# Songs about parental advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641 "2016-12-02T15:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/21 "2016-12-02T18:59:05Z")
[Mammas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_wmASF3jYA) was the first one I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/22 "2016-12-02T19:04:50Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > [Mammas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_wmASF3jYA) was the first one I thought of. Although that’s framed as advice _to_ parents, not advice _from_ parents. (Granted, the thread title doesn’t make this distinction, so you may have thought of it before reading the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/23 "2016-12-02T19:07:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Although that’s framed as advice _to_ parents, not advice _from_ parents. (Granted, the thread title doesn’t make this distinction, so you may have thought of it before reading the OP.) :smack: Yup, just came back to say that, having read the OP more carefully. Never mind! ---
**Author:** ![UncleMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e0b2c6/32.png) [@UncleMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleMoose)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/24 "2016-12-02T19:10:23Z")
Cat’s in the Cradle, Harry Chapin ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/25 "2016-12-02T19:37:23Z")
[Don’t Put It in Your Mouth](https://youtu.be/tJ9r3nVHAb0) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/26 "2016-12-02T20:05:31Z")
Cat Steven’s Father & Son Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/27 "2016-12-02T22:10:15Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > [Mammas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_wmASF3jYA) was the first one I thought of. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Although that’s framed as advice _to_ parents, not advice _from_ parents. (Granted, the thread title doesn’t make this distinction, so you may have thought of it before reading the OP.) > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > :smack: Yup, just came back to say that, having read the OP more carefully. Never mind! Yep, I came in to contribute “Teach Your Children Well” by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Never mind! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/28 "2016-12-02T22:15:44Z")
_Blues In The Night_, by Johnny Mercer. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/29 "2016-12-02T22:50:10Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Momma Said Knock You Out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vimZj8HW0Kg) - LL Cool J Thank you for that; that suggestion made me laugh out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/30 "2016-12-02T23:35:35Z")
_Fancy_[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zplc4Ienkws](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zplc4Ienkws) ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/31 "2016-12-03T00:30:08Z")
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) Genesis > [@](#): > > There’s always been Ethel > “Jacob, wake up, you’ve got to tidy your room now!” > And then Mister Lewis > “Isn’t it time that he was out on his own?” > [@](#): > > Sunday night, Mr. Farmer called, said > “Listen son, you’re wasting time > There’s a future for you in the fire escape trade > Come up to town” > [@](#): > > But I remembered a voice from the past > “Gambling only pays when you’re winning!” > I had to thank old Miss Mort for schooling a failure > Keep them mowing blades sharp ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/32 "2016-12-03T01:15:48Z")
It’s gotta be this one: [Percy Sledge - Take time to know her - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUOkBvxSoHw) If he had listened to mama, he wouldn’t have come home to find his wife kissin’ on another man. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/33 "2016-12-03T16:42:17Z")
Man named Sue - Johnny Cash ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/34 "2016-12-03T19:46:09Z")
_My Pappy said, “Boy, yer gonna drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop drivin’ that **Hod Rod Lincoln** ”_ ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/35 "2016-12-03T21:52:52Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > _Blues In The Night_, by Johnny Mercer. That’s what I was going to post. [Lonely Boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRlAnwk-mYs) - Andrew Gold [Forever Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgiLWNgpXiQ) - Rod Stewart [Closing Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niz9FtJIB2Y)\* - Semisonic \*Not obvious. The video explains the connection. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/36 "2016-12-03T22:00:15Z")
Genesis also featured Mrs. Barrel advising her son Harold not to commit suicide: \*Upon the ledge beside him His mother made a last request. “Come off the ledge If your father were alive he’d be very, very, very upset Just can’t jump, you just can’t jump Your shirt’s all dirty, there’s a man here from the BBC You just can’t jump”\* ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/37 "2016-12-03T22:09:45Z")
From Peter, Paul and Mary (or other folk group if you prefer), the following brilliant parental advice: _When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me, “Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree.” “Don’t put your faith in love, my boy”, my father said to me, “I fear you’ll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree.”_ Gettin’ into that sippin’ whiskey again, huh Dad? ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/38 "2016-12-04T13:29:24Z")
Kooks - David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/39 "2016-12-04T13:40:16Z")
**Merle Haggard - Mama Tried** : [Merle Haggard - Mama Tried - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuc4nfJByc) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641/40 "2016-12-04T18:52:16Z")
As stand-up comic Rob Paravonian noted, “I’ll Be There For You” involves spelling out that _“your mother warned you there’d be days like these”_ – you know, shortly after famously claiming that _“no one told you life was gonna be this way.”_ “THEY FORGOT WHAT THEY WROTE! 30 SECONDS INTO THEIR OWN DAMN SONG!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-parental-advice/773641.md?page=3)