Songs For Dads (Further Updated)
Father's Day is hardly a holiday that inspires much in the way of music (it probably ranks just above Arbor Day and below Flag Day in that regard), but at least the kids music genre has a few entries if you're looking to put together a kid-friendly list.
You can read last year's list, but there's always new stuff to add. (Along with stuff I've forgotten, overlooked, or cruelly dismissed. You'll let me know, I'm sure, what falls in those categories in the comments.)
The list, after the jump:
-- "Daddy-O," off Frances England's Fascinating Creatures
-- "My Dad!," off Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's Kaleidoscope Songs, Vol 1
-- "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin (just kidding!)
-- "I'm So Glad To Be A Dad," off Dennis Caraher's Bow Wow Baby
-- "My Daddy Is Scratchy," off Jamie Broza's My Daddy Is Scratchy
-- "My Daddy (Flies a Ship in the Sky)," off the Daddy-O! Daddy Woody Guthrie tribute
-- "Courtship of Eddie's Father"
-- "Dad" by Father Goose
-- "Thank You, Daddy"
-- "The Coffee Song," by Ralph's World, off At The Bottom of the Sea. (Yeah, I used it for the mom's list, but it mentions D...A...D.D.Y.)
-- "Father and Daughter," by Paul Simon (off a number of CDs, but including The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack)
-- "Don't Wipe Your Face On Your Shirt," by the Cornell Hurd Band, off the fabulous The Bottle Let Me Down comp.
-- "Me and My Dad," by David Weinstone, from his Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals #7.
-- "Stay-At-Home Dad," by Justin Roberts (off Pop Fly).
-- "My Father Was An Accountant," by Peter Himmelman (from My Green Kite)
-- "Things," by Barenaked Ladies (from Snacktime) -- I suppose this is gender-free, but considering it's being sung by an all-guy band, I took it as a Dad-centric song
-- "Have You Looked?" and "Swingin' in Daddyland," from Lewis Franco off his Swingin' in Daddyland CD)
-- "Dad Threw the TV Out the Window," from Bill Harley (on Play It Again, among other places) -- more about TV, but still...
-- "In Belgian Rain" from the upcoming Hot Peas N Butter CD Vol. 4: The Pod Squad (it's a lullaby written by one of the guys' dad)
-- "My Dad," by Rick Charette, off of a cd titled Kids Tunes
-- "My Dad Caught Stars" by Justin Roberts (off Not Naptime)
A reader also recommended Daddies Sing GoodNight: A Fathers' Collection of Sleepytime Songs, which isn't really a collection of songs about dads, but close enough...
And, a few for the adults (from commenters and e-mailers)...
-- "My Dad (My Pa)" by Nancy Sinatra
-- "Bein' a Dad" by Loudon Wainwright III
-- "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who
-- "Slow Turnin," "Your Dad Did," and "Stolen Moments" - John Hiatt
-- "Still Fighting It," Ben Folds ("You're so much like me / I'm sorry.")
-- "My Old Man" by the Smothers Brothers. ("It's a touch blue, but it was recorded in 1963 so it's pretty harmless - funny if you're "in the know". My favorite Dad song!")
Comments
After reviewing your fab playlist, then double-checking prior lineups, I'm forced to assume that you've cruelly dismissed "Oh, Daddy" by Adrian Belew.
What? Too obvious? Nah: 'sfun, catchy and upbeat, and the video amuses my trio of hooligans as much today as it did me in the (cough) '80s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI3PTPqRYLA
P.S. Since I'm delurking for this comment, I should probably advise that my tongue is firmly in cheek. Love this site!
Posted by: mrs. f5 | June 9, 2008 03:09 PM
"Big Daddy" by Dewey Cox. A song for those that have, um... "issues" with their father.
Posted by: Tito | June 9, 2008 03:17 PM
Mrs. F5 -- We love de-lurkers! (We love lurkers, too, but it's harder to thank them personally.)
I remembered the slippery guitar, but little else from the video. Thanks for the link -- I've always enjoyed the song and rest assured it will make next year's list.
And, Tito, um, I'm not gonna check YouTube for that.
Posted by: Stefan | June 9, 2008 05:08 PM
For the grown ups... Hold Me My Daddy by XTC! A great take on the sometimes complicated father/son bond.
Posted by: drew | June 9, 2008 06:46 PM