Songs with Kid in the Title

This time of year of course makes every parent recall his children. There is no doubt that Christmas takes on a whole new excitement when one's kids are small. Now that mine are teenagers, for me the season has lost some of its allure. I gaze at the new toys being promoted, wishing that some of them were mentioned in one of the letters to Santa that my kids no longer write.

To boost myself out of this seasonal depression, I will direct my thoughts to other aspects of kids. How about a nostalgic trip to Melody Lane to listen to songs that have "Kid" in their titles?

10. "Kid Gloves" by Fountains of Wayne: From the miscellaneous collection of songs called Out of State Plates, this track reveals the equally appealing softer side of the pop band.

9. "Quizz Kid" by Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson was a little past his prime on the self-explanatory Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die, but this track showed that he and his flute still had some talent to display.

8. "New Kid" by the Old 97s: Singer Rhett Miller's vocals express perfectly the sincerity required by the song's lyrics.

7. "Ballad of Billy the Kid" by Billy Joel: This Piano Man track is a tale of two Billy the Kids, complete with western-style piano and mixing. The first verse praises the legendary outlaw, and the last is a self-deprecating look at the Piano Man himself.

6. "Kid About It" by Elvis Costello: In typical Costello form he laces the lyrics with creative plays on words, especially the main word in the title. In one verse the kid is a synonym for joke, and in another it refers to a child. Though it is found on the excellent Imperial Bedroom, the slow echoey texture is a harbinger for Costello's collaboration with Burt Bacharach a decade later.

5. "Give the Kid a Break" by Alice Cooper: When Alice Goes to Hell on his follow-up to Welcome to My Nightmare, this bluesy number is his plea to the devil for mercy.

4. "Slip Kid" by The Who: The band could have appeared twice on this list, but I chose this aggressive anti-war track from Who By Numbers over the more popular "The Kids Are Alright." Roger Daltrey's vocals are more developed as are Pete Townsend's lyrics here than they were the decade before when they recorded "Kids."

3. "Whizz Kid" by Mott the Hoople: One of the many great tracks on Mott, this one showcases the band's energetic glam rock-pop and the easily recognizable vocals of Ian Hunter.

2. "New Kid in Town" by the Eagles: Though Hotel California placed the band more in rock than the previous albums, this Glenn Frey tune held the perfect balance between country and pop. It also brings the listener to tears when "Johnny Come Lately's" girl takes the hand of the new kid.

1."Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan: Donald Fagen once said he was surprised that so many fans requested this song from The Royal Scam at Steely Dan shows. Why the surprise? The lyrics are imaginatively enigmatic and the guitar work is perfectly crafted.