Music concerned with the artist's Mother

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No doubt when an artist devotes a large portion of a record to praising his/her mother it can give rise to some schmaltzy sick-making stuff, but there are some worthwhile exceptions. A personal favourite would be Smashing Pumpkins' "Adore" - although that was dealing more with grief and loss, rather than Corgan's relationship with his mother while alive.

To take a less obvious example - I always think the presence of Biggie's mother hangs over much of "Ready to Die". The guilt he feels for any violent actions seems to stem from his mother's disapproval . The best thing about success seems to be putting a smile on his mother's face. It's what gives the record it's sweetness, which sits interestingly beside the misogyny and violence. When I listen, it's definitely one where I'm thinking "what goes through his mum's mind while listening to this"?

Off the top of my head I can think of a few more - The Spice Girls' "Mama", Manic Street Preachers "Ocean Spray", Tricky touches on his mother's suicide directly and indirectly, Tupac and Canibus did tunes for their mothers. I'm sure there are many more, but which are good and why?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

R Kelly - I Wish

All time classik

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

red house painters "mother" - one of the creepiest tracks i've ever heard

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

U2's "Mofo" (!)

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Trilok Gurtu's "Shobbarock" (from Usfret has Trilok's mom, Shobba Gurtu on vocals. And wot's more, "Shobbarock" rocks too.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

O well, then there's fcourse John Ono Lennon's "Mother"

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Well that whole album's about his mum, indirectly. The last track, My Mummy's Dead to the tune of Three Blind Mice (supposedly most of Lennon's famous songs are modelled on its chord sequence) - worst or best ending of an album?

― pete s, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

ha jim! i love the line "I want you to give attention to my belly button/Mother, I want to have bobby pins stuck in my ears." Freaky but funny.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

*shudders*

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:50 (twenty-two years ago)

bono did a good one about his mother's death on "october" i think. those early U2 albums are awful, but i found that one pretty moving.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate Bush - Mother Stands for Comfort
Though i suppose it's pretty universal

― pete s, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Loudon Wainwright III has one that I can think of that's directly about his mum - 'White Winos' - and a couple more that mention her - 'April Fool's Day Morn,' 'What Are Families For?'

Then there's Roger Waters of course.

Kate Bush - 'Mother Stands for Comfort' (xpost!)

And - ugh! - The Police, 'Mother'

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Junior - Mama Used To Say

― angel duster, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess Eminem is evidence that music concerned with your mother doesn't necessarily have to praise her...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Supposedly "Death Disco" by Public Image Ltd. is all about and dedicated to Lydon's mother, who was deathly ill at the time.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Sinead O'Connor "Fire on Babylon." pretty negative obv.

Scrawl, "Your Mother Wants to Know" Not the artist's own mother, I know.

― daria g (daria g), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

wow for the second thread this week I'm actually going to bring up Tracy Bonham's "Mother Mother." Search: the memory Destroy: ever hearing it again

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Burning Airlines - The Surgeon's House

where did my father find this photograph?
where is the spite, the narrowed eyes?
she was so beautiful in black and white
anywhere else, would i recognize that smile

is it like mine?

was this before she died from making the best of it?

Is it about J Robbins' mother? I have no idea. Cracking song though.

― chris j (chris j), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't see you mama,
but I can hardly wait.
Oh to touch and to feel you mama.
Oh I just can't keep away.
In the heat and the steam of the city,
oh, it's got me running and I just can't break.
So say you'll help me mama,
'cause it's getting so hard.
Oh.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw Mark Kozolek play "Mother" once at a solo show, when he started the keening wailing bit all the chatterers at the bar shut up immediately. It was like being round a campfire and hearing a wolf howling nearby - very creepy and amusing.

American Music Club - "This Year" is about Mark Eitzel's parents both dying in the same year. It's almost unbearably sad, unlike "The Hula Maiden" (about when he went on holiday just after his father died) which is almost unbearably funny.

I don't think that Genesis song is about Phil Collins' mother actually.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

OTM Geir! If you haven't seen Phil Collins in gold face paint saying "HAHA! HEH! ohhh.. HAHA! HEH! ohhh..." you just don't know ugly. He looks like a penis possessed by a demon. Even more than usual.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think that Genesis song is about Phil Collins' mother actually.

Similarly, "Illegal Alien" is not about his attempt to sneak across the Rio Grande.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The Smashing Pumpkins - "For Martha" (written for Billy's mom, though it doesn't explicitly say so in the lyrics)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:41 (twenty-two years ago)

(I was originally going to say "though it is not very explicit")

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

durutti column "requiem for my mother"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"I saw your mommy and your mommy's DEAD!" Suicidal Tendencies

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

A Misfits song comes to mind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Danzig? the one where he asks if his mom wants to "boogie" with him, but in a really sinister way...

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:35 (twenty-two years ago)

destroy goldie's 'mother,' obv.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Goldie to thread!

xpost

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Always on the run (Mama said)

regards,

REB

― Rik E Boy (Rik E Boy), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim Morrison: Mother... I want to YAAARRWWGH!!!!!

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 06:42 (twenty-two years ago)

you came *out* of there--yer not supposed to go back in!

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 06:43 (twenty-two years ago)

A Misfits song comes to mind.

Yeah, Ned, but "Last Caress" is all about YOUR mother, remember. (I don't mean saintly Mrs.Raggett, but the more generic middle-finger-for-all "your mother", oui?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

This is true. But maybe it's an outside voice talking to Glen himself!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 13:40 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

"Then She Did" by Jane's Addiction. About her suicide, no less.
"Catherine Cares" by Pete Ham. NOBODY writes songs about 'Mother' like the Brits.
"Julia", of course...

Another is on the tip of my tongue, too...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 6 August 2004 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

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Music concerned with the artist's Mother - s&d