Comments on: Songs TO children, but not FOR children.

Question: Songs TO children, but not FOR children.

clh — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:55:15 -0800

Playlist filter: Songs TO children (not FOR children). I am looking for songs written to a child or children, whether in fact, or in your perception. What I am NOT looking for is children's music. NO Barney, The Wiggles, etc. Example: "Fix You" by Coldplay

By: ClarissaWAM

ClarissaWAM — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:59:34 -0800

To Zion by Lauryn Hill (more or less)

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:59:45 -0800

"Clair" by Gilbert O'Sullivan

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:02:30 -0800

Horace Loeb's "Heaven Better Save Some Tears" and Willips Brighton's "Ain't No Fun."

By: TheRaven

TheRaven — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:03:14 -0800

Pink Floyd - Brick in the Wall

By: null terminated

null terminated — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:03:28 -0800

Father & Daughter - Paul Simon

By: jferg

jferg — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:03:59 -0800

"Gracie" by Ben Folds
"Annabella's Song" by Everclear

By: luriete

luriete — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:06:05 -0800

I always read "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin as an apology to a child (or a grown up child).

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:06:32 -0800

Bowie's Kooks

By: jkaczor

jkaczor — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:07:00 -0800

Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton

By: TwoWordReview

TwoWordReview — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:08:12 -0800

Little James - Oasis (awful awful song though)
Hey Jude - The Beatles

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:09:40 -0800

"Beautiful Boy" -John Lennon
"Hey Jude"

By: jkaczor

jkaczor — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:11:16 -0800

Father and Son - Cat Stevens (luriete's Cat's in the Cradle jogged my memory)

By: jkaczor

jkaczor — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:12:58 -0800

Sunscreen Song - Not aimed at young children, but "youth".

By: Addlepated

Addlepated — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:13:02 -0800

Creed - With Arms Wide Open
Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) - Billy Joel
Wonderful Baby - Don Maclean
Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle

Lots of lullabies are written to children.

By: cushie

cushie — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:13:43 -0800

Loudon Wainwright III: Rufus is a Tit Man; I'd Rather be Lonely

By: LittleMissCranky

LittleMissCranky — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:13:49 -0800

"Isn't She Lovely" -- Stevie Wonder

By: azlondon

azlondon — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:14:36 -0800

Bob Dylan - Forever Young

By: jacalata

jacalata — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:15:46 -0800

Tears In Heaven is about/to Eric Clapton's dead son.

By: Wink Ricketts

Wink Ricketts — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:15:51 -0800

"Memo to my Son" -- Randy Newman

By: scody

scody — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:16:28 -0800

Paul Weller has several songs to his children (he has a son and three daughters): "Moon on Your Pyjamas" (on Wild Wood), "Sweet Pea, My Sweet Pea" (Heliocentric) and "Who Brings Joy" (Illumination). I must say they're all very sweet, but not really among his strongest songs (though "Sweet Pea" is probably the one I like the most).

By: jacalata

jacalata — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:16:42 -0800

wow - I swear I hadn't had the window open that long! sorry.

By: csg77

csg77 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:20:41 -0800

Hey Matthew (what do you see) - Karel Fialka

By: dobbs

dobbs — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:21:44 -0800

Just about every track on Clem Snide's Soft Spot is about or to Eef's newborn child.

By: Doublewhiskeycokenoice

Doublewhiskeycokenoice — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:21:58 -0800

"If I Had a Son" by Bad Astronaut is a word of advice to an imaginary kid.

"What's Left of the Flag" by Flogging Molly has a chorus that is sung by a dying father to his son.

"Cheap Shot Youth Anthem" by Kid Dynamite isn't to any kid in particular, but a plea that all the younguns stick around in the scene and have fun with the grownups.

"Pink and Blue" by The Mountain Goats is a song to a newborn.

"Take it on the Chin" by William Elliott Whitmore is another father to son song.

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica is to a child going to sleep. I like the Pat Boone version better.

"Goodnight Irene" is sometimes addressed to a chiild.

