Happy Father's Day - 16 Great Songs About Fatherhood and Dear Old Dad

Happy Father's Day!

Today we celebrate Dads in all their forms and functions. Funny, helpful, hard, and loving, just to name a few qualities.  

As we have with Mother's Day, with the help of our readers, we have compiled a playlist of songs dedicated to Dads.

While songs about Mom can be sentimental - and yes, we have some songs in that vein for Dad - this list has a few hard edges. Some of the songs have a brief discussion of why they are on the list, and those without are self-explanatory. 

Before we get to the playlist, this is possibly the greatest quote on fatherhood we've read, and it comes from Mark Twain:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Thanks to our friends and readers for the pictures in our montage - Dad, you're looking great!

Tenderness on The Block - Warren Zevon

Relatable for any father who has seen his daughter go on her first date. Read the lyrics here.


Already One - Neil Young

Father to Son - this song was written by Young about his son, who has cerebral palsy.

Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross


My Hometown - Bruce Springsteen

Not a song about fatherhood or Dad per se, but the song starts and ends with verses on fathers and sons in the context of societal changes. 

   

A Love Without End Amen - George Strait



Cats and The Cradle - Harry Chapin

Maybe this song helps explain why Babyboomer fathers and subsequent generations have tried spending a little more time with their kids.


Daughters - NAS

Talk about bein' real! Pops isn't exactly happy with his daughter's choices. NAS has a degree of irony in this song.



Papa Don't Preach - Madonna

Any teenage girl who has rebelled against Dad can probably identify with this.  

Color Him Father - The Winstons

One of our favorite songs about fatherhood in all its forms.   


Daddy Could Swear, I Declare - Glady Knight and the Pips 

Many fathers will declare guilty to this! 

Things Dads Do - Thomas Rhett

Remember being pissed at the old man when he gave you chores? Well, maybe there was a method to his madness.



Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations 

As noted, not all songs about Pop paint him in a great color. A number 1 hit by the Temptations, this song was released at the time Motown artists started taking an edgier approach. Released by Motown before Marvin Gaye's groundbreaking What's Going On album.


Believe - Brooks & Dunn

Fatherhood across races, ages, and years - What a message! 


Father & Son - Cat Stevens/Yusuf

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

This song is not about fatherhood, but given the circumstances of Gaye's untimely death, the line father, father, we don't need to escalate, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate, cannot be ignored. Some have suggested this song was a plea from Marvin to his father Marvin Gaye Sr.

A Boy Named Sue - Johhny Cash

If you think about it, this could be the consummate Father's Day song. Dad abandons his baby and mother but wanted to make sure he made it through life, and in the end, they reconcile.



You may not like us, but here you are! Follow us on Twitter @ElkGroveNews Follow us on YouTube
Copyright by Elk Grove News © 2023. All right reserved.