Five Song Lyrics To Get a Parent in “The Feels”
Let’s face it: parenting is an emotional experience. From day one (and even prior to that), our kids put us through the ringer. Deliriousness. Exhaustion. Anger. Confusion. Happiness. Sadness. It’s all there.
But all that said, they mean the world to us, and even when we’re at the end of our tether, often it’s a simple, single moment – a smile, a turn of phrase, a touch – that makes everything beautiful again.
Music has always been a chief inducer of whatever emotion lies within each and every one of us, so it’s no surprise that there’s been some pretty stirring songs that embody the peerless love of a parent. Here are five of The Dad Website‘s favourites.
“Beautiful Boy” John Lennon
Close your eyes
Have no fear
The monster’s gone
He’s on the run and your daddy’s here
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy…
I’ve sung this line – from one of Lennon’s most underrated tunes – to my girls on many a night, crucially exchanging ‘boy’ with ‘girl’. Whether the monster would indeed be on the run from me is another matter (that they need not worry about).
“Daughter” Loudon Wainwright III
And that’s my daughter in the water
I lost every time I fought her
Yeah, I lost every time
Beautiful tune from a great artist. This line reminds me of my middle child: vivacious, funny, spirited, sweet and, often, bloody hard work. And yes, I lost every time I fought her.
“All the Wine” The National
I carry the dollhouse, safe on my shoulders
Through the black city, night lights are on in the corners
And everyone’s sleeping upstairs
All safe and sound… I won’t let the psychos around…
OK, so this one isn’t really about parenting – more like an incoherent jumble of self-affirmation – but the lyric highlighted here, set to a poignant swell nearing the song’s conclusion, seems to capture the heaviness that comes with being a provider.
“Isn’t She Lovely” Stevie Wonder
I never thought through love we’d be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn’t she lovely, made from love?
A rousing celebration of the birth of Wonder’s daughter, Aisha, this 1976 classic can’t help but grab hold of a parent and transport them back to the opening minutes of their first-born’s life – and the giddy feeling of love that sets in, never to leave. Pop-sweetness from the pop-simplicity specialist.
“Red Robin” Clark Richard
Now our little lady’s out with daddy for the day
She fought the yawns but couldn’t stay awake
As I place her in the car
She’s out like a light
Cause she knows I’ll get her home all right…
A curmudgeon would label this song as home-video-soundtrack fodder. Or something. Which it is. But that’s not a necessarily a bad thing… Damn, who’s been cutting onions?!