songs about parents/parent-child relationships

kinky afro, dude. kinky afro.

I'm sure their are boatloads of boomer-era ones, Teach Your Children, Cat's in the Cradle, etc.

also, off the top of my head:

the human league: a crow and a baby
the beatles: julia (i guess, although i suppose that requires explicit knowledge)
momus: three wars (this is a fucking awesome song and i will fight anyone who says otherwise)

institutionalized - suicidal tendencies
I'm in jail - was not was

The Police - "Mother"

'This Night Has Opened My Eyes' by The Smiths.

Cat Stevens had one too, I think. Can't remember what it was called.

Styx - "Renegade" (maybe?)

Merle Haggard - "Mama Tried"

instead of going for lolz I'll mention a real one: Low's "In Metal".

Laurie Anderson - O Superman
Palace Brothers - I Had A Good Mother And Father
Palace Brothers - Merida
Chocolate Genius - My Mom

'my mom' is a good one.

There's that song by Loudon Wainwright III that used to make Peel blub (and have to segue into another record) every time he played it on the radio - A Father And A Son? In fact, the Wainwrights have a bunch of these songs between them.

Yeah, My Mom is so so good. The Loudon Wainwright ones that comes to mind are Hitting You and Rufus Is A Tit Man.

Cat Stevens: "Father and Son"
The Coup: "Wear Clean Draws"

One of the best -- and one of the angriest -- I've heard is Husker Du's Never Talking To You Again, from Zen Arcade.

Black Sabbath-"Junior's Eyes"

my fave:

All Seeing Eye: "Happy Birthday Nicola"

"listen to the old generation
we are here to help you through
if we'd used some contraception
I wouldn't be here
and you wouldn't be you"

mother, pink floyd

daddy's song -- nilsson
so long dad -- also nilsson (randy newman)

i suspect Pink Floyd "Mother" was the catalyst for this

kate bush "Cloudbusting," "A Coral Room"
madonna "Papa Don't Preach"
janet jackson "Control"

Randy Newman - Old Man

Oh, and duh! The Shaggs - Who Are Parents?

Howard Jones: Look Mama!

And isn't it ironic how I, of all, am the one who mentions DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand"?

Eileen Fulton - 'I Wonder Who My Daddy Is'

on the subject of tearjerkers: billy bragg, tank park salute.

Maybe it's just me, but I've always taken "Freeze the Saints" by Stephen Malkmus to fall into this category.

No Charge by JJ Barrie.

Cat Stevens - Wild World
Ron Sexmith - Pretty Little Cemetery
Paul Simon - Father And Daughter
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven

isn't she lovely :: stevie wonder

Intruders--"I'll Always Love My Mama."

"Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"Hold Me My Daddy" XTC
"Mother" by the Police
"Mother" by Pink Floyd
"All of My Love" by Led Zeppelin (re: Plant's son)
"Mommy Where's Daddy" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Fire on Babylon" by Sinead O'Connor (about her mother, I gather)
"Amelia" by the Mission UK

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

The Who, "I'm A Boy," "Cut My Hair," "Sea And Sand."

"I Will Follow" by U2 (about Bono's Mom)

"Dream Brother" by Jeff Buckley (about his dad)

"Father Figure" - George Michael

Isn't there some Madonna song directed at her father?

Was (Not Was) - "Dad, I'm In Jail"

"Full On Kevin's Mom" by Soundgarden

"Death Disco" by PiL (about Lydon's Mum)

Did she die in a disco?

No, but that would've been interesting.

The Who-Tattoo

"Kooks" by David Bowie is the most endearingly corny example ever recorded. As twee as it sounds, I never could stomach the song until I became a dad myself.

I looked at the mirror and told myself, I'm glad I still don't look like them at least.
Mommy's like a film star in a distorted mirror, Daddy's like a guy who lost his stomach in the war.

I went to shake hands with the president in Miami, I went to a rock show to see Mick Jagger.
And you'd never believe it, surprise of my life, they had paint on their faces just like Mommy's.

Am I going crazy or is it just you, Daddy? Am I going nuts or is it just you, Mommy?
Am I plain gone or is it the world? Daddy, I'd rather have you dead than crazy.

Yoko Ono, I Felt Like Smashing My Face In A Clear Glass Window