Losing a parent, grandparent, or honorary parental figure is one of those devastating tragedies most of us will endure at least once in our lives. Seeing these beloved figures go is a hardship that we can’t really avoid and certainly can’t fix. Only time can let those natural emotional processes run their course. In the meantime, music can help.
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Whether you’re actively grieving or looking for a way to reflect and remember your loved ones who have passed on, these five country songs about losing a parent can be just the kind of salve a broken heart needs.
“Go Rest High on That Mountain” by Vince Gill
Vince Gill is nothing if not a sentimental softie, and the way he has often teared up when talking about the inspiration behind his 1994 hit, “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, is wet-eyed proof on its own. Although the song originally started as a tribute to country singer Keith Whitley and, later, Gill’s own older brother, the sentiment fits for the loss of a parent, too.
“Go rest high on that mountain / Son, your work on Earth is done / Go to Heaven a-shoutin’ / love for the Father and the Son.”
“Seven Minutes in Heaven” by Reba McEntire
The worst part of losing a loved one is the countless moments after their passing where you wish you could talk to them just one more time, ask them one more thing, give them one more hug. Reba McEntire’s 2023 track, “Seven Minutes in Heaven”, explores the daydream of what they would do if they got to spend seven minutes behind the pearly gates.
“I wouldn’t spend all my seconds asking God’s questions / ‘cause He knows I’d be back soon / If I had seven minutes in Heaven, I’d spend them all with you.”
“I Drive Your Truck” by Lee Brice
Grief and mourning look different for everyone. Sometimes, the best way to process losing a parent isn’t in a church pew or a cemetery row. It’s in a truck, among half-empty bottles of Gatorade, an old Skoal can, and a “dirty Braves cap on the dash.” Brice perfectly describes virtually every Southerner’s Papaw’s truck, down to the Go Army shirt in the back.
“Momma asked me this mornin’ if I’d been by your grave, but that flag and stone ain’t where I feel you anyway / I drive your truck / I roll every window down, and I burn up every back road in this town.”
“Mexican Home” by John Prine
With grief as unavoidable and inevitable as losing a parent, commiserating can often be the only way to feel slightly better. Someone else sharing their story of loss can help you see a way out of your own. John Prine’s tribute to the passing of his father, “Mexican Home”, is an undeniable tearjerker. But it also reminds you that you’re not alone in your sadness, either.
“My father died on the porch outside on an August afternoon / I sipped bourbon and cried with a friend by the light of the moon / So, it’s hurry! Hurry! Step right up, it’s a matter of life or death / The sun is going down, and the moon is just holding its breath.”
“When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley feat. Dolly Parton
Losing a parent can cast a shadowy pall over daily life. But imagining the better places where that loved one has gone—whether it’s the Christian concept of Heaven or otherwise—can help alleviate some emotional burden. Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton’s touching 2005 track, “When I Get Where I’m Going”, offers an optimistic kind of solace, allowing us to imagine our past loved ones happy, joyful, and free.
“When I get where I’m going on the far side of the sky / the first thing that I’m gonna do is spread my wings and fly / I’m gonna land beside a lion and run my fingers through his mane / or I might find out what it’s like to ride a drop of rain.”
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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