Songs about fathers and sons

AudioEnz · 04-12-2005, 09:11 PM

I was listening to my LP of Dan Fogelberg's Greatest Hits and the song Leader of the Band. It struck me that this song was part of a very rare grouping of songs about the relationship between fathers and sons.

The only other song about this relationship that comes to mind is Mike and the Mechanics Living Years, about the struggle that this relationship can be.

So what other songs are there about the relationship between fathers and sons?

daveman · 04-12-2005, 09:12 PM

Cat Stevens - Father and Son (sorry, somebody had to say it!)
Harry Chapin - Cats in the Cradle

musicfan37 · 04-12-2005, 09:19 PM

"Put It There" by Paul McCartney.

MikeM · 04-12-2005, 09:48 PM

Obvious to old geezers like me:

"My Dad" -- Paul Peterson

Less well-known but very good:

"My Old Man" -- Jerry Jeff Walker

Barf-inducing:

"An Open Letter to My Teenage Son" -- Victor Lundberg

Comedy division:

"A Boy Named Sue" -- Johnny Cash

One of the best:

"Younger Generation" -- The Lovin' Spoonful

AudioEnz · 04-12-2005, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeM

"A Boy Named Sue" -- Johnny Cash

A very, ah, interesting relationship describe in that song...

jamesmaya · 04-12-2005, 10:35 PM

Someday Never Comes -- Creedence Clearwater Revival

Ready Steady Go · 04-12-2005, 10:37 PM

Anyone remember "Once You Understand" by a group called THINK? Song came out in late '71 and was re-released a few years later. In it, the mean parents keep widening the generation gap, until the end, when the father is informed his son died of a drug overdose. The singers chant, "Things get a little easier once you understand" while the dad sobs into the fadeout.

Christopher J · 04-12-2005, 10:39 PM

Bread - "Everything I Own"

Captain Groovy · 04-12-2005, 11:25 PM

"Daddy's Song" - Harry Nilsson
"I'm Bugged at My Old Man" - The Beach Boys
"Memo To My Son" - Randy Newman
"I Want You To Hurt Like I Do" - Randy Newman

JEFF!

Mal · 04-12-2005, 11:46 PM

"Beautiful Boy" - John Lennon

trucker · 04-12-2005, 11:50 PM

There's a Pulp song that fits the bill, but I don't know the name of it. Singer tells his son not to grow up to be like him...

I think I'm gonna have to track that one down actually, I remember liking it...

Mal · 04-13-2005, 12:17 AM

How could I forget:

"Kooks" - David Bowie

This is my favourite song on the subject - I wish my dad had told me to throw my homework on the fire and taken me for a drive downtown

.

czeskleba · 04-13-2005, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffbonie

"Memo To My Son" - Randy Newman
"I Want You To Hurt Like I Do" - Randy Newman

Not to mention "So Long, Dad" and "Old Man". This topic is a favorite of Newman's.

Tim Lyman · 04-13-2005, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffbonie

"Daddy's Song" - Harry Nilsson

Also "1941".

ArneW · 04-13-2005, 01:54 AM

"Soliloquy" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical "Carousel".

Avery Keen-Garde · 04-13-2005, 02:47 AM

'My Old Man' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads will be familiar to many European readers, maybe less so to Americans. If I may be allowed one about father and daughter, then 'Piece of My Mind' by Everything But The Girl.

Helmut · 04-13-2005, 03:00 AM

Queen - "Father to Son" and "Good Company"

goodyear61 · 04-13-2005, 03:16 AM

"Ships" Ian Hunter

Baz P · 04-13-2005, 03:17 AM

My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donnegan (again, familiar to UK listeners but perhaps not others)
Story of Isaac - Leonard Cohen (fairly volatile relationship to say the least - well it would have been infanticide had God not intervened)

John B Good · 04-13-2005, 03:24 AM

That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

Oh Mein Papa (which I think has been sung by both male and female vocalists).

Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton

For a bit of comedy relief, Hotrod Lincoln has got a couple of good lines.

