand like a good man should
Didn’t fuss or fight, just lived life right
Held onto faith, stayed quiet at night
With that book in his hand, I thought it was strange
Never understood how it’d make me a man
He said, “Son, when the time is right
You’ll understand… I’m livin’ by the book tonight” *[hold]*
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## **Verse 2 (cut to core)**
He helped every neighbor, never asked for praise
Kept his word, kept quiet, walked straight all his days
That book never left him, rain or shine
I thought it was paper — he thought it was time
Time to learn patience, time to forgive
I was young and stubborn, didn’t wanna listen
Didn’t see then what that worn spine meant
But every page he read… was time well spent
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## **Chorus (repeat – same as above)**
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## **Verse 3 (compressed)**
Then one day he passed and the house went still
That chair sat empty up on the hill
Never saw that book when they packed his things
But I still see him there clear as anything
Years rolled by, life did what it does
Love and loss, learnin’ who I was
One day my wife said, “Let’s stop inside”
That old thrift store down by the highway sign
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## **Bridge (very tight – emotional peak)**
There it was on a shelf, pushed way in back
Same worn cover, same faded black
I opened page one, my whole world shook
It said, *“I hope this book finds my grandson”* — he wrote
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## **Final Chorus (shortened, payoff)**
Granddad was a good man, now I understand
What it means to be steady, what it means to stand
Didn’t force it on me, let time decide
Knew the truth shows up when the moment’s right
With that book in my hand, I finally see
What he was tryin’ to pass down to me
Guess he was right… someday I might
Didn’t know that old book was the Bible all my life *[hold]*
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## **Outro (brief)**
Now I read it slow, sittin’ in his chair
Tryin’ to live the words he left right there
Yeah he’s gone, but he’s still my guide
I’m learnin’ how to live…
**By the book** *[fade]*
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© Tim Byrd 2025
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