Whether you’re compiling a Father’s Day playlist or looking for a moving tune to dance with your father on your wedding day, these songs about dads are perfect!
Daddy Lessons by Beyonce and Dixie Chicks
This beautiful song is a unique collaboration between R&B superstar Beyonce and country girl group Dixie Chicks. The unlikely collaboration delivers a surprisingly tender tune that captures the singer’s relationship with her father – from learning to look out for her loved ones to riding motorcycles.
They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore by Loretta Lynn
In Loretta Lynn’s They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore, she praises her father, who “worked for what he got.” And as you would expect, she also sings about how men like her fathers are rare these days.
I Learned From You by Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’s I Learned From You is a sweet song dedicated to his father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who is also featured in this song. The lyrics of this father-daughter recount the lessons Miley learned from her dad as a child that, at the time, seemed insignificant.
My Old Man by Zac Brown Band
Another moving ballad to dedicate to your father is Zac Brown Band’s My Old Man. In this 2017 hit, Zac Brown recalls how his old man knew when to lift him up or let him fall. And although he was defiant when he was younger, he finally understands that he has “a lot to learn” from his old man.
Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross
Of course, your playlist should have Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross! This 2003 soulful yet heart-wrenching R&B hit is about Vandross’ longing to dance with his father, Luther Vandross, Sr.
Color Him Father by the Winstons
How about songs for stepfathers? The Winstons’ Color Him Father got you covered. The lyrics of this upbeat 1969 song perfectly capture how a stepfather stepped up, so much so that the chorus goes, “I’ve got to color this man father (Color him father).”
Daddy Come and Get Me by Dolly Parton
Another classic song about dads you should listen to and add to your playlist is Dolly Parton’s Daddy Come and Get Me. So, what is it about? Parton pleads to her father to take her home after a failed relationship.
Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle
This late 90s ballad is sung from a father’s perspective. The singer recounts all the wonderful memories when his daughter was younger – from birth and “butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer” to letting her go because “she’ll change her name today.”
My Father’s House by Bruce Springsteen
In this soulful Springsteen song, the singer laments about a dark time in the relationship he shared with his father. The lyrics recount a depressive time in Springsteen’s life when he’d regularly drive past “my father’s house,” hoping to make things right again.
Daddy Could Swear, I Declare by Gladys Knight & the Pips
This song is an upbeat 70s nod to Knight’s daddy, who was, in the singer’s eyes, a tough, macho man although he was small in stature, “about five feet seven.” But, as the title suggests, he could swear with the best of them..
My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
In this doting ballad, Tim McGraw sings to his daughter, who’s had him wrapped around her finger since birth. While he encourages her to chase her dreams and grow into the woman she wishes to become, he asserts that she’ll still always be his baby.
Goodnight My Angel by Billy Joel
This Billy Joel classic features a dreamy sound coupled with sweet sentiments. In this song, Joel tells his daughter to “save [her] questions for another day” and not fret so much over the serious stuff.
The Greatest Man I Never Knew by Reba McEntire
This gut-wrenching tune is sung from the perspective of a daughter who wishes her strained relationship with her father could be mended before his death. She realizes that even though he was a great man in his own right, she never truly knew him.
Drive (For Daddy Gene) By Alan Jackson
This song is an ode to Jackson’s father, who died a few years before its release. Jackson nostalgically recalls different childhood memories, including driving around town with his father in a beat-up truck that they fixed together.
The Living Years by Mike + the Mechanics
You can’t have a list of songs about dads without this popular 80s ballad. In this emotional song, the singer recounts his inability to see eye to eye with his father while he was still alive. After his father’s death, he realizes their bond wasn’t nearly as fractured as he thought, but he still wishes they had more time together.
Father and Son by Cat Stevens
This unique song captures the dialogue between father and son, with the father imparting wisdom to slow down and not rush through life. On the other hand, the son insists that he knows he has to go away.
Other Songs About Dads
- My Father’s Eyes by Eric Clapton
- Daddy’s Hands by Holly Dunn
- Glory by Jay-Z featuring Blue Ivy
- Papa Was a Rolling Stone by The Temptations
- The Best Day by George Strait
- Papa Don’t Take No Mess by James Brown
- Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown
- Just Fishin’ by Trace Adkins
- That’s My Job by Conway Twitty
- Stealing Cinderella by Chuck Wicks
- Unforgettable by Nat King Cole And Natalie Cole
- Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin
- I’m Already There by Lonestar