Songs for Dads (Father's Day 2011)

Father's Day is coming up very soon, and in my time-honored tradition of not thinking about the holiday until the last minute, I'm just now updating my 2009 list of songs for dads.

There's always new stuff to add. (Along with stuff I've forgotten, overlooked, or cruelly dismissed. Let me know what falls in those categories in the comments.) I'd note, though, that I'm trying hard to limit myself to songs about dads, specifically. Those are tough to find...

The list, after the jump:
-- "Daddy-O," off Frances England's Fascinating Creatures
-- "My Dad!," off Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's Kaleidoscope Songs, Vol 1
-- "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin (just kidding!)
-- "I'm So Glad To Be A Dad," off Dennis Caraher's Bow Wow Baby
-- "My Daddy Is Scratchy," off Jamie Broza's My Daddy Is Scratchy
-- "My Daddy (Flies a Ship in the Sky)," off the Daddy-O! Daddy Woody Guthrie tribute
-- "Courtship of Eddie's Father"
-- "Dad" by Father Goose
-- "The Coffee Song," by Ralph's World, off At The Bottom of the Sea. (Yeah, I used it for the mom's list, but it mentions D...A...D.D.Y.)
-- "Father and Daughter," by Paul Simon (off a number of CDs, but including The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack)
-- "Don't Wipe Your Face On Your Shirt," by the Cornell Hurd Band, off the fabulous The Bottle Let Me Down comp.
-- "Me and My Dad," by David Weinstone, from his Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals #7.
-- "Stay-At-Home Dad," by Justin Roberts (off Pop Fly).
-- "My Father Was An Accountant," by Peter Himmelman (from My Green Kite)
-- "Things," by Barenaked Ladies (from Snacktime) -- I suppose this is gender-free, but considering it's being sung by an all-guy band, I took it as a Dad-centric song
-- "Have You Looked?" and "Swingin' in Daddyland," from Lewis Franco off his Swingin' in Daddyland CD)
-- "Dad Threw the TV Out the Window," from Bill Harley (on Play It Again, among other places) -- more about TV, but still...
-- "In Belgian Rain" by Hot Peas N Butter
-- "My Dad," by Rick Charette, off of a cd titled Kids Tunes
-- "My Dad Caught Stars" by Justin Roberts (off Not Naptime)
-- "The Lawnmower Song" by John Upchurch and Mark Greenberg (off John and Mark's Children's Record -- yes, it's about mowing the lawn, but about Dad mowing the lawn. Which I do. Constantly.)
-- "My Dad Rocks" by Funky Mama (off Moo Juice)
-- "Googlie Mooglie" by the Jimmies (Make Your Own Someday)
-- "Daddy" by Laughing Pizza
-- "Daddy & I" by Duplex (from Worser)
-- "Don't I Fit in My Daddy's Shoes" by Sarah Lee Guthrie (Go Waggaloo)
-- "Daddy's Lucky Charm" from the Sippy Cups (off The Time Machine)
-- "Toolbox" by Recess Monkey (from the almost-here FLYING!)
-- "Lift Me Up" by Suzi Shelton (No Ordinary Day)
-- "Snuggle Daddy" by Stacey Peasley (Together -- hat tip: Jeff)
-- "Shave, Shower and Go To Work" by Moey's Music Party (off self-titled debut)

A reader also recommended Daddies Sing GoodNight: A Fathers' Collection of Sleepytime Songs, which isn't really a collection of songs about dads, but close enough...

And, a few for the adults (from commenters and e-mailers)...

-- "My Dad (My Pa)" by Nancy Sinatra
-- "Bein' a Dad" by Loudon Wainwright III
-- "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who
-- "Slow Turnin," "Your Dad Did," and "Stolen Moments" - John Hiatt
-- "Still Fighting It," Ben Folds ("You're so much like me / I'm sorry.")
-- "My Old Man" by the Smothers Brothers. ("It's a touch blue, but it was recorded in 1963 so it's pretty harmless - funny if you're "in the know". My favorite Dad song!")
-- "Hold Me My Daddy" by XTC ("A great take on the sometimes complicated father/son bond.")