"Birthday IOU" by ALL is to an aborted child. It's pretty dark, but it's a good song.

That's all I've got for now. Hope it helps.

By: samw

samw — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:28:34 -0800

St. Judy's Comet - a lullaby by Paul Simon for his son.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:32:40 -0800

"When You Dream" by Barenaked Ladies is a very sweet lullaby sung to an infant.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:35:07 -0800

wow - I swear I hadn't had the window open that long!

That's what he said.

I'm sorry, I'm going to hell now.

By: srah

srah — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:35:42 -0800

Cécile ma fille by Claude Nougaro

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:36:36 -0800

Doug Carn - Little B's Poem

Chris Ligon is a very entertaining, off-kilter songwriter. "Look at the Birdy" is song from a Sears photographer who's trying to get a smile out of a kid.

By: muddgirl

muddgirl — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:38:03 -0800

"Sail to the Moon" by Radiohead, is reportedly written to Thom Yorke's son.

By: Milkman Dan

Milkman Dan — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:41:56 -0800

Another Ben Folds song for you: "Still Fighting It." A gorgeous song written to a newborn son from a father who has no idea how to relate to him, but wants to pass on advice about life:

"Good morning son,
I am a bird,
wearing a brown polyester shirt.
You want a coke?
Maybe some fries?
The roast beef combo's only $9.95
It's okay, you don't have to pay,
I've got all the change...
Everybody knows,
It sucks to grow up."

"20 years from now,
maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers..."

By: selton

selton — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:42:47 -0800

Jolene by Dolly Parton, although I'd never have guessed without hearing her interviewed about it.

By: Sassyfras

Sassyfras — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:48:51 -0800

Daughter by Pearl Jam.

By: bkudria

bkudria — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:50:49 -0800

How about "Cats In The Cradle & The Silver Spoon" by Guns N' Roses?

By: SBMike

SBMike — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:52:14 -0800

Haley's Song by Eminem

By: tristeza

tristeza — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:52:50 -0800

You Ruined Everything by Jonathan Coulton.

By: decathecting

decathecting — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:53:26 -0800

Will Smith's "Just the Two of Us"

By: danwalker

danwalker — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:53:59 -0800

Stone Temple Pilots, "A Song For Sleeping" on the Shangri-La-Dee-Da record.

By: forrest

forrest — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:57:21 -0800

"Turn Around" (the one Harry Belafonte did in the old Kodak commercials). Several artists (e.g., Kenny Loggins, Nancy Griffith) have covered it.

By: jlub

jlub — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:00:50 -0800

Boxing Gandhis - "Born for This"
Toy Matinee - "Queen of Misery" (so cheerful!)

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:01:56 -0800

The very beautiful Pretenders song, Show Me.

By: twoporedomain

twoporedomain — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:03:04 -0800

Love of My Life by Carly Simon (I don't think she's said as much, but that's how I had always interpreted it)

By: duckus

duckus — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:09:13 -0800

World Before Columbus by Suzanne Vega.

and also .. Birthday (Love Made Real) if you are also counting songs about child birth.

By: scrump

scrump — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:17:55 -0800

My First Child, by Nil Lara. Heartbreaking.

By: hwestiii

hwestiii — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:26:18 -0800

Richard Thompson - "The End of the Rainbow" -- NOT uplifting

By: crazycanuck

crazycanuck — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:35:35 -0800

Put It Off by The Tragically Hip.

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:38:52 -0800

A Little Soul by PULP is written from the perspective of a father to a son, although it mentions "treating your woman so bad" so it's not to a child per se, but it has the great chorus of "You look like me, but please don't turn out like me"

By: kimota

kimota — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:45:06 -0800

The first song off of both of Jellyfish's albums are songs from a father to a child: "The Man I Used To Be," and "Hush."

I've never been able to hear the Beatles's "Good Night" as anything but a song from a parent to a child.

"Ooh La La" by the Faces.

What is possibly John Cougar Mellencamp's best song, "Minutes To Memories."

And *ahem* then there's XTC's "Pink Thing." Such as it is.

