Stanza One

Line Line Interpretation

no.

1 My dad’s as brave as a The persona makes a

dad can be statement about his/her
father as a
brave/courageous
person (a father is
normally brave)

2 I rate him Number One, In his/her opinion,

his/her father is the
best

3 He’s not afraid of the His/her father is not

dead of night, scared of the quietest
and darkest part of the
night

4 Or anything under the Or anything that exists

sun. around us. (It can also
mean that his/her
father is not afraid of
anything during the day)

Stanza Two

Line Line Interpretation

no.

1 He’s not afraid of a late- The persona’s father is

night film, not scared of watching
horror movies on
2 Full of horrors on the television late at night
telly,
3 And is he afraid of
skeletons?
4 Not dad, not on your
Nelly!
He is also definitely not
scared of skeletons.
(“not on your Nelly!” is
a British expression
which means “Certainly
not!”)

Stanza Three

Line Line Interpretation

no.

1 He’s not afraid of The persona’s father

meeting ghosts, does not fear meeting
ghosts (something that
most of us are scared of)

2 He’d even smile and He can even smile and

greet ‘em, greet or talk to the
ghosts.
(‘em – informal British
or American, short form
of ‘them’)

3 And things that scare His/her father can also

most dads the most, beat/overcome many
things or problems that
4 My dad could just other fathers are afraid
defeat ‘em. of/cannot do.

Stanza Four

Line Line Interpretation

no.

1 He’s not afraid of The persona’s father

vampires, does not fear vampires

2 Or a wolf-man come to Or a wolf-man that is

get him, going to attack him

3 If Frankenstein’s He would not be

monster knocked on our worried or scared even
door, if the horrible
Frankenstein’s monster
4 He wouldn’t let that came to their house.
upset him.

Stanza Five

Line Line Interpretation

no.

1 My dad’s as brave as a The persona makes a

dad can be, statement about his/her
father as a
brave/courageous
person (a father is
normally brave) – it is
repeated to emphasize
his father’s
bravery/courage

2 And he’s always ready He is willing and

to prove it. confident to show his
bravery/courage

3 So why, when a spider’s The persona admires

 in the bath, his/her father and is
proud of him, but
4 Does Mum have to he/she cannot
come and remove it? understand why his/her
mother has to get rid of
a spider (just a small
insect) that is in the
bathtub.
(Perhaps, his/her father
is scared of tiny insects!)

  IS NOT AFRAID OF… IS AFRAID

DAD OF…
 
STANZA 1  
·       The darkness or  
quietness of the night
STANZA 5
·       Anything or everything ·       Spider
around him /during the day

STANZA 2
·       Horror movies on
television at night

·       Skeletons

STANZA 3
·       Ghosts
·       Things that scare other
fathers

STANZA 4
·       Vampires

·       Wolf-man

·       Frankenstein’s monster