Best 9 Songs about Parents

_{© Copyright 2011 Tracy Lynn Conway with all rights reserved.}

The emotional rush that new parents experience when their baby is born is unlike any other. There is a thrill, an awe, a level of responsibility beyond any other. It is profound!

In my years as a parent I have come across very few musicians who can express the kind of emotion that is inextricably woven into the role of parenting. The feelings of love towards your child are strong, and when a song about parenthood connects with you, deep in your heart, you know that the artist is in touch with these same feelings.

Here is a compilation of songs that I have collected over my years of parenting. I hope they touch you as they have touched me.

Taylor swift is an American Grammy Award winning singer songwriter, and at only 21 years of age has written this heart piercing song. She follows the country music tradition of using song to tell a story. Here she showcases her story telling ability on the task of savoring the wonderful moments of parenthood. The song gently shifts from the parent's perspective to the viewpoint of a child who, like Peter Pan, wanted to hold onto the joy of being a child and never grow up.

Although this is one of the most powerful songs ever sung about motherhood, this song is taken from the vantage point of the baby. It doesn't get better than this! Sissel is a very popular Norwegian singer. She credits Barbara Streisand as an inspiration. The song is a precious gem.

Parents often speak of the lessons they learn from raising their children. Martina McBride, as the mother of three daughters, sings about these priceless lessons the way only a mother could. Parenthood forces you to be more than you ever dreamed you could be.

This is a timeless classic. This heart wrenching song was written in 1974 by Harry Chapin and was taken from a poem that his wife had written. She was inspired by a country song about an elderly couple gazing at the rusty swings that their grown children used to occupy. It is a song about opportunities lost when a parent can't make time for their child. This is perhaps the saddest story of all. 'Age before wisdom' as they say, and this song attempts to teach the lessons sooner than later. It is a haunting song and cautionary tale.

Singer songwriter John Mayer won a Grammy Award in 2005 for this song that tells of the affect that fathers and mothers have on their daughters. If a parent fails to treat their daughter well it will effect her adult relationships with men. John Mayer has stated in concerts that in a broad sense the song is also about history, and how what happens to someone in their past affects who they become.

It is rare to find a duet between a father and daughter. This song touches on the difficulty of parenting and in the case of single parents, a really rough road; at the same time the level of appreciation that children can have (but not always). It is a gentle song that tells a heartfelt story.

This song was composed and sung by Elton John for an album in 1970. The lyrics, written by Bernie Taupin, tell the story of a child waking up one morning and discovering he has a new baby brother. This song captures the wonder and joy experienced in these moments.

Andrea Dresdale of Rolling Stone, called this song "a finely detailed snapshot of everyday life that'll have anyone in a long distance relationship reaching for the Kleenex."

Talking to his son on a long distance call, the father says "I'm already there, take a look around, I'm the sunshine in your hair, I'm the shadow on the ground, I'm the whisper in the wind..." You may find theses lyrics remain with you long after the song ends.

Mindy is a self described "Indie singer-songwriter that will leave you floating like a scoop of vanilla cream in a strawberry soda." Hourglass is the 9th track from her 2010 album "Anchor." This tune is guaranteed to bring out the warm tender feelings in even the most worn out parents.

Although I will most likely never meet the artists involved in the creation of these songs, they have deeply touched my heart. All of these songs contain an essence that transcends lyrics, notes and rhythm; they touch a deeper place. These songs tap into the feeling of the love that exits outside of ourselves in the space between us and our child. I wish the same connection for you and with your children. It is never too late to make this connection.

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