What songs remind you of your dad?

[nuxvomica]

Whenever I think about my dad, who passed on the last day of 2006, I think of the Tarantella Napolitana. Whenever he got his hands on a baby or a toddler, he would bounce them on his knees and sing... "Donkee donka donka dee, donkitee donkitee donkita dee, donkitee donka donkitee donka donkitee donka donka dee." When I was a kid he told me that in Italy, if someone got bit by a tarantula, they would dance to this song and sweat out the poison. I recall thinking at the time that of course Italians would make dancing part of their health care system. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-xsosv6uM0

[rug]

1. ,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfc4InJ7shk&feature=PlayList&p=213BDB3566A45C0D&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=33

[Bertha Venation]

2. though it has nothing to do with him or us, "Growing Old"

recorded by a "contemporary Christian" group called Malcolm & Alwyn, in the 70s, a really lovely song

close your eyes, my child
it's been a long hard day
your mummy says you're much too rough
when you're out at play

I was just a little boy like you are
but I was a rebel at my school
sticking bubble gum down the inkwell
and writing silly rhymes upon my rule

goodbye my dear father
you lived a good long life
but you left us all much too quickly
my, my, my how time flies
still nevermind, my faithful mother
dry those heartbroken tears
I'll do the best that I can, dear
but I can never bring you back those fifty happy years

time must go on
as the sun must surely sink from the sky
and time waits not for any man
comes the day when we all must say goodbye
we're all subject to the same
and time is creeping still
but we pretend it just doesn't happen that way
the hours we just live to fill

goodbye, my dear mother
we're all traveling down your road
no matter how we may struggle
every one of us is surely growing old

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBS7dVrE1U

[hippywife]

7. Me, too, unfortunately.

It used to be Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg until I stopped idolizing him and trying to seek his approval, finally saw him for the person he really is.

:hug:

[Mad_Dem_X]

33. "Leader of the Band"

is another one that reminds me of my dad, particularly the line "He gave to me a gift I know I never can repay", and the last verse.

[Lady President]

4. Barenaked Ladies

I know that this is really odd choice.... The last New Year's Eve that my dad was alive some channel showed a BNL concert. They had always been a favorite of mine, so my parents humored me by watching it. My dad ended up thinking that they were really witty, especially the line, "I could go, but I'll just stay. All my stuff is here anyway." It's a great memory for me.

He was also a huge bagpipe fan, so we made sure that "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipe was played at his funeral.

[mix]

5. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A2QkgMvTtM

[livetohike]

6. My Dad loved to sing and this was one of his favorites - Blue Moon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zceWcWDaahg

Blue moon,
you saw me standing alone
without a dream in my heart
without a love on my own.

Blue moon,
you knew just what I was there for
you heard me saying a prayer for
somebody I realy could care for.

And then there suddenly appeared before me,
the only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper, "Please adore me."
and when I looked,
the moon had turned to gold.

Blue moon,
now I'm lo longer alone
without a dream in my heart
without a love of my own.

[rurallib]

22. did he like the Marcels version?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDpMRpAdXmY&feature=related

[livetohike]

31. It was more Frank Sinatra-ish

I remember my Dad singing this in the mid 1950's. We didn't have a radio in his '53 Chevy BelAire and he was always singing in the car :-).

[CBR]

8. I danced with my Dad at my wedding to this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjsjZWlRVvo

[Brother Buzz]

9. Pretty much anything written by Leroy Shield that emanated from Hal Roach studios

Shield wrote almost exclusively for the Hal Roach studios. I have fond memories of my Pops chuckling at the Laurel and Hardy movies when I was a kid, and accordingly, I grew to love the music associated with the Hal Roach studios.

Years ago, my friend made up a CD of music by Beau Hunks (contemporary Dutch group) interspersed with dialog from the films. It was great. and I played it at a family gathering. Pops became quiet, listened real long and hard, then started smiling. His eyes were beaming.

I startle myself and think of my Pops when I discover myself laughing the same way my Pops did when I was a kid. I miss him.

The Moon and You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsbm3N_BIEg&feature=related
Bells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xQjOE8FxjM

"I was dreaming I was awake, and then I woke up and found myself asleep." - Stan Laurel

[MorningGlow]

10. Anything by the Carpenters

He LOVED them.

