By: Morgan Hunter
Every relationship worth having should include a bit of good-intentioned deception. Disagree with me if you want, but I stand by this. On a more agreeable note, like many others, I accredit a lot of my musical influences to my father. While our relationship has had its ups and downs over the years, music has always been a reliable constant. To properly immortalize this, I decided to make a secret playlist years ago so that whenever he mentioned a song of importance, I could store them all. See, deception! As this playlist grows and includes other songs that make me think of him, I am now taking this opportunity to share some of the stand-out recommendations.
The playlist opens with “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. This song has been extra special for as long as I can remember, my dad has told me that it reminds him of his dad, my late grandfather. That’s multigenerational dad-coded! With its tempo rising and falling to carry you across the three-and-a-half minutes and its crafty feel-good lyrical style custom to Queen, this is always a great song for missing your loved ones or resenting the physical or metaphorical distance in the relationship.
Following this, a must-mention has to be “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen. Is my dad a huge Bruce Springsteen fan? Not really. Did the movie Blinded by The Light (2019), based on the true story of a Pakistani boy fighting cultural expectations and economic turmoil while being inspired by the music of Bruce Springsteen, single-handedly heal my relationship with my father more than therapy? Absolutely. Thus, this piano-driven stand-out hit from Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album,my father’s favorite Springsteen song, needed to be included.
This would not be a complete list without including “Without a Trace” by Soul Asylum. Not only does this showcase the variety in my father’s music taste, but it also is a great representation of the style and artistry of the band Soul Asylum. More than just a nineties grunge band, they continue to showcase their consistent craftsmanship in sound and lyrics through their recent albums. Additionally, this song has the bonus of my dad’s favorite line of all time, “Standing in the sun with a popsicle, anything is possible,” which my mother also, without fail, will always talk over during car trips.
One song that I am personally proud of that has made it on the playlist is the Florence + The Machine cover of “Tiny Dancer,” which my father proudly declared to me that he liked better than the Elton John original while we were on a road trip. Not to discredit the master, but I am inclined to agree with this hot take. Florence Welch’s soft vocals that capture the longing and ethereal nature of the original lyrics — overlaid with the musicianship and vocal mixing that fans of the band will immediately recognize — makes for a robust cover that certainly brings an original angle to the table.
Honorable mentions that were foregone due to space include “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger (from the first CD my father ever purchased), “Snowman” by The Clarks (a song I used to sing with him when I was small), “Better Man” by Pearl Jam (the only Pearl Jam song he likes) and “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton (my parents’ first dance).
One final song that I added to this playlist to conclude this article is “A Better Son/Daughter” by Rilo Kiley. While it could not be further stylistically from the songs my dad has shown me over the years, the composition always strikes my heartstrings. It reminds me that through this playlist, I have started to become the better son or daughter that I want to be. Thus, whether or not this article inspires you to implement some light-hearted deception into your relationships, I highly recommend making playlists for your loved ones. After all, if you have shared music, you definitely have shared memories.