Perhaps we all know how children can change someone’s life. They can make them a bit more hectic, busier, and sometimes even complicated. But what matters the most is that they make our lives better in more ways than you can count.
So, it was no surprise when many country singers and songwriters recorded songs inspired by kids. Some are hopeful, some are sweet, while others are hilarious – but most of the time, they’re heartwarming. Here are some of our favorites.
1. My Wish by Rascal Flatts
Written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson, “My Wish” comes with a heartwarming story that most fans perhaps didn’t know. It was actually inspired by Steele’s youngest daughter, Justine, who lamented how his father had never written a song for her.
Fortunately, Robson was hanging out with him, who played a song that would be perfect for Justine.
2. My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw co-wrote “My Little Girl” with country songwriter Tom Douglas – the very first time McGraw wrote one of his own tracks.
The song, about a father telling his daughter that she’ll always be his little girl, appeared on the soundtrack of the 2006 American family adventure drama film Flicka, wherein McGraw starred as a doting father. But obviously, the song was inspired by his three daughters.
3. What I Never Knew I Always Wanted by Carrie Underwood
This dreamy ballad is about none other than Carrie Underwood’s baby boy, Isaiah, and her husband, Mike Fisher. While the first verse takes inspiration from her relationship with her husband, the second one finds her admitting that motherhood wasn’t something she had always imagined for herself.
4. For My Daughter by Kane Brown
Kane Brown wrote this touching commentary on family and fatherhood when he found out he and his wife Katelyn were officially going to become parents. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Kingsley Rose Brown in 2019.
“I meant every word and cannot wait to watch her grow up,” the singer said, who sings in the song that he’s going to be the best father he can be.
5. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
In 2000, “I Hope You Dance” landed at the top of the Billboard country charts, where it stayed for six remarkable weeks and took home Best Country Song during the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards.
For You
Written by Tia Sillers and Mark D. Sanders, the heartwarming ballad has indeed put into words every parent’s hope for their children.
6. You’re Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins’ fastest-climbing single to date, “You’re Gonna Miss This,” shows off his sensitive side as he sings about three different events in the life of a female character – from being driven to school by her mother, to living on her own at her apartment, to having kids of her own. As a father, Adkins admits he connected with the song.
7. I Loved Her First by Heartland
Written by Walt Aldridge and Elliott Park, the mid-tempo ballad is a tearjerker through and through as it tells the story of a father talking to the man who is about to marry his daughter.
Heartland released “I Loved Her First” as the first single from their debut studio album of the same name. The song quickly reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Songs.
8. In My Daughter’s Eyes by Martina McBride
In 2003, Martina McBride sang about the special bond between mothers and their children in “In My Daughter’s Eyes.” As a mother herself, she knows firsthand about mothers’ vital role in their children’s lives.
9. There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney’s 2003 chart-topper, “There Goes My Life,” sings about a young man who found he’s soon to become a father — and felt it’s all over for him. It turned out the little girl who arrived quickly became his whole world.
Songwriter Wendell Mobley was once that young father-to-be with his life flashing before his eyes.
10. Watching You by Rodney Atkins
Inspired by Rodney Atkins’s son, Elijah, “Watching You” sings about the joys of fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with it. The song portrays two instances of a son learning from his father as the young boy watch and learn new things from him.
Elijah also appeared in the song’s music video. He was four years old at the time.
How about you? Which one is your favorite?
