Childhood is a time full of innocence, curiosity, and playful wonder. It is also something that you never really cherish until you suddenly find yourself applying for jobs in various places. As they say, good times pass quickly. This definitely holds true for childhood, even if as a child you might have thought that you couldn’t wait to grow up.
Music is another wonderful thing that we invented. So, combine the longing for the days when you were a child with the passion that comes with composing music and lyrics, and you end up with something truly special. Songs about childhood, especially when written and sung from the heart, are some of the best pieces of music out there. And if you’re wanting to take a trip down memory lane, or simply want to dedicate a song about childhood to your child who might not be as young as they once were, there are some excellent choices for you too choose from.
Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams
If you fondly look back as early as the year of 1969, you have been through a lot of differing eras but have probably never seen the magic of that decade being replicated ever again. This song by Bryan Adams will take you on a nostalgic trip back to the Summer months of 1969, and probably evoke a lot of relatable emotions and feelings while you’re listening to it.
The song details how the Summer of 1969 made up the best days of Bryan Adams’ life, and how dearly he misses those moments and wishes he could go back and relive them again. Bryan Adams also sings about how life just hasn’t been the same since then, and how it only seems to get harder and more monotonous than ever before each day. That might also be something you could relate to, which would only make the song even that more relatable.
Time by Pink Floyd
If you’re looking for a song that will help you relive the memories of your childhood while subsequently being a punch in the gut, look no further than the song Time by the iconic band Pink Floyd. The song perfectly encapsulates the feelings regarding what we talked about in the opening to this article, and talks about how quickly life seems to have passed.
The song is a bit longer than your traditional songs; with the opening instrumental itself taking up a whole two minutes, which is more than half the runtime of a normal song. But the whole song is totally worth a listen, with beautiful guitar riffs and deep lyrics that will speak to your soul and the child inside you. Just be ready to shed a tear or two as the song reminisces about how time slipped from your hand, how the days keep getting shorter and shorter just because you aged, how you are moving non-stop to death’s door, and how tired you feel now that you’re all grown up. It really is a beautiful piece of music, that’s for sure.
Slow Down by Nichole Nordeman
It seems to be a recurring theme among songs about childhood that they are going to make you cry one way or another, and Nichole Nordeman’s absolutely heart-melting song Slow Down holds back no punches. This is definitely a song to dedicate to your children, no matter their age.
The song talks about how much a mother loves her children, and though she is proud to see them grow up and go their own way in life, it is also a gut-wrenching feeling because mothers are hardwired to want to always care for and provide for their children. The song has some really beautiful lines about how the children used to try to learn to crawl, and how they now don’t even need to hold their mother’s hand. Its lyrics also ask the children multiple times if they could slow their aging, because these are moments the mother cherishes so much that she can’t bear to live without them. The song also talks about how the mother’s children will understand her feelings once they have children of their own.
A Mother’s Prayer by Rachel Aldous
For a song with a religious tone to it, A Mother’s Prayer by Rachel Aldous is an absolute gem. Not only is its score super soothing and a joy to listen to, but the lyrics themselves are also quite beautiful. The song talks about your young baby that a mother would want to grow up loving God and trusting His judgement in everything. The song also mentions how a mother’s child is a wonderous loan from the Heavens, which is just an absolutely beautiful way to describe your child if you’re religious. The song continues to wish well wishes on the child, and concludes with a heartfelt prayer that any mother would say amen to.
Crocodile Rock by Elton John
For a more upbeat song about childhood, John Elton provides us with the fast-paced song Crocodile Rock. This is the kind of song which describes its effect on people within the lyrics; “When your feet just can’t keep still”. It’s a very fun song about presumably a young Elton John and some girl named Suzie who would spend their days “hopping and bopping” to something they dubbed the Crocodile Rock.
Just don’t pay too much attention to the bit of the song that gets all depressing about how Suzie left Elton John for some foreign man and how he spends his adult years crying and dreaming of those days, and just focus on the jazzy tune and combination of a variety of interesting instruments. It’s a pretty fun song to “hop and bop” to if you ignore the depressing bit, and definitely something you could dedicate to your child as a fun and loving gesture of parenting.
My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
To close off this list we’ll link one of the most heartwarming songs ever written. Though the song is about a dad singing about his daughter, it also works just as well if a mother dedicates it to her daughter. This song is the perfect one to dedicate to a daughter that has grown up and is leaving for college. It details the childhood spent with the daughter, how much the daughter meant to her parent, and how though you have high hopes for her, you also want her to remember you and visit you regularly. This is another one of those songs that might just end up making you cry.
Early Days by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney’s 16th solo album, New, contains the fifth song, Early Days. It is both a reflection on his earliest Beatle years and a rejoinder to the naysayers who questioned his place in the group. The spirit and inspiration that young artists find in one another is the subject of this song. Whether or not they achieved success, every child who has experienced ups and downs is included in this.
I Lived It by Blake Shelton
It appears that many country musicians feel the need to establish their country-ness. To describe his upbringing, Blake Shelton sings, “Mama poured grease in a Crisco can, put a hundred thousand miles on a Sears box fan”. This song is meant to represent the childhood experiences he had with his family and how those experiences shaped who he is today. As you get older, you learn to love what you have or had. Most people can think of memories with their family, with friends from high school, or with just about anything else. The fact that Blake shared memories with his father, uncle, and grandparents in this instance is undeniable.
Fifteen by Taylor Swift
Swift sings about what life was like being in high school. “But in your life, you’ll do things. Greater than dating the boy on the football team, but I didn’t know it at fifteen.” It goes without saying that not many of the friendships we form throughout our school years last a lifetime. The majority of them come to an abrupt end once school or university is over. A person who knows you through and out and is familiar with your entire life experience must be extremely fortunate to maintain such a friendship for a lifetime.
Forever Young by Rod Stewart
One gets inspired to dig further into the significance of Rod Stewart’s decades-old lyrics by his 1980s anthem. Every person has to experience youth, and I firmly believe that it is during this time that we gain not just in years but also in intellect, knowledge, and wisdom. We are able to give back to our children and future generations by helping them grow and become better individuals as a result of maturing and enduring the challenges we face as young people. Each parent can dedicate this song to their kids with pleasure. It’s important to be there for your children to set a good example.
Conclusion
Music and childhood, what a glorious combination. And the songs listed above are some really good recommendations within that specific category. But of course, childhood isn’t the only thing music and songs are written for. If you’re looking for some romantic songs to dedicate to your significant other instead, we made a post about musician couples over the years that have released some good songs about love together. And if your child is still young, by which we mean so young that they are still a baby, we have a post on lullabies to help babies get to sleep that might help you with one of the most common problems new parents face.