We deliver you the soundtrack for Father’s Day. Enjoy listening to the eight tracks!
It doesn’t matter whether you’re at home with your family or out and about with friends: Father’s Day deserves a proper celebration. So that you are properly supplied with music on May 18th, we are providing you with the soundtrack for your Father’s Day 2023 here – with songs that deal with the most diverse father figures. Here you will find old hits, for example by The Winstons, as well as current tracks, for example by Kendrick Lamar.
1. Harry Chapin – “Cat’s in the Cradle”
Harry Chapin delivered a beautiful, quiet song about a complicated father-son relationship in 1974’s “Cat’s in the Cradle.” When the boy was little, dad rarely had time for his sprouts. But that does not detract from the child’s love for his father. “I want to be like you, dad,” he tells him proudly. And indeed: the years pass and the boy grows up. Now he’s the one with too much on his plate to meet. “My boy is just like me,” Chapin sums up at the end of the song. “Cat’s in the Cradle” is an emotional track that guarantees goosebumps – perfect for enjoying with dad and reflecting on your own relationship.
2. Kendrick Lamar – “Father Time” (feat. Sampha)
Kendrick Lamar is also struggling with a difficult relationship with his father. On “Father Time” he works them up in his unmistakable lyrical style and gives the listener a glimpse into the depths of his soul. His father didn’t give him any time off as he prepared him for the harsh reality. “I jumped up when I scraped my knee. Because if I cried about it, he would have told me not to be weak,” recalls Kendrick. A smooth instrumental with a Sample from Hoskins’ Ncrowd and the dreamy hook that Sampha sings make “Father Time” one of the best tracks from Kendrick’s current album MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS (2022) – and a great fit for your Father’s Day playlist.
3. Atmosphere – “Yesterday”
Hip hop also has a soft side. Kendrick Lamar and Atmosphere on this Father’s Day playlist. On “Yesterday,” Sean “Slug” Daley raps about a past he shares with a certain other person. At first this sounds like a track on which a desperate man whines after an ex-girlfriend. Slug sees a human on the street that reminds him a lot of said person. Only at the end of the song does he reveal that there must definitely be a mix-up. Because “Yesterday” is not about his ex, but about his father, who has already passed away. So with the last line he changes the meaning of the whole song. A moving track that reminds us that time with loved ones is limited.
4. The Winstons – “Color Him Father”
“Color Him Father” is an ode to all stepfathers who welcome their new family into their home and heart. The Winstons tell the story of a boy who lost his biological father in the war. Mama’s new one takes on the great responsibility of replacing the lost old man as best he can. A tricky task, which he masters, however: “I call this man father,” says the refrain of the song.
5. Herbert Grönemeyer – “Men”
We want to present you at least one German-language song here. Which one is better than “Men” by Herbert Grönemeyer?! In the song, the Bochum singer reflects on what it means to be a man in the traditional sense. He works on the role model of the stereotypical man and uncovers some contradictions.
6. Beyoncé – “Daddy Lessons”
On “Daddy Lessons” the pop queen Beyoncé tells of the knowledge that her father gave her along the way. She offers insight into her Texas origins: Her father taught her – with one hand on the gun and the other on the Bible – to “shoot” at dangerous men. The shots are likely to be more metaphorical in nature. Still, “Daddy Lessons” is a fine example of a father who wants to raise his daughter to be a strong, independent woman.
7. Fleetwood Mac – “Oh Daddy”
With Fleetwood Mac, the tones are traditionally quieter than with Madonna or Beyoncé. So also on the song “Oh Daddy” from the album RUMOURS (1977). The soft rock ballad, which Christine McVie is said to have written for Mick Fleetwood, sings about a father who stands as solid as a rock. “Why are you right when I’m so wrong? I’m so weak, but you’re so strong,” McVie sings. Many people should find themselves in this train of thought: even if we sometimes don’t want to admit it, dad is usually right.
8. Cat Stevens – “Father and Son”
The Father’s Day playlist comes to an end with Cat Stevens and his perhaps most famous song “Father and Son”. The song reflects a conflict of generations. The father tells his boy that he still has a lot to learn before he is ready to go out into the big, wide world. The son, on the other hand, is certain that he has to go his own way.