Spinner

Mother Songs: 10 Great Tracks About Mom

If it weren't for our mothers, we wouldn't be alive. Biology aside, mom's can be pretty magical beings. A mother's love is limitless in its potential: it can heal us, make us feel safe, not to mention inspire us. On the other hand, a bad relationship with one's mom can damage your self-esteem or worse. Either way, one thing is clear -- moms give musicians plenty of fodder for songwriting. Our 10 favorite mother songs, for your listening pleasure, are ranked below.
10
'Mother's Little Helper'
Rolling Stones
Even moms sometimes need a little help from their friends or, in this case, some pharmaceutical supplements. This early Rolling Stones classic is thought to reference a barbiturate used by desperate housewives in '60s UK. Dealing with rowdy little kids and needy husbands was backbreaking work; Forget flowers -- "Calgon take me away!"

Saddest Lyric: "Doctor, please, some more of these / Outside the door, she took four more. What a drag it is getting old"
Rolling Stones
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
09
'Mama Told Me Not to Come'
Randy Newman
Sure, it's been covered by everybody from Three Dog Night to Tom Jones, but the song was originally written by New Orleans-bred Randy Newman (now of 'Toy Story' fame). Although the song is thought to be autobiographical, the lyrics are told by a narrator who bemoans his recent move to the City of Angels. Above all, the song reminds us that, yes, sometimes we should listen to our mothers.

Cautionary Line: "Mama said, 'That ain't the way to have fun'"
Randy Newman
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
08
'Cleanin' Out My Closet'
Eminem
Marshall Mathers' public feud with his estranged mother plays out in this predictably profane song about burying his past demons and extracting his mother from his life. Like Pontuis Pilot washing his hands after the crucifixion of Jesus, Eminiem shovels mounds of dirt into an open grave as rain pours down on him in the video. With all the venom spewed, however, Slim Shady does show some love for Kim, the mother of their daughter, Hailie.

Most Bitter Lyric: "Hailie's gettin' so big now, you should see her, she's beautiful / But you'll never see her, she won't even be at your funeral"
Eminem
KMazur, WireImage
07
'Hey Mama'
Kanye West
Revered egomaniac Kayne West gives this unbending, genuine tribute song to his mother, a distinguished English professor and steadfast supporter of his career. Continuous "la, la, las" lay the beat as Kanye reminisces about his youth and promises his mother a better future. Sadly, however, Donda West died in 2007 during a botched surgical procedure, making this tribute all the more heart wrenching.

Most Tragic Lyric: "When you older, you don't gotta work no more / And I'm gonna get you that mansion that we couldn't afford"
Kanye West
Brad Barket, Getty Images
06
'I Like Your Mom'
Bouncing Souls
Way before 'Cougar Town' and even the MILF phenomenon, the Bouncing Souls penned an ode to not their mothers, but their friends' moms -- specifically those who were easy on the eyes. This track is a tale of unchecked libido and immature lust for the unattainable maternal presence living right next door.

Funniest Line: "I like your mom and it's no fad / I wanna marry her and be your dad"
Bouncing Souls
Paul Hawthorne, Getty Images
05
'Mother and Child Reunion'
Paul Simon
It turns out Paul Simon actually lifted the title of his first solo single from the menu of a Chinese restaurant (the dish has to do with chicken and eggs, which is sort of fitting?); but just as Simon dips into reggae with Jimmy Cliff's backing band, he borrows the small cultural sentiment and carries it over into this song about death and longing.

Strangest Line: "The mother and child reunion is only a motion away"
Paul Simon
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
04
'Mother'
Pink Floyd
Some of the creepiest, most soul-searching moments on Pink Floyd's 1979 classic 'The Wall' arrive during this desperate call for understanding from a character supposedly based on Floyd guitarist Roger Waters. The narrator asks his mother for assurance on everything from government overreach to clean girlfriends -- it's a quintessential '80s anthem of introspection and pseudo-activism.

Deepest Lyric: "Mother should I run for president? / Mother should I trust the government?"
Pink Floyd
Redferns / Getty Images
03
'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Queen
This epic tale of murder and redemption is told in a dialogue to the narrator's mother. Speculation about what exactly the lyrics referred to were consistently rebuffed by the band, but it seems Freddie Mercury dipped into Classical Lit 101 for inspiration. The Mama in the song may have been addressed to someone other than Freddie's actual mom, but the sentiment is still there: a distraught and dejected character reaches out to the only saving grace he has left -- his mommy.

Most Dramatic Lyric: "Mama, life had just begun / But now I've gone and thrown it all away"
Queen
Michael Putland, Getty Images
02
'Julia'
John Lennon
Appearing on the double-disc 'White Album,' it was the first song to feature only one Beatle, John, and it relied heavily on a finger-picking style raging through UK folk music at the time. 'Julia,' of course, was the name of John's mother, who was killed by a drunk driver when John was a teenager. The song is thought to be about Yoko as well. Their son Sean has covered 'Julia' and dedicated it to her.

Most Poetic Line: "Half of what I say is meaningless / But I say it just to reach you, Julia"
John Lennon
Keystone Features / Getty Images
01
'Mother'
Danzig
Once the lead singer of iconic punk band Misfits, Glenn Danzig defected from the group to play in the band that bears his name. The husky nu metal crooner managed to pen one of the most epic uses of "mother" in a lyric with a crunchy guitar lick that escalates into a wailing Danzig practically screaming the word over and over again. This song must make her so proud.

Creepiest Lyric: "Mother, tell your children not to hold my hand / Tell your children not to to understand"
Danzig
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Add a Comment

Sign in »
*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

9 Comments

Filter by:
Lois

Where's "Sunrise/Sunset" ?

June 19 2011 at 2:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fdgfdgdfdgfdg

welcome to our webiste below,FREE SHIPPING :

~~~~ http://alibabiz.com ~~~~

Air jordan (1-24) shoes $33 ~~~~

Nike Shox (R4,NZ,OZ,TL1,TL2,TL3) $35 ~~~~

Handbags (Coach ,LV ,Fendi ,D&G) $35 ~~~~

Tshirts (Polo ,ED Hardy,Lacoste) $16 ~~~~

Jean (True Religion,ED Hardy,Coogi) $30 ~~~~

New era cap $15 ~~~~

Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $25 ~~~~

FREE SHIPPING ~~~

http://alibabiz.com

Cheap shoes, clothing, bags, Exempt freight

May 15 2011 at 12:36 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
MrVorhias

I would have included "Mother's Talk" by Talking Heads, too.

Otherwise not a bad collection.

May 07 2011 at 7:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Paul

You missed the best... OZZIE !!!!

May 06 2011 at 8:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
manuel

Tori Amos Mother, 10 songs and not a single one by women!!

May 05 2011 at 6:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Valerie

Excuse me, but i think you TOTTALY missed The Lonely Island's Motherlover

May 05 2011 at 5:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Larry

I would have included Lennon's "Mother" and a favorite of mine, Laurie Anderson's "O Superman"

May 05 2011 at 5:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Larry's comment
getwhlut

My friends told me about — Bla ckwhi teCu pid. C’ 0- M —–told It’s the best place to me’et bl’ack wh’ite sing’les. Come in and stay a while. Complete your profile. Post a message, a picture of yourself and check out the photo galleries

Give it a try, you will find someone you like there… ;)
@@@@I would have included Lennon's "Mother" and a favorite of mine, Laurie Anderson's "O Superman"

May 06 2011 at 2:55 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Jen

Exactly! I fully expected to see Lennon's song 'Mother'. Should have been #1.

May 06 2011 at 11:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply