Fatherhood’s Greatest Hits: Songs That Remind Us of Our Dads

Written by our Founder and CEO, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.

Father’s Day is about honoring the men who have been our pillars of strength and sources of wisdom as we were growing up and beyond. It’s a day to celebrate their dedication and the countless ways they’ve shaped our lives, big and small.

Many of us are lucky to still have our dads so that we can show our appreciation in person or over the phone. But even for the fathers who are no longer with us, today is an opportunity to reflect on the time we were able to spend with them.

In many cases, our memories will be refreshed by paging through photo albums or watching old home videos. But there’s another way to reconnect with them – by listening to the music that our minds associate with our dads.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how music is an emotional language that has a unique ability not only to transport us back in time but also to restore the emotions we felt. Within a few measures, a song can bring back feelings of love, comfort, and joy, to name just a few.

I was reminded of this phenomenon when I switched on my car radio and heard “The Living Years” by the 1980s band Mike and the Mechanics. It instantly sent me back to 1989, when I listened to the song regularly while driving to see my dad, who was in the hospital at the time.

Your musical memories of Dad

Earlier this month, I asked you to share stories of songs that reminded you of your fathers. The response was music to my ears! The songs ran the gamut from classical pieces to pop, rock, and country and the stories behind them may inspire the entire community to reflect on the soundtrack of their life – and the role music plays in all our relationships.

Lori, for example, shared that the one song that makes her think of her dad is “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” She remembers her dad constantly whistling that tune, whether he was working or trying to cheer up the family. It was a song that made household chores more fun, and though Lori wasn’t a great whistler back then, she would often sing along.

Now she can whistle the tune alongside him. Reflecting on their special bond, Lori shares:

I’m still lucky enough to have my dad around. And now that I can whistle, we can whistle that song together. This will be the ‘happy’ tune we will play on the day he is no longer with us, and it will bring back all the great memories I have with my dad.

Mary told me a story about her late father and how it was her parents’ dream for her to play the piano. Her dad was finally able to buy her a piano, and she practiced diligently, making him proud. The song “Zorba the Greek” always reminds her of him, as he would listen and fall asleep while she played. Mary reflects:

"Dad opened my world by giving me the love of music. Even though he has been in heaven for seven years now, I have him in my heart every time I play that song, and I know he is smiling."

Vacation soundtracks

Carrie said that she and her sisters spent much of their summers at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. Her parents took them out each weekend on the boat, and they listened to “beach music” from artists like The Swingin’ Medallions, The Tams, The Drifters, and Chairmen of the Board.

"My dad would always remind me of our impending dance together. I never got that chance. My daddy died young, and I never got married. If I ever get married, I don’t think I could have the DJ play that song. That song was for my daddy and me. When I hear it every so often on the oldies station, I think about how much I miss him."

Kat wrote about her father, who passed away in 1999, and how he loved music, played the guitar, and sang songs while sitting around the house or outside by a campfire. On one occasion, he ceded control of the car radio to Kat, and “Heart of Glass” came on.

"He listened to it, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, turned to me and wanted to know who was singing it because he liked it. Every time I hear that song I go back to that day in the hot summer, where our journey that day took us to McDonald’sfor cheeseburgers and shakes. Thank you, Blondie, for such a great song."

It’s stories like these, filled with joy, nostalgia, and love, that remind us of the powerful connections we have with our fathers through music. These songs are not just melodies; they are the soundtracks of our lives, echoing with the laughter, lessons, and love we’ve shared.

Happy Father’s Day,

Jim