Brothers can be challenging at the best of times, but they’re also the people who know you better than anyone else. Whether your relationship with your brother is strained or you share an extremely close bond, plenty of songs about brothers will resonate with you. Growing up with brothers comes with its own set of challenges.
Siblings can be your worst enemies, but they can also be your best friends. Brothers can provide us with endless memories and experiences that shape who we are today as adults. Sibling relationships are some of the strongest bonds we have in our lives. Brothers can be a source of joy and support, they can also drive you up the wall.
Check out our list of the top 20 songs about brothers for some inspiration and insight into this special relationship.
1. My Little Brother (Art Brut)
Who doesn’t love Art Brut? The Britpop band is a feast of wit and imagination, creating songs that tell stories, often in hilarious ways. But with their third album “The More You Ignore Me”. Art Brut took inspiration from the Royal Family and not just because of their penchant for the oddball dress.
You might spot parodies of Elton John’s ‘Saturday Night’ on this album as it features a very unhappy little brother. Still, there are also references to George Bush’s inauguration and Queen Elizabeth wearing purple velvet. Little bro eventually realizes the advantages of being the oldest, he has the power to make his parents proud of him.
But even then, being little bro will never stop pissing off big bro. The song captures everything with its catchy tune and lyrics about pestering little brothers everywhere.
2. Our Love (Bee Gees)
The Bee Gees aren’t just about disco classics, their songs have always been deeply personal, check out “I Started a Joke” and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” for proof. Our love is a ballad that features Bee Gee’s album Living Eyes, it was written by Barry Gibb but performed by all three brothers.
Expert Tip: This is one of the best songs about brothers because it highlights the importance of siblings supporting each other, whatever they do. even if one of them becomes a famous singer-songwriter. It also shows how much can grow from such a small seed as one little brother joining a band.
3. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (The Hollies)
Made in England is an album of mostly unreleased singles from 1968 to 1972, but one track. “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” was released as a single in 1972. By the time The Hollies hit their early 1970s peak with songs like “Don’t Hang Up” and “The Air That I Breathe”, brothers Graham and Allan Clarke were already a duo.
Musically the track is on a par with their previous hits, but the lyrics are autobiographical, it tells the story of brothers fighting over girls in high school and how they end up being best friends as adults.
This is another great song about brothers because it emphasizes how close and important a supportive relationship with your family should be. It also has a nice rocking melody and a catchy chorus.
4. Boss of Me (They Might Be Giants)
This song was taken from They Might Be Giants’ LP, Kicking a Dead Horse. In the song, which is ironic due to its name, Bill goes to his brother Roger for advice on what to do “If I started hanging out with guys my brother didn’t like.” Roger’s solution is to start bossing Bill around, and that’s where the title comes from.
The older brother is getting all of the attention, and the younger brother feels like he gets no respect from his big brother. This song has a sad but catchy melody, and it’s filled with frustration.
5. Brother (NeedToBreathe)
Michael Gungor and Mark Joseph have been friends since they were kids, and when they started their band Needtobreathe. they knew it was a brotherhood. The name of the band comes from a song on their first album. The Brown Album, Brother (yes., there are several songs with that title), which is about growing up together.
The brothers are a great example of the strength of the relationship between families with the way they discussed their own struggles when recording the album. The theme of blood ties is also well explored in this song, giving it extra depth. It’s one of those songs about brothers that will truly touch your heart.
6. Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits)
This song focuses on strong, loving relationships and that’s exactly what Dire Straits were talking about in 1974 with this song. Brothers in Arms was recorded as a tribute to their brother-in-arms John Illsley, who died tragically that year while on tour with his band Faces.
The song puts the emphasis on brotherhood rather than war, as Mark Knopfler explains: “A lot of people thought it was a military song, but in fact, it’s about brotherhood.” The older brother in this song looks after his younger sibling, and the younger one helps him when he needs it.
They’re always there for each other, no matter what, which makes this song so great. It also has an upbeat melody and chorus that will help you to really connect with the narrative of the lyrics.
7. Blood Brothers (Luke Bryan)
This track was taken from Luke Bryan’s 2012 album Tailgates and Tanlines. The inspiration for the song came from an unlikely source: he heard a radio show about the Special Olympics, which made him recognize that his relationship with his mother was special too.
He tells Taste of Country: “l want to honor my mom. who has been my No. 1 fan from Day One and who has always been there for me no matter what”. He links the little things they did when they were kids with the big decisions they make in life, and he stresses that blood is always thicker than water.
This song provides some much-needed perspective on what the term ’brothers” means to each of us.
8. The Greatest Discovery (Elton John)
If you love Elton John, you probably know this song, but not all his fans will have heard the story behind it. Written for his little brother, the lyrics were actually lifted from letters that Bernie Taupin had written to Elton when he was studying at university in 1969.
Elton explains: “The Greatest Discovery was a song that was actually a letter to my brother, which I took to be a very romantic thing.” He just wants his older brother to know how those days shaped his life and how grateful he is for having such a supportive family. The song is filled with emotion, and it’s performed beautifully by the piano and guitar.
9. Does to Me (Luke Combs)
This track comes from the self-titled debut album by Luke Combs. The lyrics describe the act of being an older brother, letting his little brother know just how much he cares about him, then using a pop culture reference from The Simpsons to make sure he doesn’t get too full of himself.
There are some lighter moments in this song, but it still explores the idea of how relationships between brothers can drive each other crazy and how huge consequences could stem from little incidents.