And lots of big-band stuff. He had a pretty big record collection--including lots of 78s--which I just found out my mom was thinking of selling! Ohhhh boy did I read her the riot act about that! She now knows it's "hands off dad's records" (and they're not even taking up that much space in the attic--she's always been a big "purge" kind of person).

[In_The_Wind]

11. My Dad has been gone since 1974.

But I think he would have enjoyed this ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l38YXrGJxx0



He partied all of his life. I only saw him sober 3 or 4 days a week.
Maybe his happiest days were his last. He became a recovering alcoholic in 1972.
I'm sorry to admit that I never knew this side of my Dad as I left him and my home in 1966.

[Lindsey]

12. When I was 12 y.o. my Dad was killed in a car wreck. He was out

of town on business so my sister and I were spending the night at our grandmother's (my Dad's mom). I fell asleep that night to the song by the Guess Who called "No Time Left for you" on the radio that my Dad had given me. The next thing I knew it was 2:00 in the morning and the Highway Patrol had called my Grandmother to tell her that her only child had been killed. It wasn't until I was in my 30's that I could hear that song. Whenever it came on the radio, I immediately changed the channel. Then, I knew I needed to listen to the song as part of healing my loss. Now, whenever the song comes on I think of it in another way. I remember instead what a truly wonderful Dad I had and how incredibly lucky I was that he was in my life - even though it was a very short time. He was also into Big Band music (he was a wonderful clarinet player) and I listen to it every time I can.

[In_The_Wind]

20. I'm sorry you lost him so soon.

It's wonderful that you've found a beautiful way to celebrate his life. :hug:

[SeattleGirl]

13. Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

My dad loved this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYEvz0oniCM

[Heidi]

14. Forever Young. (nt)

[one_voice]

15. I'm lucky, I still have my dad....

any song by Al Green. My dad used to be a singer and Al was one of his favorites and he sounded a lot like him. He and his band used to practice in our basement, and the neighbors would sit outside and listen (our basement was street level).

He sang my "first dance" song for my first wedding (fools rush in marriage)and he sang Let's Stay Together. Whenever I hear Al Green I think of my dad. :-)

[miscsoc]

29. Steely Dan, definitely most of all.

A very Dad band. He's still around, I should buy him something related to music in some way.

[Mr. Ected]

16. Everything I Own by Bread

David Gates' tribute to his father.

You sheltered me from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
And...

(Chorus:)
I would give anything I own
Give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give ev'rything I own
Just to have you back again

You taught me how to love
What it's of, what it's of
You never said too much
But still you showed the way
And I knew from watching you
Nobody else could ever know
The part of me that can't let go
And...

(Repeat chorus)

(Bridge:)
Is there someone you know
You're loving them so
But taking them all for granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away
And they don't hear
The words you long to say

(Repeat chorus)

Just to touch you once again

[Mad_Dem_X]

35. I didn't realize that was about his dad

Learn something new every day. Lovely song.

[MajorChode]

38. David Gates kept that one to himself for a while

Most people simply assumed it was a regular love song about a couple, but David Gates admitted later in an interview that he was thinking about the loss of his dad when he wrote the song. His dad taught him music at a very early age and evidently supported his "crazy" decision to move from Tulsa to California to start a music career.

IIRC, the song "Lost Without Your Love" was also inspired by the loss of his dad, although the lyrics lend themselves a bit more to loss of romantic love.

It's really sad that Gates retired from music at such an early age (although he would later return for a short while). He was truly a talented singer and songwriter.

[ornotna]

17. Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians

Anything by them, he was a big fan.



Guy Lombardo - September in the Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLqODPIkWo4


This got a lot of playing time in our house as well


Jackie Gleason - I Only Have Eyes For You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTyvOk0bc0k

[Tikki]

18. Father-in-law...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_kzFEero_M
"Basketball Jones"...Cheech and Chong.

Sometimes we'd be the only two watching the GAME. I believe he was proud of me
for talking great 'Basketball". I know he was proud when both Mr. Tikki and I coached teams.

Miss you C. B. Did you hear my play by on the NBA Championship!!!

