Mom Themed Songs for an Awesome Mother's Day Mix CD

Not sure what to give Mom for Mother's Day this year? Here are some perfect song suggestions for a Mother's Day mix CD. Add a photo of her kids or grandkids to the cover and you've got a fun gift from the heart. Don't like my taste in music? Fill in the musical blanks with your own!

"Teach Your Children" -Crosby, Stills Nash and Young
A favorite of audiences at CSNY shows, this song is the perfect one to kick off your mix CD for mom because it talks of all you learned from her and all she learned from raising you.

"Fore She was Mama" -Clay Walker
This one covers a popular subject: discovering that your mother is a person too, who had a life before she had ever heard of you.

"Mother and Child Reunion" -Paul Simon
All of Paul Simon's songs are good. If your mother is a baby boomer, he may be a favorite of hers. As a bit of trivia, the title comes from a Chinese menu; the mother and child refers to a chicken and egg dish.

"Surrender" -Cheap Trick
A song about how goofy your parents can seem, this one also covers the popular topic of the dichotomy between being "Mom" and having a life outside the family.

"Mama Tried" -Merle Haggard
Although you probably didn't turn twenty-one in prison doing life without parole, chances are you did some things your mother taught you not to do. With the inclusion of this one you're letting your mother know you appreciate the way you were raised.

"Mama Told Me Not to Come" -Three Dog Night
Another cautionary tale, this one is a bit more lighthearted than "Mama Tried" but expresses the same sentiment.

"Julia" -The Beatles
John Lennon's love song to his late mother represents the mellow period of his work between the boy band days and the psychedelic later Beatles. I'm willing to bet Lennon is one of your mother's favorites too.

"Simple Man" -Lynyrd Skynyrd
This beautiful ballad celebrates all that a mother teaches a child. In this song, at least the singer has listened and applied her advice.

"Upwards Over the Mountain" -Iron and Wine
The singer reminds his mother of events from childhood and is wistful for those days now that he is grown although some of the times were sad. He sings, "sons are like birds/flying upward over the mountain." He also wants his mother to know he turned out okay and begins several lines with "mother don't worry."

"Take Your Mama Out" -Scissor Sisters
What does every person who "makes it" in music or film do? They buy their mother a house. You may not be quite there yet but we've all wanted to take Mom out for a good time to show her how well we're doing and how well she did raising us.

"Que Sera Sera" -Doris Day
This lovely song delivers a somewhat fatalistic message, "whatever will be, will be." But without thinking too deeply, it's another celebration of motherly advice.

"Shop Around" -Smokey Robinson
When it comes to love, listen to Mom. Don't be sold on the very first one.

"You Can't Hurry Love" -The Supremes
So true. You can almost hear the finger wagging as they sing, "you'll just have to wait."

"Your Mama Don't Dance" -Loggins and Messina
This is a fun song that was a hit for at least two groups. We could equate it to "Surrender," but mostly it's included because the name Mama is in the title.

"Mr Mom" -Lonestar
A cute song vaguely based on the titular cute movie. Remember when your dad would buy you a gift to present to your mom on Mother's Day? This song is a gift to the mothers of the world for the work they do for their families. We'll ignore the sexist overtones and just enjoy the catchy song.

"Jesus and Mama" -Confederate Railroad
No matter what you do, these two will always love you.

"Mother Mother" -Tracy Bonham

The singer tries to reassure her mother (and herself) on the phone that everything is fine but the angst comes out as, "I'm freezing, I'm starving, I'm bleeding to death, everything's fine!"

"The Woman in my Life" -Phil Vassar
The singer thanks his wife, but he thanks his mother first because, "she was there in the stands/come rain or come shine/she was the lady/who smiled all the time."

"Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This" -The Shirelles
Thanks be to Mom for loving us through the hard times!