Comment: Experts choose the best songs and albums about fatherhood Published on: 19 June 2026 Writing for The Conversation, Adam Behr is among the experts selecting the 11 best songs and albums about fatherhood. , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , , and , Songs about fathers and fatherhood range in tone from joy and celebration to absence, tension and grief. For , we asked 11 experts to share their favourite tracks and albums about fatherhood. 1. Teeth of Time by Joshua Burnside (2025) Joshua Burnside鈥檚 album Teeth of Time is an, at times, gut-wrenching exploration of . The nihilism of some of the lyrics 鈥� 鈥渂ut don鈥檛 think on the soil above me / or the worms wriggling in my skull鈥� 鈥� is contrasted with a warm sonic landscape that includes an array of found sounds and samples. The latter are brilliantly arranged to reflect the brain-scrambling exhaustion that many of us feel when trying to juggle with work and maintaining a semblance of your old social life. Marching Round The Ladies by Joshua Burnside. Marching Round the Ladies is a highlight. The track was recomposed from a children鈥檚 street song to form an upbeat singalong moment that has the irreverence of Belfast life at its core. Teeth of Time is a rare album about being a dad which goes to reassure the rest of us that we are all feeling the same things 鈥� even if we can鈥檛 express them as profoundly as Burnside. Conor Caldwell is an associate professor at the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance 2. When the Tigers Broke Free by Pink Floyd (1982) Originally pitched for inclusion on The Wall album (1979) by principal songwriter Roger Waters, When the Tigers Broke Free was ultimately rejected by the rest of the band for being 鈥渢oo personal鈥�. It was instead released on the soundtrack for The Wall film (1982) a couple of years later. When the Tigers Broke Free by Pink Floyd. Working under the title Anzio 鈥�44, the song is a tribute to Waters鈥檚 father, Eric Fletcher Waters, who was killed during a brutal second world war battle. But it鈥檚 also a pointed critique of royalty and military leadership, whom Waters sings 鈥渢ook my daddy from me鈥�. The result is a haunting yet deeply moving song about bravery, loss and the lasting impact fathers can have on their children. Even when, as in Waters鈥� case, they never had the chance to meet. Glenn Fosbraey is an associate dean in the faculty of of humanities and social sciences 3. First of the Birds by Admiral Fallow (2025) The paradox of feral male ego versus the domestic sensitivity of fatherhood is played out most effectively in the world of rock music. Indie Scottish band Admiral Fallow鈥檚 album First of the Birds embraces contrast through a clever and complex set of songs. The album captures the joy of sleepless nights while reflecting the shifting priorities that come with fatherhood. First Names by Admiral Fallow. From the very first track, First Names 鈥� a lullaby contrasting the longevity of climate catastrophe with parental love (鈥淲hen we run out of first names for all the storms, there鈥檒l still be you 鈥︹��) 鈥� the album sets its tone. The first single, , explores maternity hospital experience from the male perspective. The album shows how songwriter Louis Abbott鈥檚 life has been transformed by the arrival of his two young children. I can also say as a slightly older father, that the opening line of (鈥渞eturn your mother鈥檚 calls鈥�) is both accurate and prophetic. Niall Keegan is an associate professor at the the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance 4. Song for My Father by Horace Silver (1965) pianist and bandleader Horace Silver was a leading proponent of the hard bop style (a sub-genre of jazz that emerged in the mid-1950s). In 1964 Silver dedicated his most popular album and song to his dad, John Tavares Silva, who appears on the record sleeve looking cool and distinguished. Song for My Father by Horace Silver. Silver鈥檚 band drew on the Brazilian rhythms and Portuguese folk songs of Silva鈥檚 native Cape Verde. About seven minutes long, the track is a perfect balance of traditional melody and modern style, with a vivacious funky solo from Silver himself and a brilliantly escalating tenor break from Joe Henderson. It pays tribute to family roots and looks to the future with adventure and optimism. Jazz is known to be the music of dads and Song for My Father is one of the lightest, happiest jazz standards ever. Mike Bradshaw is dean of Humanities and Social Sciences 5. Praying for Time by George Michael (1990) An obvious choice for Father鈥檚 Day would be (1987). However, I鈥檝e chosen Praying for Time, a song that remains as relevant today as when it was released in 1990. It is a powerful reflection on a world struggling with inequality, indifference and a lack of compassion. Praying For Time by George Michael. The lyrics challenge us as listeners to look beyond ourselves and consider the needs of others, encouraging empathy in a society that can often reward selfishness. The song explores how having courage when standing up for what is right comes at a cost. Above all, Michael sings that he wants the world to be a better place for future generations. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, Father鈥檚 Day can be complicated and painful. Yet Michael became a father figure of sorts to many in the gay community. Through his visibility and influence, he helped break down barriers for gay people. Many of us are grateful that he left behind a world more accepting of LGBTQ+ people than the one he found, and his kindness and philanthropic nature showed the world that there are many different forms of fatherhood. Joel Gray is associate dean and lecturer in media, art and communication 6. Father to Son by Queen (1974) Queen鈥檚 second album, Queen II (1974), was where their distinctive vocal and guitar harmonies really clicked into place. Guitarist Brian May called it their . Father to Son, an anthemic prog-rock opening statement, also shows the band starting to flex its pop muscles, with vocal interludes occasionally reminiscent of the Beach Boys. The lyrics 鈥� in the form of a letter 鈥� are from a parent鈥檚 perspective years before May became a father himself, yet still carrying biographical poignancy. Father to Son by Queen. It arrived amid , who was 鈥渕ortified鈥� at his son鈥檚 decision to pursue music over doctoral studies. The two didn鈥檛 speak for nearly two years, reconciling when May flew his parents to a New York gig on Concorde, which his father had worked on as an engineer, but not been able to afford as a passenger. May Senior鈥檚 presence haunted the record nonetheless, the two had built together when May was a teenager. The instrument is a key element of his signature sound 鈥� proof that, as the song suggests, what passes between across generations involves sounds as well as words. Adam Behr is a reader in music, politics and society 7. Brown-Eyed Women by Grateful Dead (1970) This song, never released on a studio album by the Dead but played extensively live, is told by the son of a man called Gentle Jack Jones. It tells the story of his father鈥檚 life. Jack Jones may have 鈥渄rank to the dregs of the whisky jar鈥�, but the family鈥檚 real problems came in 1930 鈥渨hen the wall caved in鈥�. The father turns to bootlegging to support his family (鈥渄addy made whisky and he made it well鈥�) but the family鈥檚 position on the fringes of society leads to tragedy. Grateful Dead perform Brown-Eyed Women. His mother is killed when the roof of their shack collapses, potentially with a number of the speaker鈥檚 brothers. 