Tikki

[Blue-Jay]

19. Delbert McClinton - "Every Time I Roll The Dice"

Dad loved Delbert.

[Haole Girl]

21. Unfortunately, this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH46SmVv8SU

Now it seems I'm the one who can't talk with him... for various reasons.

Yeow, that song makes me cry. :cry:

[whistler162]

30. I was going to post that but didn't want to bring the

day down for others.

At least, in my case maybe not as much my brothers, we talked more up to the end.

[Skittles]

23. Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Otis Redding, Elvis, Beatles, Stones

my dad was a huge music fan, tons and tons of 45s

[Swede]

24. Danny Boy was a favorite of dad's.

It was sung at his funeral.

[Homer Wells]

25. People

by Barbra Streisand

[likesmountains 52]

26. Hamm's Beer commercial...watching football with him on Sundays

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o83xxWCel8g

or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6F4GtyRfto&feature=related Brylcreem

[elleng]

27. This.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-ldVj34Sfo

He's 96. Planning to visit, shortly.

[Withywindle]

28. Anything by the Kinks or Captain Beefheart

He's a huge fan, and some of those songs are among my earliest memories of...well, anything. (Trout Mask Replica came out the same year I did.)

There's so much sadness all around on Father's Day. I keep my head down because I know I am very fortunate - my dad is still with us and he is still with my mom (42 years married this coming October). I live 700 miles away, but I talked with him for a long time this afternoon--about his current favorite band, the Fall, politics, his dogs...but mostly World Cup. My Brazilian mom never has managed to teach him to dance, but she did give him football fever.

[Mad_Dem_X]

32. Top Three (kinda long)

1) "Joy to the World," by Three Dog Night. When I was very small, I was at a restaurant with my parents (perhaps other people were with us, too, but I don't remember that part). There was a live band playing. At the time, I absolutely loved "Joy to the World" - or, as I called it, "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog." My dad and I went up to the band at one point, and Dad gave me some money and lifted me up so I could give it to the singer and request my special song. That's one of my earliest memories. I even had "Joy to the World" played at my wedding.

2) "A Different Corner," by George Michael. My dad used to love this song. Whenever it came on the radio, he'd sing along with the only part he really knew: "You brought me to my KNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" LOL

3) "Twelve Days Of Christmas". At Christmas time, my dad would walk around the house singing this song - actually, the only part he would sing was, "...and a partridge in a pear tree!" It was hilarious - the house would be all quiet, we'd all be doing something, and suddenly we'd hear, "...and a partridge in a pear tree!"

[Tommy_Carcetti]

34. The sanitized version of "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)"

My dad would sing it everytime we crossed over the Florida border, as it was Florida's state song.

Of course, it wasn't later until I learned of its rather Un-PC nature, and that "Oh, children how my heart grows weary" actually was "Oh, darkies how my heart grows weary" but I guess I still have a soft spot for the edited, sanitized version.

[driver8]

36. "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"...

My father played guitar and sang in a band and this was one of his favorite songs to sing.

Whenever I hear this song, I think of him.

[Bennyboy]

37. A bunch...

Old Man, Neil Young...
Ship Of Fools..Grateful Dead (don't lend a hand to raise no flag, atop no shippafools)
1/2 step Mississippi Uptwon Toodeloo, GD (again) "one the day Iwas born my Dady sat down and cried...

To live ousdie the law you must be completely honest...the Dylan line really rings true. Not cuz he was honest, but because he was not.

[deutsey]

39. Papa was a Rolling Stone n/t

[tango-tee]

40. Without a second thought - Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.

Dad loved Johnny Cash.

[MajorChode]

41. Rufus is a tit man

Loudon Wainwright has some great songs about fatherhood

Rufus is a tit man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46EbjMkeghE

Daughter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVam-fshUgw

A Father and Son
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3gwASqR3gE

Your Mother and I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2P4hw1kos8

[guitar man]

42. Six Days On The Road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHbGhEfnh2E

[blogslut]

43. Two songs

He would sing them to us kids all the time:

The Hut-Sut Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKU1S0lWxo

And a parody song about Mother O'Leary's Cow:

Late one night, when we were all in bed,
Old Mother Leary left a lantern in the shed;
And when the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said,
"There’ll be a hot time in the old town, tonight."