“If music be the food of love…”

Play on. As I was rocking my beautiful daughter back to sleep this afternoon, I caught myself thinking about the songs that my wife and I choose to sing to our children. Whether we are playing, eating, partying, or relaxing, it seems like there is always an accompanying soundtrack playing throughout our life.

The song that I have sung to our kids the most, by far, would probably be one of the last tunes from Widespread Panic’s ‘Til the Medicine Takes called “Nobody’s Loss.” I can’t remember the first time I sang it to my oldest son, but it’s hard to remember a time that I was not at least humming it as I rocked him to sleep. I think it’s something about the way “Nobody’s Loss” pairs with gentle pats on the back that makes this such a go-to rocking song. I never sang the song because of the lyrics, in fact, the lyrics aren’t even that great.

“And I can’t decide if this place is make believe
And worked all my life to turn sleet to snow
We will turn our heads into the sunset
As the storms rage in the east
And we’re goin’ down to see my lady luck”

The song that comes in second place for the most-sung song is probably the most random, but lyrically it makes the most sense to me:

“Now I lay me, down to sleep…I pray the Lord my soul to keep… If I should die before I wake,… feed Jake.

He’s been a good dog… My best friend right through it all.

If I die before I wake, feed Jake.”

“Feed Jake” has a sweet little melody to it as well, so it naturally fits into the bedtime repertoire in my opinion. There are several more that I could list, and probably even more that I have forgotten about, but the bedtime setlist is mine for the making. I’ve got that covered.

Mama is the master of the “play songs” though. She can whip up a little ditty faster than you can wipe up spit up. She has written such classics as “Got my Surge socks on, got my Surge socks on…” “My Name is Moss Murray (and I go to the Daycare)” and “Tookie Bird” (just to name a few, of course). Her topical freestyle skills continue to amaze me.

The most amazing part of our musical adventures is how easily our oldest son can regurgitate the lyrics back to us. He knows every word to “Nobody’s Loss”…. He sometimes has to remind his mother of song lyrics to songs that she made up, and does so consistently…. And when I hear him and his mama lying in bed, softly singing “Sweet Baby James” together, it punches me in my heart…. every time.

The point is this: they listen. I know. Believe me, I know. It seems like they don’t. It appears as if they do anything but….. So, we are gonna sing. We are going to sing silly songs, stupid songs, love songs, country songs, rap songs, made-up songs, and anything and everything in between.

Through our songs, our children will know that they are loved. They may wonder who “Jake” is, and why Daddy wants to feed him…. They may wonder who this mysterious “Lady Luck” is that Daddy is always singing about going and seeing… They will definitely wonder what in the hell a “Tookie Bird” is, but they will never doubt the love that was put in and poured out through each and every performance.

What’re the most random songs you sing to your children? We would love to hear about them. The randomer the betterer. Take care!