If you’re stuck over what Father’s Day activities to partake in this year, listening to some of these best Father’s Day songs will make for some special quality time. With songs that your dad will remember and some that might be more familiar to you, you’ll both share some music knowledge while enjoying lyrics you can each relate to. Which is why these tracks make for beautiful dad quotes and can easily find their way onto his card or even just a message you share with him on Father’s Day.
Including rock, pop, and classic country songs, you can’t go wrong with this list. Some of these songs are odes from dads to their children, such as John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” or Billy Joel’s “Lullabye.” Others are tributes to fathers who have passed away, like the memories shared in Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here.” And some are just about the simple joys of being a dad, like Trace Adkins’s “Just Fishin.'”
After hanging out at home listening to music, continue the indoors celebration by choosing from the many Father’s Day movies available. Spending the day by just enjoying each other’s company is all your dad will want after listening to these heartwarming Father’s Day songs.
1
“Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” John Lennon, 1981
Written for his son Sean, the Beatle coined this tune that starts off like a lullaby and transforms into fatherly advice for his “beautiful boy.”
STREAM NOW
2
“Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel),” Billy Joel, 1994
Billy Joel wrote this beautiful lullaby for his daughter Alexa Ray. The song later inspired one of two picture books he created.
STREAM NOW
3
“Father and Daughter,” Paul Simon, 2002
Recorded by Paul Simon, half of Simon & Garfunkel, this sweet father-daughter tune was written for the animated The Wild Thornberrys movie and is about his daughter, Lulu.
STREAM NOW
4
“My Father’s Eyes,” Eric Clapton, 1998
For anyone who has lost a father, this song is especially poignant, reflecting on moments you wish you had your father’s help.
STREAM NOW
5
“Daughters,” John Mayer, 2004
The famous track won John Mayer the Grammy for Song of the Year, written about how big of an impact a father’s relationship can have on their daughters.
STREAM NOW
6
“Song For Dad,” Keith Urban, 2002
The ultimate ode to Dad, this song shows Keith realizing how he has become just like his dad and understanding in retrospect why his father did things the way he did.
STREAM NOW
7
“You Should Be Here,” Cole Swindell, 2015
Grab the tissues, y’all. Cole recorded this track after his dad died unexpectedly in 2013. The heartbreaking number includes the line: “They say now you’re in a better place, and I would be too if I could see your face.”
STREAM NOW
8
“Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, 2007
It doesn’t get sweeter than a song about the love between a father and daughter. Miley and Billy Ray’s voices sound great together on this nostalgic track.
STREAM NOW
9
“It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” Darius Rucker, 2008
Darius sings about what it’s like to raise a daughter, from a newborn to grown woman. Even through the tough times, he reminds himself: “It wont be like this for long.”
STREAM NOW
10
“Just Fishin’,” Trace Adkins, 2011
As a parent, even the seemingly mundane moments can be so meaningful. In Trace’s case, it’s catching fish with his daughter.
STREAM NOW
11
“Anything Like Me,” Brad Paisley, 2010
Brad’s popular tune will take you through all the stages of fatherhood, including the very beginning. The country superstar opens with the line: “I remember sayin’, ‘I don’t care either way, just as long as he or she is healthy, I’m okay.'”
STREAM NOW
12
“There You’ll Be,” Faith Hill, 2001
For those whose dads are no longer here, this tune will be a heartwarming reminder of your favorite guy. Faith’s voice sounds absolutely angelic in this song.
STREAM NOW
13
“Love Without End, Amen,” George Strait, 1990
Every parent can relate to this line: “Daddy’s don’t just love their children every now and then. It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen.”
STREAM NOW
14
“My Old Man,” Zac Brown Band, 2017
Zac Brown’s ballad is about his own dad, Jim Brown, and a dad-like mentor, Rodney Shelton, according to Billboard.
STREAM NOW
15
“Drive (For Daddy Gene),” Alan Jackson, 2002
This touching number is in honor of Alan’s own dad, Eugene Jackson. He pays homage to his father by recalling stories of life in the country.
STREAM NOW
16
“Stealing Cinderella,” Chuck Wicks, 2007
Chuck’s song will instantly resonate for dads with daughters. He croons about watching his little girl go to her first dance and giving her away at her wedding.
STREAM NOW
17
“Tough Little Boys,” Gary Allan, 2003
Every future father thinks he knows what he’ll be like as a parent. But just as Gary notes, everything changes once you actually become a dad.
