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10 Country Songs About Sons That Will Make You Emotional

10 Country Songs About Sons
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Country songs about sons definitely strike an emotional punch and probably even more than other genres. Country music has this way of telling stories in the simplest manner yet evokes so many feelings that you might think you didn’t have. From joyful childhood memories to stories of love and loss to letters of advice from a parent to a son, country music has it all. 

RELATED: 10 Country Songs About Daughters That Will Make You Emotional

1. “Anything Like Me” by Brad Paisley

Starting off the list is “Anything Like Me” written by Brad Paisley, Dave Turnbull, and Chris DuBois. The song was about an anxious father-to-be who both hopes and worries that his son would grow up like he did, like climbing up a tree or riding the bike too fast. But at the end, he becomes more hopeful that he would, knowing that there are worse folks to be and if he ended up like him, he’d be fine. 

2. “Boy” by Lee Brice

Penned by Nicolle Galyon and Jon Nite, “Boy” was a song about a father talking to his son about growing up, treating people right, and telling him that he won’t feel what he is feeling now until he gets a boy of his own. 

The lyrics took Brice back to his childhood days and the times he spent with his own dad. It also made him think of his two young sons, Takoda and Ryder, and the mirror of his connection with them with him and his dad. 

3. “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney

“Don’t Blink” was written by Casey Beathard and Chris Wallin, which told of a young man’s encounter with a 102-year-old man. When asked about the older man’s secret to life, the older man simply replied with, ‘don’t blink.’ Everything can go by so fast like a blink, take those chances so you don’t end up regretting things. 

4. “He Gets That From Me” by Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire is known for her country love songs but her catalogue also has gems like “He Gets That From Me.” The lyrics tell the story of a widowed mother who sings about the things her son got from her and all the other things that he is that remind her of her dead husband. But, in the end, she knew they would be okay having each other every day. 

5. “Love Without End, Amen” by George Strait

George Strait’s “Love Without End, Amen,” written by Aaron Barker, tells the story of a trouble-making son who had been sent home after fighting in school expecting a punishment from his father. Instead, he was met with ‘love without end.’

RELATED: The Best of the Best: Top Male Country Singers

And this was a secret that the narrator passed on to his own son, and in the last part, he stood outside heaven’s gate and saw the ultimate form of ‘love without end…amen.’

6. “That’s My Job” by Conway Twitty

“That’s My Job” by Conway Twitty spoke of a message that resonated with a lot of fathers. The ballad written by Gary Burr was about a boy waking up from a nightmare that turned into the tragic reality of his dad passing away. Yet it was still comforting and reassuring as it revealed the secret that fathers will always be there for their kids because as they say, that’s their job.

7. “Then They Do” by Trace Adkins

A lot of parents can relate to “Then They Do,” which pictures the reality of a morning with kids and thinking how everything will be easier once they grow up. But once they actually grew up and achieved things, the house and their lives felt emptier. Written by Jim Collins and Sunny Russ, this song is filled with nostalgia and loneliness. 

8. “Tough Little Boys” by Gary Allan

Written by Harley Allen and Don Sampson, “Tough Little Boys” is a touching and tender song about a man who thought he was tough but upon becoming a father, became a baby again who worried so much about his child’s safety. All sons think they are tough until they get one of their own. 

9. “You Had To Be There” by Tim McGraw

Unlike most songs in the list, “You Had To Be There” penned by Kenneth Wright and Casey Beathard, was about a son who tells his father that he was too late to come in and save him. That if only he had been there for him growing up, he would’ve ended up a better person and not someone who was in jail. The song was from Tim McGraw’s 2009 album, Southern Voice.

10. “You’re Gonna Be” by Reba McEntire

Capping off the list is another Reba McEntire song “You’re Gonna Be” written by Dennis Matkosky and Danny Orton. The song was basically about a mother telling her child that he could be anyone and do anything, and she would always be there to love and support him. 

Enjoy all these country songs about sons!

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