Dad I Never Knew — MCA One-Sheet

Pre-ProPre-Production SheetDemo Direction TBD

Sheet header

Key

G Major

BPM

Artist

Kris Bradley

Status

Demo Direction TBD

Written by

Kris Bradley (Solo Write - Blue Foley may contribute)

Companion to: The Apple and the Tree / Babies Raising Babies in the 80s

Core Concept

"I wish you were a mystery or a ghost. But now I know you're just a fool."

Kris's father was never consistently present. He wasn't there when she was born. He resurfaced at age 8 for two weeks, said he wanted to be her dad, then disappeared. Did the same at 12. Again at 27. Each time arriving with new money and a showman's confidence, each time vanishing before the promise could hold. This song is the honest reckoning with that pattern — not with grief, but with clarity. The fantasy of a heroic absent father versus the reality of a man who simply couldn't show up.

Emotional Arc

Opens with his latest appearance — swooping in like a magician, wearing his new money like a costume, speaking as though she cared. The pre-chorus drops the pretense: who the hell are you and who the hell am I in this dynamic. The chorus is the release — next time you feel sorry, know it's only for yourself, don't come looking, and the bluntest line on the whole record. Verse 2 is the beautiful turn: she imagines the stories she could have told about him. A doctor in a far country. A fallen hero. The lie would have been kinder than the truth. The bridge is forgiveness without reconciliation — she releases him, not for him, but for herself.

Thematic Language

Magician with a disappearing act

Wearing new money like a child in a grown man's suit

Who the hell are you and who the hell am I

Sorry only for yourself

I wish you were a mystery or a ghost

The heroic story she could have told vs. the fool he actually is

Releasing him — not for him, for her

Sonic Palette

Format

Acoustic and vocal only. No production. Just the song and the voice. The starkness is the point — nothing to hide behind.

Demo Status

Direction TBD — acoustic vocal arrangement to be developed.

References

Kacey Musgraves

Miranda Lambert

Lori McKenna

Music Video / Visualizer

Concept TBD

Open Questions

Acoustic arrangement — single guitar and vocal or layered acoustics?

Music video or visualizer direction TBD

Companion to: The Apple and the Tree / Babies Raising Babies in the 80s

MarketingMarketing Plan14 buckets · how it reaches people

Positioning & release

Song Sheet - Disc One / Album Track

Disc OneAlbum TrackSolo Write

This page is scaffolded and ready. Buckets fill in as KB brain-dumps the song. Structure matches every other song sheet so nothing has to be redesigned later.

📖 Story

Layer 3 — The Public Story Fan-facing

Fan hook. If someone has spent your whole life showing up just long enough to break your heart again — this song is for you.

My biological father wasn't there when I was born.

I never called him dad. I'm not sure I ever called him anything. He was just an idea for a long time. Then when I was eight years old, he showed up. Said he wanted to be my father. Said it like he meant it. And for two weeks, I believed him.

Then he disappeared.

He came back when I was twelve. Same speech. Same promise. Same look in his eye that made me think maybe this time was different. He left again.

He came back when I was twenty-seven.

By the third time, I started to understand something. This wasn't a moment. This wasn't a one-time mistake somebody was working up the courage to fix. This was a pattern. And patterns don't break themselves.

So eventually I stopped waiting.

This song is what I had to write to put it down.

"Patterns don't break themselves."

Layer 1 — Bullet Framework Internal anchors

Memory anchors, angles, and key lyric placement. To add.

Layer 2 — Performance Scripts Short · long · stage banter

Short, long, and stage-banter versions. To add.