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:51:36 -0800

"Lovin' You" by Minnie Ripperton (interesting sidenote: the child in question is Ripperton's daughter, who has grown up to be a castmember of SNL -- Maya Rudolph)

By: em

em — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:00:42 -0800

Precious by Depeche Mode.

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:01:46 -0800

The Decemberists - Cautionary Song

How about "Cats In The Cradle & The Silver Spoon" by Guns N' Roses?

By Guns n Roses?!

By: robcorr

robcorr — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:10:14 -0800

Paul Kelly's When I First Met Your Ma. (Which I always imagine is meant to be sung to the child while the mother is in earshot...)

By: robcorr

robcorr — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:11:04 -0800

By Guns n Roses?!

Of course not. It was Ugly Kid Joe... :-P

By: thanotopsis

thanotopsis — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:17:14 -0800

"Sweet Baby James" by Jim Croce. My wife has sung that to each of our children when they were babies, and she's got a beautiful singing voice. Chokes me up every time.

"Heaven" by Live, has a great lyric: "I don't need no one to tell me about heaven/I look at my daughter, and I believe", but every song after his first daughter was born essentially was about being a dad and having little girls.

With each child we've had, my wife and I have assigned them a song as their signature song. For my eldest, it was John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy", for my youngest son, it was The Beatles' "I Will", and for my little girl, it's George Harrison's "Here Coms the Sun". If we have a fourth, I'm sure we'll have t find something suitable from Ringo.

By: Seamus

Seamus — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:37:01 -0800

Connor, Welcome - By Atom and His Package

By: infinityjinx

infinityjinx — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:51:38 -0800

"Little Star" by Madonna

By: Pinback

Pinback — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:56:11 -0800

My Little Angel by William Shakespeare (not the 16th century one) - sort of; it's a story within a song.

Save All Your Kisses For Me, the slightly-disturbing Eurovision-winner by Brotherhood Of Man.

Here endeth the 70's...

By: evilcolonel

evilcolonel — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:58:13 -0800

Good Night - the Beatles

By: AgentRocket

AgentRocket — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:35:52 -0800

Little Miss Magic, by Jimmy Buffett. Beautiful.

I think this one is just perception, but Secret Smile by Semisonic.

By: kidsleepy

kidsleepy — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:36:14 -0800

one of my top ten favorite songs (of all genres, not just lullabyes):

Little Potato by Metamora

You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
You're my little potato, they dug you up,
You come from underground!

The world is big, so big, so very big!
To you, it's new, it's new to you!

You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
You're my little potato, they dug you up,
You come from underground!

Let's talk about root crops (they dug you up),
And lamb chops (they chew on you),
And things to eat...like apples
and cheese and 'nanas and cream,
Jellies and butter,
it's late at night, I hope this little bottle helps you go to sleep!

They must have grown you wild,
you make a grown man a child,
I'll go and play in the mud
to be with you my spud (potato).
When you came out looking red as a beet,
You had wrinkles on the bottoms of your feet!

Oh, you are so sweet potato!
You're my sweet potato,
you're my sweet potato, dug you up!
You come from underground!

You smile, a smile, a little smile!
The world is small, so small, it's very small!

You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
you're my little potato, they dug you up,
You come from underground!

You're my little potato, you're my little potato,
you're my little potato...

By: icontemplate

icontemplate — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:36:33 -0800

Zoe Jane by Staind.

By: fuzzbean

fuzzbean — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:00:23 -0800

Vienna Teng: "Anna Rose" and "Lullabye for a Stormy Night"

By: Soliloquy

Soliloquy — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:22:49 -0800

Miracle Drug, U2

By: Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:58:35 -0800

"No Lullabye" by Jethro Tull
"Sweet Child Of Mine" By Guns & Roses

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:41:31 -0800

Luriete beat me to it with "Cat's in the Cradle", but that's the story of my father and I. Gives me chills every time I hear it, and it's in many of my playlists.

"And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

By: The Mauve Frog

The Mauve Frog — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:45:54 -0800

Eleanor by The Violet Burning

By: scody

scody — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:51:40 -0800

"Sweet Child Of Mine" By Guns & Roses

Um...

