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| Okay, so Wendy's technically not a mother. But The Lost Boys considered her one. I'm counting that. |
Welcome to The Friday Five! In this weekly series, participants are given a topic and assigned to choose five songs related to that topic. This week, in honor of Mother's Day, the topic is FAVORITE SONGS ABOUT MOTHERS!
"Your Mother And Mine" - Kathryn Beaumont (From Peter Pan (1953))
If you've been following my Friday Five articles, you'll know that I seldom pass up the chance to include a Disney song! That isn't the only reason "Your Mother And Mine" is included in this list, though. Along with having a superb writing team behind it (Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain), the lyrics paint a perfect portrait of what a mother's role entails. I love how the song emphasizes the selfless love that mothers feel for their children. Above all, that's what makes moms special, and it's a common thread that runs through all my picks this week.
"Mama Tried" - Merle Haggard
In 1957, Merle Haggard found himself in prison for attempted robbery. After an escape attempt, he was transferred to San Quentin State Prison, where he saw Johnny Cash give one of his famous prison performances. Haggard left the show a changed man with a new goal: carve out a career in country music. After his release in 1960, Haggard began his recording career. Before the decade was out, he was one of the biggest names in country music.
Despite his success, however, Merle Haggard carried a lot of guilt for having caused his mother so much anguish by being incarcerated. Haggard did something constructive with that guilt, channeling it into the semi-autobiographical "Mama Tried." The lyrics do a wonderful job capturing the shame the singer feels as he describes his sainted mother and his constant refusals to follow her counsel. In the narrator's case, his defiance eventually lands him in prison, "doin' life without parole." The song is a country-music standard and a wonderful song about harried moms!
"Coat Of Many Colors" - Dolly Parton
One of a mother's most important roles is to help shape a child's outlook on life. One such important lesson is that the quality of one's life is dependent on one's attitude. Dolly Parton's lovely "Coat Of Many Colors" tells the story of how one mother taught that lesson. In the song, Parton paints a vivid picture of her childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. During one harsh winter, Parton finds herself without a coat. In response to this need, Parton's mother stitches the multi-colored coat of the title with rags given to the family. Parton is thrilled with the coat, largely due to the love her mother puts into making it. However, when Parton's childhood friends make fun of the coat, she stands up and teaches them what it REALLY means to be "poor."
I love story songs, and "Coat Of Many Colors" is a prime example of why I love them so much. The simple guitar melody, the strong lyric, and Dolly's angelic voice combine wonderfully to drive home the emotion and the message behind the story. Delivering lessons like the one in this song are just one of many things that mothers are specially equipped to do!
"Fancy" - Bobbie Gentry
Like "Coat Of Many Colors," "Fancy" is a story song about a poverty-stricken mother who provides for her daughter. However, "Fancy" is a little grittier and a little dirtier than Dolly Parton's tale. In "Fancy," a sick, abandoned, broke mother realizes that she can no longer provide for both her baby and her teenage daughter, Fancy. One day, she takes Fancy aside, makes her a very unique red dress, gives her a locket inscribed "To Thine Own Self Be True," and tells her daughter to get herself uptown and start making her own living. The mother leaves Fancy with one last bit of advice: "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy, and they'll be nice to you." Fancy goes out, plies her new trade, and goes on to make a good living for herself. In Fancy's own words, "I ain't done bad."
You could make an argument that Fancy's mother isn't Mom Of The Year; after all, she teaches her daughter a trade that isn't exactly legal. That's a valid point, but I would say that it misses the point of the song. Fancy isn't complaining about how her mom kicked her out; rather, she sings her mother's praises for helping set her on the path to her comfortable life. I would say that Fancy's mom is just as fine as Dolly Parton's mom, albeit more unconventional. After all, who wants to be one of those "self-righteous hypocrites" that Fancy sneers at in the masterful final verse?
"Is There Life Out There?" - Reba McEntire
One struggle that every mother encounters is to maintain a balance between caring for her kids and taking care of herself. It's a struggle that I think most of us take for granted when we're young. As we grow older, though, and our understanding becomes more full, I think it behooves all of us to thank our moms for all the sacrifices they've made for us. Personally, I think no song depicts the struggle and sacrifice better than Reba McEntire's "Is There Life Out There?"
I would tell you what the song's about, but the video does a much finer job than I ever could. (If you can get through it without tearing up, you're stronger than me!) All I can say is that Reba's character in this song might be my favorite mom in all of music. She's human, she's loving, she's flawed, she feels like a real mom. This song is a real masterpiece!
(And, as a sidenote, Huey Lewis does an excellent job portraying the considerate, supportive, loving husband that every man should be. Fellow guys, take note!)
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