MNN - Mother Nature Network

If you need a list of Father's Day songs to go with your celebration, you're in luck.

 

We here at the Mother Nature Network have made it easy for you. We've gone through and done all the hard work of finding appropriate songs for Father's Day.

 

It's not an easy task — fathers have a somewhat spotty image in the history of rock and roll. There's lots of anger directed toward absentee fathers, mean fathers and especially preaching fathers (just listen to Madonna in "Papa Don't Preach").

 

But there are quite a few singers and songwriters who clearly appreciate dear old Dad. They're the ones making the music you'll want to play this Father's Day. You're liable to get the big guy all choked up.

 

So, without further ado, here's a list of six great songs for Father's Day:

 

This was a hidden track on Beyonce Knowles' debut album, "Dangerously in Love". With lyrics like "Because you loved me, I overcame, yeah. And I'm so proud of what you've become, yeah. You've given me such security. No matter what mistakes I make, you're there for me," Dad will certainly be touched. The song was written for Beyonce's father, Mathew Knowles, a record company executive who has managed his daughter's career for many years.

 

 

This song appeared on Vandross' album by the same name and was dedicated to his late father. It would ultimately be Vandross' 13th and final album before his own death on June 1, 2005. Vandross wrote the title song with Richard Marx and it reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Vandross' final Top 40 song. It was later covered by Celine Dion.

 

 

Urban released this song on his third album, "Golden Road", in 2002. Of course, Urban is Australian so he won't celebrate Father's Day until the first Sunday in September as opposed to the U.S., Canada and the U.K. where Father's Day is observed on the third Sunday in June.

 

 

This song, which appeared on Collins' "… But Seriously" album, is written from the perspective of a father offering advice to his son on life and how to deal with difficult times. Collins reassures his son that he'll always be there: "I'll always be with you, don't forget," he sings.

 

 

This hip dad song was written for the children's animated movie, "The Wild Thornberrys", and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. It was released in 2002 and talks about a father's love for his daughter. Simon tells his little girl: "As long as one and one is two wooo, there could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you." Awww.

 

 

In this 1974 song, Paul Anka talks about his hard-working father and describes how he kept the family clothed and fed, got the kids tucked in bed and gave his son a kiss on the head. In a true testament, Anka sings about his hope that his own kids think of him the way he thinks of his father.