Music and Mothers: Songs that Celebrate that Special Someone

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s coming! That special day when we celebrate our moms is right around the corner. How will you celebrate? The musical legacy of mothers is long and varied; you can find a song about mom in just about every genre. Many of us had moms who would sing a special song just to us. Let’s take a look at musical ways we pay tribute to moms – I promise – we’ll try and hit as many genres as possible…[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_custom_heading text=”The Backstreet Boys” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]Ok. We start by going old school – at least for me. This term is pretty relative. But we’re talking 17 years ago when the boy band released Millennium. One of their songs is really a beautiful tribute to moms – The Perfect Fan. Just take a look at the lyrics (for those that might not remember them):[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]You showed me
When I was young just how to grow
You showed me
Everything that I should know
You showed me
Just how to walk without your hands
‘Cause mom you always were
The perfect fan[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Come on, now. Admit it. That pulls at the heart strings and perhaps takes you back to 1999. Let’s take a listen to a “live” performance. We didn’t even care that they were lip-synching…just look at those suits![/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od3e3x87y-U”][vc_custom_heading text=”M-O-T-H-E-R: A Word that Means a lot to Me” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]Now this is a serious throw back – back all the way to 1915. Howard Johnson (no, not the restaurant/ice-cream guy), was a lyricist, Navy vet, and a native of my home state, Connecticut. I like this guy. His classic, which has been around since dirt was invented, has been the go-to poem for little kids celebrating their moms – or perhaps the inspiration behind their own acrostic poetry. You know…

M is for the million things she gave me,
O means only that she’s growing old.

We get how this works. Each letter stands for a word that represents mom perfectly. Sure, it’s a little outdated, but still, charming with a sweet candy shell of nostalgia. Let’s listen to a recording from 1916…[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Somebody’s Hero – Jamie O’Neal” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]So far, we’ve hit pop and early 19th century schmaltz. How about Country? This genre is full of sweet songs; it’s hard to pick just one. Jamie O’Neal’s 2005 hit, Somebody’s Hero, fits the bill quite beautifully. This song reminds us that just by being mom, doing all the important mom things like fixing skinned knees and serving up Cheerios, she’s a superhero to us.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_uMQTw7v2g”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Story Goes on – Baby” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]Here’s a gem from a largely unknown 1983 musical, Baby (it was up against some heavy hitters that year – La Cage and Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George). While more about being pregnant, it certainly plays to our theme. Lizzie feels her baby kick for the first time, and she finally realizes what her mother had always told her about the beauty of motherhood and the endless connection of mother to child, in both directions in time.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhi4xNxL-Pk”][vc_custom_heading text=”Lady Madonna – The Beatles” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]I think I’d be drummed out of the music world if I ignored The Beatles. A couple of my students would pretend they didn’t know me. Don’t let fancy professors fool you – one of the most important, most influential things to happen in any musical genre during the 60s was the work of the Fab Four. Lady Madonna poses the question – how on earth does she do it all? Jamie O’Neal was right…she’s a superhero, indeed.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LJp39-lDE”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”What about you?” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23dd3333″][vc_column_text]What songs do you associate with mom? Did she sing a song to you as a child? Let us know in the comments section below. Share your stories – maybe you have a special song you sing to your kids. Heck…I’m 42 (shhhh…don’t tell anyone) and I can still hear my mom singing I’ve Got a Crush on You (thanks, Mom!). I suppose it helps that she still does it. Happy Mother’s Day everyone![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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