A couple entries with tongues planted firmly in cheek from readers:
-- "Oh, Daddy" by Adrian Belew (though I think that's probably safe for a playlist)
-- "Big Daddy" by Dewey Cox (um, way not safe for the playlist)

Share: Free Earth Day Songs

It's Earth Day, a holiday for which kids music represents well, kids being interested in the future of the planet and all. Here's a list of songs for Earth Day 2011, free for the cost of a few electrons:

David Tobocman has a funky, futuristic take on the garbageman of the future on his song, "I'm Gonna Be a Garbage Man."

I'm Gonna Be a Garbage Man by tobocman

Meanwhile, Charity Kahn and the JAMband take an... er... earthier approach on their Songs for Earth Day 2011 EP, featuring "I'm A Little Bunny," "Rattlin' Bog" (my favorite, but I love the song generally), and the mellow "Wise Old Owl."

There's always the Baze and his Silly Friends track "A Little Green." It features Stacia Newcomb, who plays “Star” on PBS Kids Sprout's The Good Night Show as guest vocalist and lots of "na na na"s on the singalong chorus. Download it for free here.

Finally, as we noted last week, Dan Zanes, Bill Harley, and Daria have Earth Day-related songs for your listening pleasure (DZ's will cost you, though it's for charity; the others are free).

Baseball Songs for Kids (Let's Play Two!)

The first day of Major League Baseball is almost upon us, woo hoo!As is my yearly tradition, I've provided this slightly updated list of baseball songs. (Read last year's list here.) Enjoy, and may all your teams have a great season. Except, as always, unless you're in the National League West, because the Diamondbacks rule. (In, er, 2012.)

If any of you have more suggestions, leave me a comment.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (well, duh) -- try Wiggleworms Love You, from the Old Town School of Folk Music (nicely bipartisan, cheering for both the Cubs and White Sox), or also the Hold Steady's version.
-- "Baseball Dreams" -- off At the Bottom of the Sea, by Ralph's World (Cubs all the way in this one)
-- "I'm Gonna Catch You" -- off Under a Shady Tree, by Laurie Berkner (it has one relevant line -- "So I jumped into Saturday / And I had a baseball batter-day" -- yeah, I'm really reachin' here)
-- "Pop Fly" -- off Justin Roberts' album by the same name, about a daydreaming boy playing the outfield...
-- "Centerfield" -- off Centerfield, by John Fogerty (not kids' music, but a great song anyway). See also Visqueen's rendition on the Desoto Records kidscomp Play!
-- "Talkin' Baseball -- off countless albums by Terry Cashman, who just re-records and updates his song -- baseball history lesson in 3 minutes
-- "Big Train" -- off the RTT's Turn It Up Mommy!. About Walter "Big Train" Johnson. I'd probably disagree that he's the best pitcher ever, but that's another blog. Good song.
-- "Right Field" -- Peter, Paul and Mary.
-- "Cryin' in the Dugout" -- off Daddy-A-Go-Go's Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate album. A humorous song -- "Baseball Dreams" played for laughs instead of nostalgia.
-- "The Greatest" -- Kenny Rogers.
-- "Roll Around" -- Peter Himmelman, off of his My Lemonade Stand CD. A fun, rollicking song about a baseball who retires, then comes back to his calling.
-- "Baseball Tips with Professor Buckley -- Peter Himmelman, My Green Kite, an amusing little spoken-word piece.
-- "Baseball" -- Milkshake, off Play!. Guest-starring Cal Ripkin, Jr.
-- "The Challenger Baseball Song" -- Ben Rudnick and Friends. All about the Challenger Division of Little League, for kids with mental and physical disabilities.
-- "Baseball, Baseball" -- Stephen Cohen, off Here Comes the Band.
-- "Hey! Batter!" -- Hank Cooper, from Playground Fortune Teller -- all about the language of baseball...
-- "High Five" -- They Might Be Giants (at least in part anyway, and the video features some baseball players -- and c'mon, the team sponsored a Little League baseball team...)
-- "Bruce Springstone's" version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
-- Kathy Kallick's "brilliant refashioning" of Count Basie's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball"
-- "Bring 'Em In" -- the Deedle Deedle Dees (off their American History + Rock 'n' Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees album)
-- "I Love Baseball" -- Jim Cosgrove (off Ooey Gooey)
-- "Home Run Ronnie" -- Debbie and Friends (off More Story Songs and Sing-Alongs)
-- "Lullabye with Baseball and Trains" - Peter Himmelman (off My Trampoline)
-- "Cool Papa Bell" -- Lloyd Miller from the Deedle Deedle Dees (watch here)
-- "Tommy Got in Trouble Today" -- the Bazillions (off Rock 'n' Roll Recess)
-- "Not So Good at Baseball" -- Barry Louis Polisar (off Old Enough to Know Better)