STREAM NOW
18
“Watching You,” Rodney Atkins, 2006
Rodney’s hit is a good reminder that the kids are always watching. Through your best moments and your worst, it’s still important to be a role model for the kids.
STREAM NOW
19
“Family Man,” Craig Campbell, 2010
What pushes every dad to be the best he can possibly be? His loving, supportive family, of course.
STREAM NOW
20
“Keep It Between the Lines,” Ricky Van Shelton, 1990
Remember the frightening time of teaching your teenager how to drive? Ricky kindly takes you back to those—sometimes scary—moments.
STREAM NOW
21
“Seein’ My Father in Me,” Paul Overstreet, 1990
So many dads will recall the moment they looked at their own father and saw themselves. As Paul perfectly puts it, “I notice I walk the way he walks, I notice I talk the way he talks, I’m startin’ to see my father in me.”
STREAM NOW
22
“He Walked on Water,” Randy Travis, 1990
So many kids think their dad walks on water because that’s just how special he truly is. Randy even notes he thought his dad’s cowboy hat was an angel’s halo.
STREAM NOW
23
“You’re Gonna’ Miss This,” Trace Adkins, 2008
Calling all dads: Whenever your little one is just begging to grow up, leave them with this reminder: “You’re gonna miss this. You’re gonna want this back. You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.”
STREAM NOW
24
“Daddy Come and Get Me,” Dolly Parton, 1970
After getting her heartbroken, Dolly croons that she needs the man that she can always rely on: her daddy. This song is a good reminder that you can always depend on dad.
STREAM NOW
25
“They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore,” Loretta Lynn, 1974
In this toe-tapping number, Loretta sings about a dad who’s “just one heck of a man that worked for what he got.” According to her, there aren’t many men like that nowadays.
STREAM NOW
26
“My Little Girl,” Tim McGraw, 2006
If there’s someone who knows what it’s like to raise a daughter, it’s Tim, who has three precious girls of his own! In this ballad, he sweetly sings that no matter how old she is, his daughter will always be his baby.
STREAM NOW
27
“The Walk,” Sawyer Brown, 1991
Illustrating the circle of life, this song describes a father holding his son’s hand to guide him down the driveway to the school bus, and later comforting him as an adult preparing to face life on his own. By the end of the song, the son must walk his father into the nursing home, and the father understands, remembering taking the same walk with his father long ago.
STREAM NOW
28
“There Goes My Life,” Kenny Chesney, 2004
From a high school quarterback faced with his girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy to watching his beloved teenage daughter leave home for college years later, this song captures the rollercoaster of emotions fatherhood can bring.
STREAM NOW
29
“The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” Reba McEntire, 1992
“He never said he loved me / Guess he thought I knew,” sings Reba, describing an entire generation of fathers who were raised to not tell their children “I love you.” Despite never hearing those words, she knows his actions—giving everything he had to take care of her family—express the enormous love he had for her.
STREAM NOW
30
“That’s My Job,” Conway Twitty, 1987
Just as it was his father’s job to care for and protect him as he grew up, it’s Conway’s job as a musician, he reasons, to write a song to keep his dad’s memory safe in his heart.
STREAM NOW
31
“The Best Day,” George Strait, 2000
From fishing by the pond and working on his son’s first car to watching him get married, a father relives some of his favorite memories with his son.
STREAM NOW
32
“Dance With My Father,” Luther Vandross, 2003
In this tribute to his deceased father, Luther remembers being 7-years-old and dancing with his father and mother at home, singing, “How I’d love love love to dance with my father again.” The song won two Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, but Luther was hospitalized from a stroke and couldn’t attend the ceremony; he sadly passed away soon after.
STREAM NOW
33
“Butterfly Kisses,” Bob Carlisle, 1997
Written for Bob’s 16-year-old daughter Brooke, “Butterfly Kisses” shows a dad thinking back on the days when he would stick flowers in his little girl’s hair and tuck her into bed as he now walks her down the aisle to be married.
STREAM NOW
34
“He Didn’t Have To Be,” Brad Paisley, 1999
“He Didn’t Have To Be” is a tribute to all of the step-dads and other father figures who help raise children.
STREAM NOW
35
“Daddy’s Hands,” Holly Dunn, 1986
With “Daddy’s Hands,” Holly Dunn beautifully describes a father-daughter relationship with a focus on her dad’s hands—both the gentle comfort they provided and the discipline they gave, all for the sake of love.
STREAM NOW
Erin Cavoto
Erin Cavoto is the Editorial Assistant at ThePioneerWoman.com, covering food, holidays, home decor, entertainment news, and more.
