Music: Best songs about the singer's relationship with their parents

[NyQuil]

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

 

[Stylizer1]

 

[LokiDog]

The obvious Pearl Jam choices are Better Man and Release so I'll go for something both more and less obvious



Brandon Flowers has also done several songs about his parents over the years

For PJ, this was always the one that felt most like a song TO a parent, to me… though we could also probably make a case for Alive

 

[Raging Bull]

Release, Alive, etc. A ton of early Pearl Jam lol

 

[Osprey]

How did I not think of this? It was one of my favorites as a kid and I can still sing the whole thing from memory. I remember showing my mom the music video when it came on MTV so that she could know the struggle of being a child. She was not impressed.

 

[Stylizer1]

 

[frisco]

Independence Day-Bruce Springsteen
Mama Loved The Roses-Elvis Presley
My Father's Chair-Rick Springfield
Boy Named Sue-Johnny Cash
The Baron-Johnny Cash
Landslide-Fleetwood Mac
The Living Years-Mike And The Mechanics


My Best-Carey

 

[kook10]

2nd page and neither of these?

 

[Jack Straw]

A number of people have posted songs by John Lennon but no one has posted Julia???

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I think it's close enough, with "don't call me daughter" being from kid perspective.

Isn’t daughter about a girl who has a learning disability and can’t get the help she needs? Or something like that?

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

 

[Teemu]

 

[SmytheKing]

 

[Unholy Diver]

Here's one for the Step Dads

 

[Unholy Diver]

Another favorite, a bit of a tear jerker

 

[Ceremony]

For PJ, this was always the one that felt most like a song TO a parent, to me… though we could also probably make a case for Alive

I know the song, I know the film, I know Eddie's life, I might never have realised that song might have been about personal experience. Whoops.

 

[Guardian17]

 

[reckoning]

One of Tori's best songs, about her relationship with her father:

 

[Hammettf2b]

 

[Xelebes]

Someone posted Suicidal Tendencies but let's bring in NoMeansNo:

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Probably my favorite song by Atmosphere.

First verse is the father Slug speaking to his son Jacob.
Second verse is Slug speaking to his father "Bones".
Third verse is Slug speaking to his future self.

Feels like this second verse was ripped out directly from my life experience.

Technically this song does include the POV of the parent to the kid, but the more important part to me is the second verse of him speaking to his father.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

 

[Hippasus]

I think this one is more about a son reflecting back fondly on what his father taught him, which could still be directed to the father. I don't really know. Just throwing that out there. Beautiful song regardless.