There's More Where That Came From

While many music blogs and websites post happier songs on Father’s Day, I thought it’d be more truthful to myself if I posted songs that deal with kids who didn’t have fathers. Either because their dads passed away when they were young(which was my case) or because their dads were estranged from them for whatever reason.

So for anyone who is having a hard time getting through this day, here are a couple of songs that, while sad, may help you realize that you are not alone in your pain and that there are other people out there who can relate.

“Grown Men Don’t Cry” – Tim McGraw
While at first it seems like just another regular ballad by Tim, by the end of the song you realize how much the song is about the narrator’s relationship with his father and how he is trying to make his relationship with his child better than what he had with his dad.

“He Gets That From Me” – Reba McEntire
This one deals with a widowed mom and her fatherless son, as the mom goes back in forth between what the son gets from her and from his dad; And nothing is as sad as when she sings “Last night I heard him pray, Lord, help me and mama make it through, And tell daddy we’ll be okay, He said he sure misses you, … He gets that from me.”

“The Greatest Man I Never Knew” – Reba McEntire
In another one of Reba’s great ballads, she sings about how she never truly knew her dad because of how hard he had to work to keep the family a float, and how she still wishes she would’ve gotten a chance to know him better before he had passed.

“Top Of The World” – Dixie Chicks
One of the most haunting songs of the decade, this deals with a cycle of bad relationships in a family, and one of the adult children wanting to make her relationship with her child different than what she had with her parents While seemingly not a very original concept, the music and vocals of the Dixie Chicks on this one will show you why this has become a true fan-favorite. The music video is as equally good.

“When You Come Back To Me Again” – Garth Brooks
This Golden Globe nominated song was co-written by Brooks for the 2000 movie Frequency. Garth used his mother’s passing as inspiration for the song, and it‘s meaning can be used for a father‘s passing as well.

“I Miss You” – Stevie Nicks
This 2001 pop ballad deals with the narrator proclaiming how much she misses a loved onee and how she has so many questions about relationships, love, and pain. Again, this is up to interpretation, but when you hear Nicks wanting to get advice from the person that she has lost, it makes you think of a child needing advice from their parent.

“Here With Me” – Michelle Branch
This one fits well with both the deadbeat dad or the dad that’s passed.

“The Day You Slipped Away” – Avril Lavigne
Avril wrote this about her grandpa that passed, and put it on her 2004 Under My Skin album. She recalls the day her grandpa had died and how she didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. The song never mentions anything about a grandpa, which was probably a smart move as it opens up many more people to put their spin on it.

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” – Green Day
Many people have thought that his song was written about 9/11 since the music video for this song was centered around it and the September mention to it; but lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had written this song about his father, who died of cancer on September 1st 1982. At the funeral Joe cried, ran home, and locked himself in his room. His mother came home and knocked on the door, in which Billy replied, “Wake me up when September ends.” The song recalls how the years have gone so fast since his father’s passing.

“You’re Still Here” – Faith Hill
This beautiful ballad is similar to “He Gets That From Me”, in which Faith proclaims that her passed lover is still with her and her child, and how she can see him in her baby’s eyes.

“Caught By The River” – Doves
This one by alternative band Doves is a father’s message to his son not to lose control. While this isn’t about losing a dad, the song is almost an unanswered prayer of sorts from a father to a son, to not let his anger overcome him and his life.