University has made us all realise how much we love our mums. As we avoid all the pile up of dirty plates and the laundry pile is mountainous, we can appreciate the many years mums had our backs. Whilst you panic about which florist delivers bouquets last minute and whether Clinton Cards is open on a Sunday, pop on this playlist and spare a though for how fantastic mums really are.
The Band Perry – ‘Mother Like Mine’
Is there a cuter Mother’s day song like this? I sincerely doubt it. A classic country ballad from a family band singing about how much better the world would be if everyone had ‘a mother like mine’, a topic close to all of our hearts. If you can listen to this today without a tear in your eye then you have a heart of stone. “We’d walk on grass that’s greener… if the world had a mother like mine”. Certainly a sentiment I share and one that summarises this day perfectly.
Liam Fleming
Kanye West – ‘Family Business’
Although it’s not strictly a song about mothers, ‘Family Business’ is, as you might expect, a great song about family. Recorded in the days when Kanye West was humbler in his approach to lyricism and the press, he heart-warmingly raps “Aw naw, don’t open the photo book up. I got an Aunt Ruth that can’t remember your name, but I bet them Polaroids’ll send her down memory lane”. Following on with this theme, everything from the gospel-inflected chorus to usage of children’s vocals creates a distinctly familial atmosphere. On top of this, Kanye’s fluid style and nostalgic lyrics ensure the bouncy piano leads and children’s vocals don’t sound like some souped-up nursery rhyme. Rather, the generation-spanning verses Kanye employs produce a song that encapsulates everything good about family life without relying on violent clichés or romanticised ideals. As Kanye assures us, “I woke up early this morning with a new state of mind. A creative way to rhyme without using knives and guns”. What we are ultimately left with is a great song about the cosiness and familiarity of family life without it becoming a cringe-worthy pop song. At its heart, ‘Family Business’ remains a great piece of hip-hop writing, production, lyricism and delivery. Oh, and it will probably appeal to your mum more than ‘Black Skinhead’.
David Rowlands
Foundations of Wayne – ‘Stacy’s Mom’
Not exactly teddy bears on Clintons cards; but ‘Stacy’s Mom’ is undoubtedly the singular, number one most celebratory mom-song of all time. Seriously, name one other tune which possesses such an absolute infatuation with one who is a mother. And hey we’ve all seen the video; it’s not hard to understand why. Yes it does also include Lolita references that seem to completely misunderstand the base plot of Nabokov’s novel and yes it features far too many masturbation-jokes and teenaged boys in one place, but its fun. And sure musically it sounds pretty horrible; but ‘Stacy’s Mom’ genuinely is an unpatronising ode to the ageing beauty of womanhood. Lets be honest, you already know the words, and it’s the only mother’s day song you’ll be hearing in Ocean this Friday…
Liam Inscoe-Jones
The Divine Comedy – ‘Mother Dear’
Foppish dandy and sophisti-pop connoisseur Neil Hannon’s addition to the pantheon of songs about loving your dear old mum is rife with honest proclamations about his shoddy treatment of her when he was a young tyke and slightly-older teenage tearaway. But, as we all do when we eventually grow up, he admits deep down he knows that she loved him regardless and subsequently he’ll “never lose his faith” in her.
Coming from an artist who has been known in the past to be rather Wildean in his wit, this song really is no surprise, featuring lines about being arrested by the CIA and using his mother as a lie detector, which can’t help but to bring wry smiles to faces. It’s an upbeat foot-stomper with banjo thrown into the mix too for that apple-pie country feel, coupled with loads of swirling violins and orchestral accompaniment just so you don’t forget just who you’re listening to.
Robert Priest
Spice Girls – ‘Mama’
Whilst ‘Mama’ may be the epitome of cheesiness and the chorus is pretty simple, “Mama I Love You” says all you need to say to your Mum. Sometimes its the simple words that mean the most and the girls in Union Jack dresses and pigtails have addressed the poignant message we all want to say. The music video has a lovely sentiment showing the band’s mothers and old family videos. What better way to spend your Sunday than digging out old videos and reliving the best memories with your family?
Daisy Foster
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