Some songs are written about parenthood, but not many. When you’re rocking all night, hardly anyone means in a rocking chair, comforting a human who hasn’t yet figured out how to fart.
That hasn’t stopped me, however, from HEARING the celebrations and struggles of parenthood in all kinds of songs, and even adopting some of them as personal parenting anthems. Some are sappy tearjerkers. Others help me laugh and keep rocking on, metaphorically, when all I want to do is pack the whole rowdy crowd to off to the circus. Overall, they’re about love, and struggle, and fun, and frankly? They make an pretty awesome mix-tape.
1.) Say Hey (I love You) (Michael Franti)
The song I sang to my first baby, on repeat, dancing with him in our living room. It was my small way of relaxing about the craziness of new motherhood, appreciating the moment, and remembering what’s important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehu3wy4WkHs
2.) You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones)
Raise your hand if you haven’t sung this to a tantrum-ing toddler or a whining kid. Bonus points if you substituted the original lyrics for “And if you cry sometimes/you might find/you get what you neee-eeed?”
3.) We’re not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
As far as I’m concerned, this is the actual human internal monologue between the ages of 24 and 48 months. Since I believe in emotional expression, we sung it all the time (and watched the video).
4.) Home (Phillip Phillips)
This was the ballad of my stressful twin pregnancy. I was trying to relax and remember the goal: adding these babies to my home, and surrounding them with love. AWWWWW sappy.
5.) Hit Me Baby One More Time (Britney Spears, covered by Ivar Oosterloo)
I have no idea how sleep deprived I was when I transposed these lyrics into lullaby for, but it was probably “very.” Here’s a brilliant cover that’s kinda what I mean. Try it out, if you happen to be dealing spending a few hours tonight, rocking in a glider, dealing with a sleep regression, teething, a fever, colic, or whatever the #$%# is wrong this time.
Oh, Baby Baby, you woke up right as I put you down? Of course you freaking did.
6.) Day by Day (DC Talk)
Sure, judge me for putting ‘90’s Christian rock on this list. I don’t even care. My toddler somehow fell in love with this song soon after my twins were born, and it made its way onto a junior MP3 player of his. Their first year was a crazy, sleep-deprived blur, and this song was high school nostalgia mixed with solid advice. Specifically: It’s hard. Keep going anyway.
7.) Shut up and Dance (Walk the Moon)
Not only do my kids get to say “shut up” (thrill!) but this is the ultimate kitchen dance party. AND a Cincinnati Band.
8.) Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice)
This is what I say to my kids, when they can’t find their shoes, when they are literally sitting next to their shoes: “You got a problem, Y O, I’ll solve it….Word to your mother.”
9.) Everything is Awesome (Tegan and Sarah with The Lonely Island)
Man, I love the campy sarcasm of this song. It’s daily monotony with a peppy freaking attitude. For a while, when we were all obsessed with The Lego Movie, I’d put this song on my phone and blast it in lieu of an alarm clock. It was my way of telling myself to plaster on that smile and drag the kids out of bed again. With jazz hands! Socks! They’re AWESOME!
10.) Good Girls (Elle King)
When most people hear this song for the first time, they might hear a ballad of The First KickA$$ Girl Ghostbusters. I see something similar: my extremely self-confident, head-strong kindergartener and her rebel heart. I have no idea what she’s got in store for us in a few years, but I don’t even care. When she’s not driving me crazy, I have no desire to turn in her into a good girl. I hope she never loses it. (And I haven’t played her this song. Yet.)
11.) Oh! My Mama (Alela Diane)
At my quieter, less snarky moments, this is motherhood to me. Especially:
Oh my Mama
She took my little hand and held on tight
Oh the Mamas
Give the waters of their wells
Oh the Mamas
Give the babies this very dirt we’re walking on
12.) I Love You Sweet Baby (Kimya Dawson)
Let’s end on another sappy note, shall we? If you have babies, give them some kisses. If you’re all done with that nonsense, have a moment of nostalgia for the endless napping-eating-diaper-lovefest. (Do you know Alphabutt? The whole album is pretty amazing.)
What about you? What songs mean parenthood to you? If you drop a note in the comments or on Facebook, and I’ll compile our suggestions on spotify.