鈥淎nd gentle Jack Jones never was the same again.鈥� The speaker and his father then fall deeper into their moonshining work, as he reflects on the long path that led them both there. I love the way the speaker strives to see the best in his father, nostalgically referring to him as 鈥渄addy鈥�, and striving to believe in his essential goodness; 鈥渢he bottles are dusty but the liquor is clean鈥�. Max Bowden is a PhD candidate in literature, film and theatre studies 8. Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama (2021) For some people, Father鈥檚 Day can be incredibly difficult. Especially if you had a father who didn鈥檛 accept you. In 2023 that almost half of LGBT+ young adults in the UK are estranged from at least one family member because of their sexuality or gender identity. Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama, featuring Elton John. One way the LGBTQ+ community have dealt with estrangement is to create close friendships in the community akin to a family. This is what Rina Sawayama celebrates in her anthem, Chosen Family. She sings: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to share genes or a surname, you are my chosen family鈥�, showing not only gratitude to those in her life who have supported her pansexual identity, but a recognition that she has forged a connection beyond friendship and close to blood ties. Samuel Murray is a lecturer in music management 9. Ready To Go Home by 10cc (1995) Ready To Go Home is a poignant song inspired by 10cc singer and musician Graham Gouldman鈥檚 father, Hyman, who passed away in 1991. Gouldman often collaborated with his father, who was a poet and playwright. He described him as someone who 鈥渓oved words鈥� and influenced his own writing. Ready to Go Home by 10cc. Gouldman鈥檚 bandmate Kevin Godley affectionately referred to him as 鈥淗yme the Rhyme,鈥� and one of Hyman鈥檚 catchphrases inspired the band鈥檚 1976 hit Art for Art鈥檚 Sake. In the liner notes for his 2000 solo album, And Another Thing鈥�, Gouldman stated that Ready To Go Home captured his reflections on his father鈥檚 passing, framing it in a positive light. The song serves as a remembrance of 鈥渁ll the things we had done together and his artistic legacy to me鈥�. Although written four years after Hyman鈥檚 death, Gouldman said that it often takes time to process such traumatic events before they can be expressed. Hussein Boon is a principal lecturer and chair of the Black Music Research Unit 10. GIRLDAD by KwolleM ft. Joe James (2023) This track by British rappers KwolleM and Joe James is about making time for music amid new commitments as a father. The verses document James鈥檚 plan to 鈥済o ten times harder鈥� on his music, but the choruses outline the mainstays of his daughter鈥檚 world that are waiting for him to return: I鈥檝e got a few Barbies on ice right now Lilo and Stitch teddy on ice right now Disney Plus membership on ice right now bedtime story on ice right now. GIRLDAD by KwolleM. The track bounces along at grime鈥檚 signature 140bpm tempo, assuring us this isn鈥檛 someone caught between a rock and a hard place, but someone who is spoilt for choice. James is excited and fulfilled by both parts of his life. Some critics have argued that this kind of , which substitutes icy percussion for soulful samples, divorces the genre from street-level social realism. But, here, the duo extend grime鈥檚 remit to new subjects, retaining its distinctly British blend of playfulness and wholehearted commitment. Ellis Jones is a lecturer in music and management 11. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting by Charles Mingus (1959) I grew up in Dublin in the 1960s with a father who loved literature, theatre, film and in particular, music: modern classical and modern jazz. Ravel, Stravinsky, Bartok, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane were the soundtrack to my childhood. He was evangelical in exposing his eight children to this music. As a boy I was particularly intrigued by the Charles Mingus song Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, an evocation of a Baptist prayer meeting. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting by Charles Mingus. One day, when I was around 12, I had the house to myself. I daringly took my father鈥檚 Mingus LP, turned it up to 11 and sat in front of the speakers. The music hit me with a physical intensity: goosebumps, hair standing up on the back of the neck, ganglions vibrating. It was both shocking and exhilarating 鈥� my first visceral experience with music. In retrospect, it was the moment that made me want to have a life in music. Which I did. Although my father had passed away by then, his taste in, and love of, music 鈥� and that recording, on that day 鈥� decided what I would do with my life. Ronan Guilfoyle is the director of the Centre for Jazz Performance Studies What is your favourite song or album about fathers or fatherhood? Let us know in the comments below.Latest News Comment: An expert explains what happened in Nepal Writing for The Conversation, Professor Stuart Dunning discusses how a collapsing glacier turned into a lethal wall of mud and water. published on: 28 August 2026 Comment: Britain鈥檚 quarter century Writing for The Conversation, Professor Hayley Fowler discusses how the UK environment has changed in the past 25 years. published on: 27 August 2026 缅北禁地 academic receives esteemed mid-career Fellowship A 缅北禁地 researcher has been awarded an esteemed Fellowship by the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF). published on: 21 August 2026 Facts and figures
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