04-12-2005, 09:11 PM	#1
AudioEnz Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Top floor of AudioEnz Towers, Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 2,927	Songs about fathers and sons I was listening to my LP of Dan Fogelberg's Greatest Hits and the song Leader of the Band. It struck me that this song was part of a very rare grouping of songs about the relationship between fathers and sons. The only other song about this relationship that comes to mind is Mike and the Mechanics Living Years, about the struggle that this relationship can be. So what other songs are there about the relationship between fathers and sons? __________________ Michael Jones - Editor New Zealand's hi-fi magazine http://www.audioenz.co.nz

04-12-2005, 09:12 PM	#2
daveman Forum All Star Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 3,817	Cat Stevens - Father and Son (sorry, somebody had to say it!) Harry Chapin - Cats in the Cradle __________________ "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition." 750,000th forum post™ My Music List

04-12-2005, 09:19 PM	#3
musicfan37 Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Snoqualmie, Washington Posts: 2,913	"Put It There" by Paul McCartney. __________________ Beatles, Beatles, Beatles and Beatles... did I mention the Beatles!

04-12-2005, 10:39 PM	#8
Christopher J Norme Con Ironie Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 1,352	Bread - "Everything I Own" __________________ "Sucking at darts" is not a superpower!

04-12-2005, 11:25 PM	#9
Captain Groovy Working Blue Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Tarzana, CA Posts: 8,150	"Daddy's Song" - Harry Nilsson "I'm Bugged at My Old Man" - The Beach Boys "Memo To My Son" - Randy Newman "I Want You To Hurt Like I Do" - Randy Newman JEFF! __________________ "Ideas are what this boy grows on..." - Bobby Darin

04-12-2005, 09:48 PM	#4
MikeM Forum Hall Of Fame Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Youngstown, Ohio Posts: 9,868	Obvious to old geezers like me: "My Dad" -- Paul Peterson Less well-known but very good: "My Old Man" -- Jerry Jeff Walker Barf-inducing: "An Open Letter to My Teenage Son" -- Victor Lundberg Comedy division: "A Boy Named Sue" -- Johnny Cash One of the best: "Younger Generation" -- The Lovin' Spoonful

04-12-2005, 10:35 PM	#6
jamesmaya President & Founder of JimSales™ Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Mudwest, California Posts: 9,108	Someday Never Comes -- Creedence Clearwater Revival

04-12-2005, 10:37 PM	#7
Ready Steady Go Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: California Posts: 557	Anyone remember "Once You Understand" by a group called THINK? Song came out in late '71 and was re-released a few years later. In it, the mean parents keep widening the generation gap, until the end, when the father is informed his son died of a drug overdose. The singers chant, "Things get a little easier once you understand" while the dad sobs into the fadeout.

04-12-2005, 11:46 PM	#10
Mal Phorum Physicist Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A rock in a landslide... Posts: 10,488	"Beautiful Boy" - John Lennon __________________ We must remember that art is art. Still, on the other hand, water is water, isn't it? And east is east, and west is west, and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, it tastes much more like prunes than rhubarb does.

04-12-2005, 11:50 PM	#11
trucker Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: DC Suburbs Posts: 362	There's a Pulp song that fits the bill, but I don't know the name of it. Singer tells his son not to grow up to be like him... I think I'm gonna have to track that one down actually, I remember liking it...

04-13-2005, 12:17 AM	#12
Mal Phorum Physicist Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A rock in a landslide... Posts: 10,488	How could I forget: "Kooks" - David Bowie This is my favourite song on the subject - I wish my dad had told me to throw my homework on the fire and taken me for a drive downtown . __________________ We must remember that art is art. Still, on the other hand, water is water, isn't it? And east is east, and west is west, and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, it tastes much more like prunes than rhubarb does.

04-13-2005, 01:54 AM	#15
ArneW Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 1,042	"Soliloquy" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical "Carousel".

04-13-2005, 02:47 AM	#16
Avery Keen-Garde Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: London, England Posts: 805	'My Old Man' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads will be familiar to many European readers, maybe less so to Americans. If I may be allowed one about father and daughter, then 'Piece of My Mind' by Everything But The Girl.

04-13-2005, 03:00 AM	#17
Helmut Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 66	Queen - "Father to Son" and "Good Company"

04-13-2005, 03:16 AM	#18
goodyear61 Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Copenhagen,Denmark Posts: 278	"Ships" Ian Hunter

04-13-2005, 03:17 AM	#19
Baz P Forum Addict Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sandy, Bedfordshire, England Posts: 1,607	My Old Man's a Dustman - Lonnie Donnegan (again, familiar to UK listeners but perhaps not others) Story of Isaac - Leonard Cohen (fairly volatile relationship to say the least - well it would have been infanticide had God not intervened)

04-13-2005, 03:24 AM	#20
John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: NS, Canada Posts: 11,071	That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine Oh Mein Papa (which I think has been sung by both male and female vocalists). Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton For a bit of comedy relief, Hotrod Lincoln has got a couple of good lines.

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