What are some good songs to play at a baby shower?

February 1, 2007 7:01 PM

What are some good songs to play at a baby shower?

I'm looking to make a mix CD for play at a baby shower. What are some songs I need to have on the CD? It's a boy if that helps. The best I can come up with so far is "Burn, Baby, Burn," but I don't think that will be such a hit with the parents-to-be. Aside from that example (and maybe "Baby Got Back"), songs with the word "baby" in them will work.

posted by raddevon to Grab Bag (24 answers total)

Dat Dere, Ricky Lee Jones.
posted by cior at 7:12 PM on February 1, 2007

Here's some songs I like with Baby in the title, although the Pixies track might not be baby shower appropriate.

1. Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch - Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby
2. Patsy Cline - Back In Baby's Arm
3. Buddy Holly - Little Baby
4. The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry
5. Van Morrison - Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)
6. Bob Dylan - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
7. Moby - Find My Baby
8. Eels - Baby Genius
9. Pixies - No. 13 Baby
10. Metric - Combat Baby
11. Don Caballero - Fire Back About Your New Baby's Sex
posted by ageispolis at 7:19 PM on February 1, 2007

I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)
posted by trip and a half at 7:21 PM on February 1, 2007

If you're not too attached to having the word "baby" in the title, there's Frankie Valli's "Can't take my eyes off of you" (lots of "baby" in the chorus, and I used to sing it to my son when he was a baby, and later to a friend's baby boy).

For actual songs about new babies and parenting, there's always "isn't she lovely--" the feeling is the same for a baby boy, despite the "she." I also like the Will Smith version of "Just the Two of Us."
posted by Cricket at 7:28 PM on February 1, 2007

Bobby McFerrin - Baby (that's an iTunes store preview; I was having trouble finding a direct link to the lyrics.)
posted by kimota at 7:30 PM on February 1, 2007

"Be My Baby" by The Ronettes. Come to think of it The Ronettes have many songs with the word baby.

"Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. Wonder wrote this song to celebrate the birth of his daughter. Even though the baby is a boy, I think it would fit.
posted by LoriFLA at 7:30 PM on February 1, 2007

It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine).
posted by alms at 7:31 PM on February 1, 2007

"Under Pressure" probably isn't a good choice then.

How about "All The Things I Do For You Baby" Herman's Hermits.
posted by faineant at 7:32 PM on February 1, 2007

Up all night- Talking heads
She's having my baby- God awful, and I'm glad I have no ides who sings this.
Sweet baby james- James Taylor
Baby Mine from Disney's Dumbo
Baby Beluga- Raffi
posted by Gungho at 7:48 PM on February 1, 2007

I made a bunch of mix cd's for a friend's shower. I don't have the song lists anymore, but I'll see what I can remember. Other friends of mine did this and made it into a contest to see who could name the most, but a lot of the guests at that shower were huge music geeks.

Gal Costa - Baby (or Os Mutantes, who have a version in English if you prefer)
Wanda Jackson - Rock Your Baby
George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Komeda - It's Alright Baby
The Five Stairsteps - O-o-h, Child
Sheena Easton - Morning Train (9 to 5)
The Carpenters - Superstar (
Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion
Brian Eno - Put a Straw Under Baby (maybe you could skip Baby's On Fire)
Devendra Banhart - Chinese Children
Devendra Banhart - Long Haired Child
Bow Wow Wow - Baby Oh No!
Al Green - Here I Am Baby
The Impressions - Talking About My Baby
The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
Hank Williams - Baby, We're Really in Love
Buddy Holly - Rock-a-bye Baby
Big Momma Thorton - Rock-a-bye Baby
posted by hydrophonic at 7:49 PM on February 1, 2007

Beautiful Boy, by John Lennon
Baby Poo, by The Arrogant Worms
Yellow, by Coldplay, (no "baby" in the title or lyrics, but always seemed to me to be about parent/child love)

As an aside: athough it's one of my personal favorites, I would reccomend against playing "Don't Leave Nobody But the Baby" at a baby shower, the lyrics are a little disquieting and heavily imply death.
posted by nelleish at 8:00 PM on February 1, 2007

I like Colin Meloy's Baby Song (I think that's what it's called).

Also, maybe because I'm a dad with sons, but Cat Stevens' Father and Son always gets to me.
posted by qldaddy at 8:12 PM on February 1, 2007

O-bla-di, O-bla-da has a very domestic family feel to it. What about songs about mothers? "Momma don't take no mess"? "Papa's got a brand new bag"?
posted by B-squared at 8:36 PM on February 1, 2007

Celiene Dion - Miracles CD that she did with Anne Geddes
posted by Gooney at 8:39 PM on February 1, 2007

How about Os Mutante's Baby? It's perfect and lovely.

And Baby Love by The Supremes? Has no one recommended that?

Every Baby Cries the Same by The MakeUp and Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns n' Roses (That should make some people smile.)
posted by dearest at 8:55 PM on February 1, 2007

I've never been to a baby shower, but I think if I were to go to one, I would want to hear These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs. Not specifically baby-related, but it has such an air of joy and wonder that it just feels right.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 9:30 PM on February 1, 2007

Led Zeppelin - I Can't Quit You Baby
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby
Smash Mouth - Can't Get Enough Of You Baby
Boney M. - Rivers of Babylon
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Love Struck Baby
Macy Gray - Sweet Baby
Nancy Sinatra - It Ain't Me Baby
Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

Have fun and congratulations to the parents-to-be!
posted by chrisch at 11:45 PM on February 1, 2007

XTC - "Pink Thing" -- about a baby or about a penis, depending on your frame of mind, but a good, happy song either way for a baby boy.
posted by pracowity at 2:48 AM on February 2, 2007

You could just give her Raymond Scott's "Soothing Sounds for Baby" and be done with it. No geek baby should be without this.
posted by rongorongo at 3:15 AM on February 2, 2007

Amy Grant - Baby Baby
posted by daninnj at 5:14 AM on February 2, 2007

"Baby Day" by Animal Collective is great. And my labor mix CD (made by husband) included "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross, which takes on a whole new meaning in that context.
posted by lisa g at 8:02 AM on February 2, 2007

"I Got the Feeling" by James Brown starts off with about a dozen "babies"
posted by dmo at 10:59 AM on February 2, 2007

"Kooks" by David Bowie, which was originally written for his son.
posted by Vervain at 2:14 PM on February 2, 2007

Grease
posted by growabrain at 1:08 AM on February 3, 2007