# Help me find some tribute songs for fathers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582 "2005-02-17T18:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/1 "2005-02-17T18:57:18Z")
My mother-in-law is planning a family reunion this summer and is having a program about her (now departed) father. She wants her grandchildren to sing a popular song about fathers and suggested _Love Without End, Amen_ by George Strait. Normally, I like George, but this song in particular grates on me (at least partially by being overplayed). Help me find some alternatives. Ground rules: 1. It should be about fathers or grandfathers or other patriarch-types. 2. It should be mostly complimentary - no “my dad screwed up my life” songs. 3. Any singable genre will do - country, rock, pop, etc. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![TheInterruptingCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9c0ed/32.png) [@TheInterruptingCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInterruptingCow)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/2 "2005-02-17T20:04:55Z")
Dan Fogelberg - “The Leader of the Band”. Might be too topical, and it’s aldo pretty schmalzy. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/3 "2005-02-17T20:10:23Z")
_My Father_ by Judy Collins is a beautiful song. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/4 "2005-02-17T20:19:11Z")
_Father and Son_ by Cat Stevens ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/5 "2005-02-17T23:13:01Z")
Whatever you do, don’t succumb to “Butterfly Kisses,” possibly the worst song ever written. Everyone uses it for the father-daughter dance at their weddings, which just proves to me that there are still a lot of people out there who like that song…enought to use it at their own weddings! Unacceptable! ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/6 "2005-02-17T23:53:29Z")
**A boy named Sue** of course. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/7 "2005-02-18T00:05:16Z")
How about Peter Gabriel’s _Father, Son_? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/8 "2005-02-18T00:19:12Z")
Complimentary, eh? I guess that leaves off **Papa Was A Rolling Stone**. And for God’s sake, stay away from **Father Figure!** - **Color Him Father** by The Winstons, although the Gil-Scott Heron cover’s nice too. - **Just The Two of Us** ; either the Bill Withers/Grover Washington original or the Will Smith cover ## Natalie Cole’s remastered duet with her father, **Unforgettable** , but more for the two singing together than the lyrics-- which, if you think about them too much, are kindy icky. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/9 "2005-02-18T00:20:29Z")
Ack. Not Gil Scott-Heron, Bobby Womack. My father would be appalled. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/10 "2005-02-18T02:28:38Z")
Dunno what would qualify here as a “popular” song, but the one that comes to my mind reached #6 on the Billboard Top 40 chart for 1963: **My Dad** by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, sung by Paul Petersen\* It’s reasonably short and mostly complimentary. My own dad liked it. \*“Jeff Stone” from _The Donna Reed Show_ ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/11 "2005-02-18T05:19:13Z")
How about _Daddy’s Hands_ by Holly Dunn? ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/12 "2005-02-18T07:41:02Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > **A boy named Sue** of course. Don’t forget “Cat’s in the Cradle” (Harry Chapin), “For You” (Staind), and “Daddy” (Korn). Seriously though, “The Living Years” (Mike & the Mechanics). ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/13 "2005-02-18T07:51:54Z")
“Hold Me My Daddy” by XTC. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/14 "2005-02-18T08:03:25Z")
Paul Simon did a song ‘Father and Daughter’; it’s most everything a daughter could want from her dad. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/15 "2005-02-18T08:12:59Z")
> [@aurelian](#): > > Paul Simon did a song ‘Father and Daughter’; it’s most everything a daughter could want from her dad. No relation to “Mother and Child Reunion”? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/16 "2005-02-18T16:09:24Z")
“People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend . . .” “Best Friend,” by Harry Nilsson (theme song for _The Courtship of Eddie’s Father_) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/17 "2005-02-18T16:27:44Z")
How about Luther Vandross’s “Dance with my Father”? ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/18 "2005-02-18T17:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by \*\*Othersider[b/]: > No relation to “Mother and Child Reunion”? I thought of that when I posted. 🙂 It’s a song from a kid’s movie, _The Wild Thornberrys_, which I haven’t seen. To me, it’s a really tender song, though it might veer into saccharine territory for others. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/19 "2005-02-18T17:20:11Z")
**Captain AMazing** - wow, my boss just suggested a copy of Mr. Vandoss’s song. Good choice. I appreciate all the help - I also have suggestions for _My Father’s Eyes_ by Eric Clapton and _The Best Day_ by George Strait. Someone suggested _When You Come Back To Me Again_, but it seems you would have to have seen the movie **Frequency** for that to have any Father-Sons significance. I’m a little surprised, I have just shy of 15,000 MP3’s (all legally obtained as part of a DJ service I used to belong to), and I could find more songs about loving fast food than about parental love. I’m sure its significant/Fruedian somehow. Thank you all again, and keep up the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582/20 "2005-02-18T17:23:45Z")
Reba McEntire’s _The Greatest Man_, although that’s a bit depressing. Celine Dion’s _Because You Loved Me_ (I think that’s it) doesn’t specifically mention fathers, but it does talk about “Holding me up when I couldn’t reach” and “You were my voice when I couldn’t speak.” I always thought that would be a nice Father/Daughter wedding dance song. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-some-tribute-songs-for-fathers/290582.md?page=2)