# "Thank you" songs, non-love? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 1, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276 "2026-02-01T18:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Berwynite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@Berwynite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berwynite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/1 "2026-02-01T18:23:24Z")
I had a co-worker go way out of her way to do something very nice for me at a time I was struggling. No other soul at the office even seemed to notice. So, as a hobbyist woodworker, I have been making her a gift as a thank you. In addition I wanted to email her a thank you song. As I am always the guy playing music in the office. The problem is thank you songs are so often love based. As a married guy I don’t want to give that impression. Is there such a thing? That isn’t corny? Am I playing with fire? TIA ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/2 "2026-02-01T18:45:33Z")
FYI: Flagged for forum change Edit to add: Welcome to the Boards! Your question is better suited for the Cafe Society forum. I’ve asked the moderators to move it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/3 "2026-02-01T18:47:47Z")
The gift is fine. The song is just asking for it to be misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/4 "2026-02-01T18:50:01Z")
Moving to Cafe society, as the primary question is about songs. But @Berwynite , if you want to get more general responses, i can move it to IMHO. Just let me (or any mod) know, either by flagging your own post (to notify all the mods) or by DMing a mod. Note that flagging for a forum change doesn’t suggest any problem, other than wanting a better fit to the forum, and the mods are happy to have posts reported for forum changes, misspelled name, etc. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/5 "2026-02-01T19:12:31Z")
The obvious [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/voNEgCKzves/hqdefault.jpg "Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voNEgCKzves) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/6 "2026-02-01T19:14:34Z")
The funky [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wj5VODa-eTY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGH8gNCg0MA8=&rs=AOn4CLA3UG2E1K5OZaQjqCfdn4Igyxc1JA "Sly & The Family Stone Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) HQ Audio") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj5VODa-eTY) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/7 "2026-02-01T19:17:00Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Dkq7WZTzkLQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Scrooge - Thank You Very Much") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkq7WZTzkLQ) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vq50fZWny8M/maxresdefault.jpg "The Scaffold - Thank U Very Much For The NHS ( Weird Footage 1968 )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq50fZWny8M) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/8 "2026-02-02T03:34:43Z")
“With a Little Help from my Friends”? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/9 "2026-02-02T08:09:45Z")
[Sesame Street and SZA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prfgttvXwAU) has you covered. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/10 "2026-02-02T08:31:20Z")
Why not just tell her that she’s the best: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/p44G0U4sLCE/maxresdefault.jpg "You're The Best") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44G0U4sLCE) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/11 "2026-02-02T08:32:30Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The gift is fine. The song is just asking for it to be misunderstood. This. The homemade gift is fine as a thank-you, and with something like “Listen, you did something nice for me and I hope you’ll accept this as a token of my thanks” is all you need do. But a song, even something as innocent as “Thank You for Being a Friend” by Andrew Gold, is (IMHO) bordering on creepy, given that the two of you are not in a relationship. ---
**Author:** ![cieskokid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cieskokid/32/5374_2.png) [@cieskokid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cieskokid)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/12 "2026-02-02T15:20:51Z")
I would 2nd this suggestion. A gift and a grateful word says just enough, a gift with a song is a step over into the hazy world of misinterpretation; sending music implies a romantic interest & I’ve messed up a couple of female friendships this way. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/13 "2026-02-02T21:51:14Z")
Forget the song. Too many ways that can blow up in your face. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/14 "2026-02-02T22:19:18Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > “With a Little Help from my Friends”? Works for me. He isn’t directly addressing his benefactors but let’s not quibble over technicalities. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/15 "2026-02-02T22:28:23Z")
Except for that “I just need someone to love” bit. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/16 "2026-02-02T22:43:33Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > Except for that “I just need someone to love” bit . Yeah. I forgot about that part. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/17 "2026-02-03T01:52:23Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > Except for that “I just need someone to love” bit. Yes, but he’s still acknowledging the help he already gets from his friends. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/18 "2026-02-03T07:52:53Z")
We’re talking about the Beatles version here, right? Because the Joe Cocker cover is _definitely_ inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/19 "2026-02-03T18:32:55Z")
I am. I can’t stand Joe Cocker’s take on it. ---
**Author:** ![Berwynite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@Berwynite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berwynite)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-you-songs-non-love/1027276/20 "2026-02-04T00:27:43Z")
I appreciate all the advice. This seems to be the overwhelming sentiment. We’ll skip the song and stick with the serving tray, cheeseboard, and coasters.