From the recording As The Sunflower Turns It's Face Towards The Sun
My daughter Katie was the original inspiration for this song. I had brought her and Alex down to County Clare to the shores of Lough Derg for a week and I took a photo of her which I later converted to black and white but kept her coat pink in the picture. She therefore became the little pink girl in the black and white world.
I have two daughters, Amy and Katie, whom I adore beyond all words and I tailored the lyric to address my fears that, as most parents realise, they'll forget all the times they'd be fighting to be on Daddy's knee or under an arm each watching the tv or dozing on a weekend morning.
I've never been more comfortable, relaxed or happier than when one, two, three or all four rug rats were lined up around me attached to arms, neck etc. Ben and Alex would have done the same too as they grew up, I was blessed with being able to tell the kids how much they were loved, but also, I hope, by being the kind of Dad they felt so at ease with that they were able to find that cuddle space when they needed it.
But of course, and life is sad that way, it's generally the adult who remembers all this and the child whom you weren't allowed to leave the house without, soon forgets. I'm sure this is also a similar perspective that our parents would have and there's definitely an element of time space continuum payback. Ben, Amy, Katie, Alex? You've been warned! :)