🎵 Lyrics

Written by Kris Bradley (Solo Write — Blue Foley may contribute) · © Boomfox Productions

VerseIt's been a couple years
Since you last swooped into town
Like a magician in the circus
You got your disappearing act down

You were wearing your new money
Like a child in a grown man's suit
And you spoke as though I cared to know
What you had been up toPre-ChorusBut who the hell are you?
And who the hell am I?
Let's not pretend to know
Nobody likes a liarChorusSo next time you're feeling sorry
I know it's only for yourself
Don't go looking for me
Matter of fact, just go to hell

I wish you were a mystery or a ghost
But now I know you're just a fool
Oh, I wish you were the dad I never knewVerse 2I could say you were a doctor
Helping underprivileged kids
In some country far away
And you don't know that I exist

Or that your bravery surpassed
Any man I've ever known
Gave your life defending freedom
And that you died a heroPre-ChorusBut who the hell are you?
Who the hell am I?
Let's not pretend to know
Nobody likes a liarChorusSo next time you're feeling sorry
I know it's only for yourself
Don't go looking for me
Matter of fact, just go to hell

I wish you were a mystery or a ghost
But now I know you're just a fool
Oh, I wish you were the dad I never knew

😤 Pain Points

Pain points list to be added.

🎣 Hooks & Opening Lines

Hooks and opening lines to be added.

🪞 Nobody Wants to Hear Series

Song-specific versions to be added.

📱 POV Series

POV lines to be added.

🎬 Content Formats & Video Ideas

Video concepts to be added.

🔗 Stitch Targets & Seed Videos

Seed videos, creator targets, and hashtag bank to be added.

📝 Captions

Captions list to be added.

📅 Pre & Post Release Checklist

Populate from the Six-Week Cycle template on the Strategy page.

🎥 Music Video

Music video concept to be added.

💿 Sync & Licensing

Sync and licensing notes to be added.

📰 Press & Outreach

Pitch angles, target outlets, and outreach status to be added.

🪧 Billboard - One Per Song

Confirmed: every single in the campaign gets its own billboard. Not a phase-4 or cash-flow-permitting extra — a locked part of each release.
Billboard copy: To add — write this song's billboard line here.

↑ Back to Dashboard

LyricsLyrics3:44

Written by Kris Bradley (Solo Write - Blue Foley may contribute) · © Boomfox Productions

Verse

It's been a couple years
Since you last swooped into town
Like a magician in the circus
You got your disappearing act down

You were wearing your new money
Like a child in a grown man's suit
And you spoke as though I cared to know
What you had been up to

Pre-Chorus

But who the hell are you?
And who the hell am I?
Let's not pretend to know
Nobody likes a liar

Chorus

So next time you're feeling sorry
I know it's only for yourself
Don't go looking for me
Matter of fact, just go to hell

I wish you were a mystery or a ghost
But now I know you're just a fool
Oh, I wish you were the dad I never knew

Verse 2

I could say you were a doctor
Helping underprivileged kids
In some country far away
And you don't know that I exist

Or that your bravery surpassed
Any man I've ever known
Gave your life defending freedom
And that you died a hero

Pre-Chorus

But who the hell are you?
Who the hell am I?
Let's not pretend to know
Nobody likes a liar

Chorus

AdminRegistration & RightsISRC · BMI · UPC · credits

Registration

ISRC

QTA6R2600010

Key

G Major

BPM

ISRC source

Boomfox prefix

UPC (album)

To be assigned

BMI work registration

Registered

Publisher

Kris Bradley Music (BMI)
IPI 00821161184

Writer account (BMI)

KAMAI BRADLEY KRISTI LEAH K (550220798)

Writers

Kris Bradley

Duration

3:44

Master format

44.1k/16

Time signature

4/4

Recording year

2026

Release status

Unreleased

Label

Boomfox Productions LLC

Producers

Kris Bradley, Eric Torres, Blue Foley

Mix

Eric Torres

Mastering

Sam Moses

Players on the record

Al Bonhomme - acoustic guitar
Andy Ellison - pedal steel

Where the files live

Master WAV: MCA Masters - Sept 8 (Google Drive)
ISRC allocation: MCA ISRC Master List (Drive, Admin folder)
Credits: Album Credits sheet (Drive)
BMI: applications.bmi.com, account KAMAI BRADLEY KRISTI LEAH K (550220798)