“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd or there is also an acoustic version by Shinedown.
With that in mind…Kill Your Sons by Lou Reed.
I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack.
A crossover tune but powerful lyrics.
A Boy named Sue
Excellent point. I wish I had your memory and your CD collection.
Thanks again to all who have contributed so far. I had a great time reading lyrics online last night.
Having slept on it, I think I now need something positive from the parent’s point of view: how great it is to be a parent, etc. I’ve got the other angles covered, with help from the above.
Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham.
It’s subject to interpretation but I’ve always thought it was a child out on her own for the first time. She’s telling her mom that she’s fine but she knows her mom isn’t believing it through worry.
Whooooooooo[sup]ooooooo[/sup]oooooh, Sweeet child of miiiiii[sup]iiine![/sup]
[sup]Whoooo[/sup]oooooo oh [sub]oh[/sub] Sweet child of miiiiiiiii[sub]iiine[/sub]
–Guns N’ Roses
On a nicer note, Child of Mine by Carole King
You want old stuff, I’m all over that.
I’ve got some examples from the 70s but I’m guessing you want something more contemporary.
“Just The Two of Us” by Will Smith?
Yakity Yak (Don’t Talk Back)
Does Your Mother Know?–ABBA
How about something from Rosemary Clooney’s album, Mothers and Daughters? There’s Thank Heaven For Little Girls, A Child is Only a Moment, Look to the Rainbow, amongst others. Or for something a little more contemporary, how about Bread’s Daugther, or Paul Simon’s Father and Daughter.
Then there’s Creed’s With Arms Wide Open, John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy, Phil Collins’ Father to Son, or Queen’s Father to Son, too.
“Mama” by Genesis. About a boy’s love for his mother.
Ben Folds, “Still Fighting It.” “Good morning, son…in twenty years from now, maybe we’ll both sit down and have a few beers. And I can tell you about today, and how I picked you up, and everything changed.”
Live, “Heaven.” “I don’t need no one to tell me about Heaven…I look at my daughter, and I believe.”
I don’t know what the purpose is, but this is a great thread!
“Our House” by ? (in the middle of the street)–'80’s artist
Cindy Lauper-“girls just want to have fun”.
Paul McCartney–“Bend Little Willow” on his Flaming Pie CD. Tribute to a child who died. Beautiful. (sorry, they all seem to be sad–poignant).
Can’t think of any right now, but know there are more.
Yeah. Maybe someday someone will give a talk about menus in Chinese restaurants.
From Jefferson Starship’s 1970 Blows Against the Empire Lp: “the Baby Tree” and “A Child Is Coming.” Both were written while Grace Slick was pregnant (with Paul Kantner’s baby) .
A year later, Slick recorderd “China” (on the “Sunfigher” Lp) about the daughter she eventually had (“China” is the daughter’s name).
Is that what that song is about? Really? I’ve never known. Seriously. But now I have it stuck in my head, so that’s nice.
“St. Judy’s Comet” still stands, though.
'Cause if I can’t sing my boy to sleep
Well it makes your famous daddy look so dumb
Wilco - “My Darling” and “Dreamer In My Dreams”
Well, it’s more folk than rock, and just a few lyrics rather than the whole song, but Arlo Guthrie’s City of New Orleans has these lines:
“Sons of Pullman porters, and sons of engineers,
Ride their father’s magic carpets made of steel,
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin’ to the gentle beat,
The rhythm of the rails is all they feel.”
Eric Clapton - Circus Left Town
Little man with his heart so pure
And his love so fine
Stick with me and I’ll ride with you
Till the end of the line
Hold my hand and I’ll walk with you
Through the darkest night
When I smile I’ll be thinking of you
And everything will be alright
and My Father’s Eyes
*
As my soul slides down to die.
How could I lose him?
What did I try?
Bit by bit, I’ve realized
That he was here with me;
I looked into my father’s eyes.
My father’s eyes.
I looked into my father’s eyes.
My father’s eyes. *
Mexican Home by John Prine
Was I Right or Wrong? - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn
Little Red Shoes - Loretta Lynn
Story of my Life - Loretta Lynn
Mama - Genesis
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen