Don’t know if I have announced to the SDMB that my SO and I are expecting a child in October. So for the anniversary this year I think I want to do a media thingy, consisting of a photo album and a CD of songs for mom and baby.
So far a few songs come to mind:
“Our Day,” Split Enz: a soon-to-be dad discusses his hopes and fears about raising a son. I think this is my theme song.
“Beautiful Boy,” John Lennon: self-explanatory, a love note from a parent to his kid.
“I’m a Mother,” Pretenders: pretty in-your-face manifesto of how tough Chrissy is because she’s a mom.
So I ask you, the collected brain trust of the SDMB, for suggestions for songs to include. If you can give a synopsis of what the song is about that would be helpful as well when I go to iTunes!
Songs . . . . Well, there’s Havin’ My Baby, but that’s a completely excrable song, of course.
Danny’s Song by Anne Murray is vintage Easy Listenin’, but I think a nice little song just the same (“People smile and tell me I’m the lucky one/We’ve just begun/Think I’m gonna have a son”).
Elton John’s The Greatest Discovery is pretty good, though it’s more about the birth of a second child. (“And all you ever learned from them/Until you grew much older/Could not compare to when they said/This is your brand new brother”).
That’s the one I thought of, and there are versions by Kenny Loggins and Lonestar if that’s any better for you.
This isn’t an obvious one, but Richard Shindell’s Spring seems to be about a new baby coming. And it just sounds nice. I had friends expecting a baby in June so this song was perfect.
I am ashamed to admit that the first thing that popped into my head upon reading the OP was Havin’ My Baby, and the second thing that popped into my head was Watching Scotty Grow. Both of which I loathe.
And now I can’t get the mixture out of my head. Which renders all attempts to think of decent music for the occasion futile.
This one is rather evil if you know the context but - “Look at my baby and me” from the musical Chicago (I used to sing this to my kids all the time when they were tiny. I expect that probably says something about me…)
Also slightly out of left field (but not evil) - “Let’s Stick Together” - Bryan Ferry
Though I absolutely detest the song, some people like Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Soliloquy” from Carousel. I find it maudlin, cliched, and ultimately pretty appalling, but it does try to cover a father’s emotions about the birth of a child.
Art Garfunkel sings a song called “The Things We’ve Handed Down.” It’s more about not knowing how a baby will turn out (including its sex), so it’s not a perfect fit, but I love it. Marc Cohn has a version, too (his was first; he wrote the song) but I haven’t heard it.
Carly Simon wrote a song to her children called “Love of my Life.”
It’s not necessarily about parenting, but every since etoys (remember them?) used Israel Kamakawiwaole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” medley for their ads, I always associate that song with little children.
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” - Stevie Wonder
“Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” - Van Morrison
“God Bless the Child” - Tony Bennett
“God Only Knows” - Beach Boys
“In My Life” - Beatles
“Baby Mine” - Bette Midler
Celine Dion has a whole album called “Miracle” dedicated to her baby. The whole album is right on topic. The title track pretty much makes my wife a blubbering mess for the rest of the day.
