Country music respects its elders. There is an uncountable number of country songs that seek to give praise to the parental figures in our lives. With Father’s Day on the horizon, we thought it apt to highlight a few country songs that acknowledge the keen advice of dads. Revisit the country classics below for a dose of fatherly guidance.
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“You’re Gonna Miss This” (Trace Adkins)
Trace Adkins‘ “You’re Gonna Miss This ” is full of parental advice, but the second verse focuses on some time-earned wisdom passed on from a father to his kid. Young people have a way of wishing their lives away. Their minds are firmly set on what is coming next. The paternal character in “You’re Gonna Miss This” reminds his daughter–and all of us by extension–to settle down and enjoy the meantime. ‘Cause you’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back / You’re gonna wish these days, hadn’t gone by so fast / These are some good times, so take a good look around / You may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this, the sentimental lyrics to this country song read.
“My Old Man” (Zac Brown Band)
At times, a father’s advice isn’t expressly given. Many father figures choose to guide us with only so many words. It’s their actions that talk the loudest. Zac Brown’s father was much like this. In his country song “My Old Man”, he talks about the ways his dad influenced him. Providing both a firm hand and a safety net, Brown’s father lead by example. Now I finally understand / I have a lot to learn / From my old man, Brown sings, soaking up the knowledge passed down to him.
“Song for Dad” (Keith Urban)
Speaking of leading by example, the next entry on our list of country songs that feature fatherly advice is “Song for Dad” by Keith Urban. As kids, we often lack the perspective that comes with parenting, only to find ourselves agreeing with our fathers when we come of age. It’s a cycle we all think we can escape, but so few of us do. In “Song for Dad”, Urban reckons with the ways he was shaped by his father. He did the best that he could / And I only hope when I have my own family / That every day I see a little more of my father in me, he sings. It’s a stunning testament to the small, but pivotal, ways fathers mold our lives.
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