What are the top ten songs about dads? This list includes an R&B song and a folk-country song.
The “songs for dad who passed away” is a song that was released by the band The Fray in 2013. It was released as an album track.
One of the most significant and impactful human relationships is that between dads and their children. Children want to be like their dads, or to be the polar opposites of their fathers. Their fathers may make them feel safe, suffocated, or abandoned. Dads may question if they’re doing a good job as a parent, struggle to communicate their love for their children, or regret things they didn’t say or do.
The father/child connection may elicit a wide range of emotions, so it’s no surprise that artists have used these feelings to create musical gold. To be fair, there aren’t as many songs about fatherhood as there are about romantic love, but there have been some dad-themed masterpieces released throughout the years. Here are some of my favorites in celebration of Father’s Day on Sunday. I’m sure there are many more, so please share your favorites in the comments!
The Artist Formerly Known as Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son”
Cat Stevens’ 1970 folk rock hit highlights a conversation between a young, idealistic guy seeking to break free and live a life of passion and an older, wiser parent asking his son to “Just relax, take it easy.”
While many people believe that the bearded, pre-Muslim conversion hippy Cat Stevens associated exclusively with the freedom-seeking son, Stevens noted in an interview with Rolling Stone, “Some people think I was supporting the kid’s side.” But how could I have sang the father’s half of the song if I couldn’t understand it? I was listening to that song recently when I heard one line and realized it was my father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’s father’
George Strait’s “Love Without End, Amen”
There are many songs about fathers in country music, but George Strait’s “Love Without End, Amen” is without a doubt the finest. I’ve been learning about “the secret of a father’s love” that George Strait sings about ever since I became a parent.
The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”
“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” is an unusual musical pairing, with extremely depressing lyrics matched to a lively beat. The Temptations’ 1970 dance hit depicts the story of a guy realizing that his father was a lazy, womanizing, no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good no-good The song instructs us to learn from our fathers’ awful examples of how to be a man by doing the exact opposite… After that, stand up and dance until you feel better about it.
Loudon Wainwright III’s “Daughter”
I discovered this gem of a song thanks to Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up. It makes me want to have a daughter every time I hear it. Even if you don’t have a pack of males (or a wild and crazy Gus), you may understand Loudon Wainwright’s pride and affection for his young child. When Wainwright sings, “Everything she knows I taught her,” you realize how much power you have over your children. Wainwright also has a song called “Being a Dad” on parenthood that is very nice.
Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”
The most heartbreaking song ever sung about dads and sons. The poetry was written by Harry Chapin’s wife, and the song is based on it. When Harry first heard the poetry, he attempted arranging it to music, but the outcome didn’t capture his attention. Chapin wasn’t motivated to attempt converting the poetry into a song again until his kid was born, and the result was “Cat’s in the Cradle.”
The song portrays the narrative of a guy who is too preoccupied with his work to appreciate the people who mean most to him. He works hard to support his family, but he makes little attempt to form a bond with his son. Life has gone full circle by the time the father realizes what he’s let slip away and wants to spend time with his kid – his son is now too busy for him. “My son was identical to me.”
Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of how little time I have with my own kid and how quickly he is growing up. Put the phone down, leave work at home, and go out and play the ball around with your son (or daughter) when he asks.
The Winstons’ “Color Him Father”
In writings, movies, and music, stepfathers often play the bad villain. “Color Him Father,” a hit by the Winstons in 1969, is a welcome exception. The touching soul ballad is about a little boy’s love for his amazing stepfather, who married his widowed mother and raised seven children who weren’t his real offspring. In “Color Him Father,” the father epitomizes the Art of Dad-liness: he works hard for his family, participates in parenting, and adores his children’s mother.
Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue”
An epic bar fight might sometimes be just what a father and son need to heal their relationship. Johnny Cash tells the story of a deadbeat father who gives his kid a girl’s name (Sue) before leaving town in “A Boy Named Sue.” The youngster is teased and mocked as a result of his feminine name, and he threatens to track down and murder his father for this indignity. When the youngster, now a man, runs into his father in a Tennessee bar, a knife and gun battle follows (see what I did there? ), but towards the conclusion of the story, the father reveals why he called his son Sue, and Sue leaves “with a changed perspective of view.”
I’m curious how many fathers have called their boys Sue as a result of hearing this song. Are there any male Sues out there?
Eric Clapton’s “My Father’s Eyes”
It’s all the more sad when you know the origin of this song. Eric Clapton, the guitarist, grew up without knowing who his father was. Clapton’s four-year-old kid died in a fall from Clapton’s Manhattan apartment window in 1991. Clapton used “My Father’s Eyes” to express his anguish about not knowing his father and the heartbreaking loss of his own son. In his book, he says the song is about “the comparison between gazing into my son’s eyes and seeing the eyes of the father I never knew, via the link of our blood.”
Clapton also dedicated “Tears in Heaven” to his late son. Because “My Father’s Eyes” and “Tears in Heaven” are emotionally exhausting, he no longer performs them at performances.
Will Smith’s “Just the Two of Us”
Will Smith’s first solo album has the finest song ever written that correctly captures the first moment a newborn gets buckled into a car seat. In all seriousness, “Just the Two of Us” is an excellent song about parenting. Smith effectively depicts a man’s emotions when he first meets his child or when his child begins to cut up. I find myself chanting in my mind anytime Gus gets into trouble, “Tru dat tru dat, uh ah why you do that, I try to be a harsh parent, but you be making me giggle,” thanks to the Fresh Prince.
Mike + the Mechanics’ “The Living Years”
There’s a reason why “The Living Years” seems so authentic and moving. Not only had the lyricist lived the song — BA Robertson’s father, with whom he had a strained relationship, had died three months before his son was born — but Mike Rutherford had recently lost his father and had a child, and Paul Carrack, who sang lead vocals on the song, had lost his father when he was 11 years old. When you combine those men’s stories, you can see why the song has such a strong emotional impact.
“The Living Years” is a subtle reminder to call or, better yet, write dad and tell him how much he means to you…while you still have the chance.
The “missing dad songs from daughter” is a song about the missing father in her life. The 10 best songs about dads are listed below.
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