And finally, an artist reviewed here on this very site wrote me a while back to suggest four more songs, including at least one I'm miffed I forgot... the comments in quotes are the artist's, not mine.
-- "Catfish" -- off Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. I am unfamiliar with this one. But it's Dylan.
-- "Joe DiMaggio’s Done it Again" -– Wilco and Billy Bragg, from their Mermaid Ave Vol. 2
-- "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request" –- Steve Goodman – "Classic, and very funny." See "Talkin' Baseball," above.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Brave Combo - "two very cool versions... wacky and fun." It's Brave Combo, how could it not be fun?

Songs for Valentine's Day 2011

'Round here, the civics geek inside of me would like to think that everybody celebrates February 14 as Arizona Statehood Day, but I know that it's primarily Valentine's Day just as it is in the rest of the country. Unlike the frenzy of winter holiday songs, however, the kids music community hasn't necessarily jumped in recorded a whole bunch of songs for Valentine's Day. But for those families and kids for whom that Transformers Valentine's Day tattoo just won't fit the bill, here are a few songs for you...

DidiPop might have been the first to offer up a new Valentine's Day song this year -- it's called "Happy Valentine's Day." (Note: Unlike Christmas songs, it would appear that "Valentine" is a required word in the title of Valentine's Day songs.)

DidiPop - "Happy Valentine's Day" YouTube]

The February installment of Jeremy Plays Guitar's monthly free song of the month series is, unsurprisingly, Valentine-themed. (It's even called "Valentines.") That means bows and arrows!

OK, not really. It's more about making Valentine's Day cards. Listen to or download the song here.

And, yes, there's more...
Suzi Shelton didn't have a new song for 2011, but here's a song and dance with Shelton's daughter Emma Rose...

Suzi Shelton - "Valentine Song" [YouTube]

And speaking of song and dance, as previously noted, Recess Monkey has offered a song off their forthcoming album as a teaser ('cuz, really, this wouldn't make nearly as much sense in June, right?)

Recess Monkey - "My Valentine" [YouTube]

Best Kids Music 2010: Top 20 Songs

Moving on in my look back at 2010's best in music for kids and families, it's time for individual songs. This is the third year (at least) that I've put together a list featuring my 20 favorite songs. It's really hard, maybe even harder than putting together a list of the best albums -- lots of really good songs get left off the list, and a number of really good albums find themselves unrepresented here. But all of them have withstood my own test of repeated spins with no diminishment in enjoyment. This alphabetical list might not necessarily make the best mix CD, but these are definitely great songs. So without further ado...

Tommy Got In Trouble - The Bazillions (Rock-n-Roll Recess) [Watch here]
Sing With Me - Haley Bonar (Sing With Me)
I'm A Monkey - Candy Band (High Five) [Watch them perform it live here]
The Princess Who Saved Herself - Jonathan Coulton (Many Hands: Family Songs for Haiti) [Listen here]
Willy Won't - Debbie And Friends (More Story Songs & Sing Alongs) [Watch here]
Blue Bear - Lucky Diaz (Luckiest Adventure) [Watch here]
Clap Your Hands - Gwendolyn And The Good Time Gang (Clap Your Hands) [Listen (to at least a healthy portion) here]
Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here! - Dean Jones featuring the Felice Brothers (Rock Paper Scissors)
The Ballad of Johnny Box - Billy Kelly (Is This Some Kind of Joke?)
Shoo Lie Loo - Elizabeth Mitchell (Sunny Day)
F & G - The Pop Ups (Outside Voices) [Listen here]
All About Bob - Ralph's World (All Around Ralph's World) [Download for free here]
Moon Boots - Recess Monkey (The Final Funktier) [Watch here]
Mama Papa Love - Renee & Jeremy (C'mon) [Listen here]
Trick or Treat -Justin Roberts (Jungle Gym) [Listen here]
Ride the Butterflies -Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Underground Playground)
Little Red Wagon - Sugar Free Allstars (Funky Fresh And Sugar Free) [Listen here]
Rattling Can - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (Rise And Shine) [Listen here]
Hula Hoop To Da Loop - Keller Williams (Kids) [Watch here]
I Won't Grow Up - Dan Zanes & Friends (76 Trombones)