By: Violet Hour

Violet Hour — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:01:16 -0800

"Playboy Mommy" by Tori Amos.

By: Anything

Anything — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:53:24 -0800

"Little Child Runnin' Wild" by Curtis Mayfield is more about than to children, but it does flip between first, second and third persons.

Great song, too.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:21:41 -0800

The Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy
Bobby Conn- Never Get Ahead (All Ages Version)
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (I keed! I keed!)

By: SisterHavana

SisterHavana — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:12:22 -0800

"Baby, Baby" - Amy Grant
"Linda" - Jack Lawrence, covered by Jan and Dean. Written about Lawrence's attorney's daughter, Linda Eastman, later known as Linda McCartney.

By: chrominance

chrominance — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:45:27 -0800

Sleater-Kinney, "Lions and Tigers." Written by Corin Tucker to her newborn son, and very sweet. One of my favourite Sleater-Kinney songs.

Sonic Youth, "Wildflower Soul." Thurston Moore wrote it about the daughter he shares with Kim Gordon, Coco. I think you could make a case for "Snare, Girl" off the same album.

Finally, something a bit different: there's a band called My Little Brother that did a song called "My Little Brother." It's a cute little song about how a guy's little brother brings him and his friends together. The not-so-secret twist is he's singing about the band, not his brother.

By: notbuddha

notbuddha — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:04:37 -0800

Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:06:23 -0800

Bonnie Raitt, "Baby Mine" (from Dumbo)

By: somanyamys

somanyamys — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:27:32 -0800

A couple that haven't been mentioned yet: Remember Me This Way by Jordan Hill, and another Jimmy Buffett song (for his second daughter) - Delaney Talks to Statues.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:30:44 -0800

Kooks by David Bowie... A very very sweet little song to his son.

By: libraryhead

libraryhead — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:51:37 -0800

Country radio is full of songs like this. King of them all: I Hope You Dance, by Lee Ann Womack. I'll admit it makes me tear up a little.

By: jonesor

jonesor — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:08:50 -0800

Loudon Wainwright III - 5 Years Old

By: Monkey0nCrack

Monkey0nCrack — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:10:16 -0800

Stark Raving Dad Episode Happy Birthday, Lisa by Michael Jackson on The Simpsons.

By: bricoleur

bricoleur — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:20:59 -0800

Child's Song by David Bromberg (sorry, no link). It's on the Reckless Abandon album. Beautiful, touching song.

By: bricoleur

bricoleur — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:21:48 -0800

Oops, that one's from the child. Sorry.

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:25:16 -0800

Clair, the Gilbert O'Sullivan song, is real creepy!

By: sephira

sephira — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:37:21 -0800

The Led Zeppelin song "All of My Love" was for Robert Plant's son when he died.

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:18:51 -0800

Purple Dinosaur.

Disclaimer: I wrote it, and the link goes to the Metafilter Music post for it (which includes the story behind the song), under the "you can post a self link in ask me if it answers the question" guideline. Hope this isn't a problem.

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:28:43 -0800

And now that I think of it, 5 by chococat also fits the description and has a lovely story behind it (also explained in the Metafilter Music post in the link.)

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:44:48 -0800

Peter, Paul, & Mary - "Day Is Done"
Paul McCartney - "Put It There"

By: JustDerek

JustDerek — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:49:16 -0800

@ thanotopsis: Sweet Baby James is actually by James Taylor. People have stuck the song title as a nickname to Taylor himself, although he wrote the song when he was driving down to meet his newborn nephew, who was also named James.

By: leahwrenn

leahwrenn — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 16:44:21 -0800

Ooh, someone else knows the "Little Potato" song! It's a splendid song.

By: coreb

coreb — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:36:34 -0800

It was a hidden track on his last album, Carencro, but I love Marc Broussard's Gavin's Song (link is to lyrics).

By: sic

sic — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:38:35 -0800

Naima, by John Coltrane is a song for his daughter.