10. Highway Patrolman (Bruce Springsteen)
Having worked with his brother and then later with his sister, it was almost inevitable that Bruce Springsteen would write a song about the strength of family bonds. Highway Patrolman is a deeply personal track from his 1984 album Born in the USA and has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash and Elvis Costello.
He’s actually kind of delusional, but it makes for an amazing song. It also has a rather ominous and powerful message that everyone should pay close attention to the line “Wherever you go, you can’t escape your demons” which speaks volumes about how important family relationships are in life.
11. Daniel (Elton John)
This comes from the Elton John track Daniel, which appears on his debut album Empty Sky. The siblings were extremely close and Elton knew that Daniel’s life would be happier and easier if he could be adopted by a family that was better equipped to help him. Soon after Daniel was adopted, he fell ill with pneumonia and passed away in a hospital aged two.
Expert Tip: Elton wrote this song as a tribute to his beloved little brother. The relationship between Elton and his brother was so important that Bernie Taupin wrote a whole song based on it-the lyrics mention growing up with “the same old toy” and the death of their mother when Elton was 11 years old.
12. Brother (Kodaline)
Kodaline’s second album “Coming Up for Air” was released in 2018. It features this track about brothers being there for each other no matter what life throws at them. Avicii took part in writing music for his brother’s album. he dedicated this song to him as a thank you for helping him to produce it.
The title of the song comes from the band members’ own relationship, bassist Mark Prendergast is Michael’s older brother.
13. Hey Brother (Avicii)
This Avicii track is about the relationship between Swedish siblings Tim Bergling and Anna Bergling, and how Tim died in April 2018 from an accidental overdose. Avicii took part in writing music for his brother’s album, he dedicated this song to him as a thank-you for helping him to produce it.
Known for his progressive house music, this meaningful song also represents a departure of sorts: “It’s a very personal track. It’s just me and my guitar. It was important not to crowd it or make it too grandiose. I really wanted this song to be something that I could stand on its own, even if my name wasn’t on it.” (Tim Bergling)
14. Brothers on a Hotel Bed (Death Cab for Cutie)
The song Brothers on a Hotel Bed also comes from Death Cab for Cutie’s fourth album, Transatlanticism. The song is about a family trip, as the narrator reflects on the strong bond that he shares with his brothers, and how he’ll never forget them.
The lyrics are based on the relationship between Ben Gibbard and his brother: “I had never seen him cry before. He was crying, and he was saying. Maybe you won’t remember me. but I loved you very much. I wish that there was something that I could say to make this better, but there’s nothing I can do.”
15. Brothers Under The Sun (Bryan Adams)
This song is taken from Bryan Adams’ album Reckless. It’s about the importance of love and friendship – which is why he dedicated it to his brothers.
He explains, “If there is one guy out there that thinks that I did not put everything into this record, then he doesn’t know me at all, or who I am, or what my family has been through to get me where I am today. And this is for you, brothers under the sun.”
16. Brothers (The War On Drugs)
Brothers is a track from The War On Drugs’ 2014 album Lost In The Dream. This song was written by Bryan Adams to celebrate the birth of his son, and the bond that he shares with his two sons. He talks about how much he loves them and how proud he is of who they grow up to be.
It’s about the relationship between band members Adam Granduciel and Robbie Bennett It starts with Adam wondering how his younger brother is doing and ends with an emotional hug.
17. Severus and Stone (Radical Face)
This track is an ode to the strong bond between the lovebirds in their family. This song was written by the British singer-songwriter Gareth Reynolds in memory of his brother who died from cancer aged just 24. It pays tribute to his brother and the life that he had with him, as he missed out on so much time with him.
The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel told us about being inspired by his own “silly, slightly screwed up but fun family’ to write this song, and he also dedicated it ‘to all kids with or without siblings.”
18. Unknown Brother (The Black Keys)
This track is the fourth single from The Black Keys’ 2010 album, Brothers. It was inspired by Patrick Carney’s younger brother and the sibling relationship he had with Dan Auerbach.
As Patrick Carney told Free Press Houston: “I miss my brother all the time. I remember when he would crash on my floor because he didn’t have anywhere to live, and we would walk around the streets at night talking about music or life. And now that I don’t live in Akron anymore. I miss being around my little brother every day.”
19. Little Brother (Ella Vos)
This song comes from the Ella Vos EP, which was self-released. That’s what my little brother means to me! He’s my best friend, too. He might be six years younger than me, but that doesn’t stop us from getting along so well when we’re together all day. He’s been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been there for him when he needed me.
He’s one of the best things about being a big sister. The song is about the relationship between Ella and her younger brother, a relationship she says is “perfect on paper” because they’re best friends with a lot of similarities, and there’s also a lot of love between them.
20. Brother, Brother (The Isley Brothers)
This song also comes from The Isley Brothers’ Going to a Go-Go album. It’s about the relationship between brothers Ernie and Marvin Isley. who formed the musical group. The first line of the song is “My brother, brother”, which sets up the theme of family and how important it is to be a part of it.
My older brother and I always look out for each other, even though we’re two years apart in age. We always have each other’s backs no matter what! Although they grew up on different sides of the city, Marvin recalls how they were always together and say they never fought:
“We never fought. I don’t know where we got that from. They used to say if we didn’t fight, we would die together. We never fought when we were together doing music, it was just an unspoken thing between us. We had the same dream.”
These are just a small selection of the many songs which have been written about brothers. The information in this article will help you improve the relationship between you and your brother.
You will know more about the nature of your relationship with him or her, and also learn many songs about brothers. It’s clear that these relationships can be the source of much inspiration, so why not ask your sibling to help you write your next song?