Bob is wrestling with his conflicting wishes to grant his daughter the freedom she needs, now that she's old enough to date -- but also wanting to protect her, because like any parent he finds it hard to let go.
"Dragons with quick tongues" represent his fears of boys taking advantage of her. But in everything from "I hold you down..." onward, he's saying to her, "I know this home [haven] is sometimes stifling to you, so I give you permission to leave and to find your own way in the world [cut your strings]."
Bob is wrestling with his conflicting wishes to grant his daughter the freedom she needs, now that she's old enough to date -- but also wanting to protect her, because like any parent he finds it hard to let go.
"Dragons with quick tongues" represent his fears of boys taking advantage of her. But in everything from "I hold you down..." onward, he's saying to her, "I know this home [haven] is sometimes stifling to you, so I give you permission to leave and to find your own way in the world [cut your strings]."