The mother-son dance is usually the shortest dance of the night and often the one people remember. The songs below are grouped by feel, from the classics to the country songs that mothers pick most often, each with a line on why mothers pick it. Below the list is what we learned from the songs mothers have had written for their sons.
The classics
Songs that have been mother-son dances for a generation or more. Nobody in the room will need the lyrics.
- A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men (1997). The mother-son dance song by a mile. Sung from the son to his mother.
- What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong (1967). Two minutes long. Good for a son who wants it over quickly.
- You'll Be in My Heart by Phil Collins (1999). From Tarzan. A parent's promise, and a room full of thirty-somethings will know it.
- Stand by Me by Ben E. King (1961). A promise song that works from either direction.
- In My Life by The Beatles (1965). About the people who came before. Short and understated.
- Unforgettable by Nat King Cole (1951). For a mother who wants a proper slow dance.
- Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler (1988). From the son, as a thank-you. Big enough to fill the room.
- Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart (1991). Gentle and grateful. Van Morrison wrote it; Stewart's version is the one played.
Country mother-son songs
Two thirds of the mother-son songs we write are country, the highest share of any occasion on our site. These are the ones mothers name.
- My Wish by Rascal Flatts (2006). A parent's blessing. The most requested mother-son dance in country.
- Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw (2016). Advice from a parent, verse after verse. Mothers pick this one for who he became.
- I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack (2000). A wish, not a memory, for a mother who is looking forward.
- Boy by Lee Brice (2017). A father to a son, but mothers borrow it. About the boy he was and the man he is.
- Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney (2007). About how fast it went. Every mother in the room will nod.
- Then They Do by Trace Adkins (2003). About wishing they would grow up, and then they do. Direct hit for mothers of sons.
- Mother Like Mine by The Band Perry (2013). From the child's side. For a son who chose the song himself.
- Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973). A mother's advice to her son, word for word. A southern-wedding staple.
Modern mother-son songs
Newer choices, and older songs that recent couples have adopted.
- Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift (2010). A parent's wish that they would stay small. Often chosen by mothers of only sons.
- Forever Young by Rod Stewart (1988). Works for either parent dance. A blessing, and a short one.
- Landslide by Fleetwood Mac (1975). About children getting older. The most-chosen non-wedding song at parent dances.
- 93 Million Miles by Jason Mraz (2012). About always being able to come home. Gentle and unexpected.
- Days Like This by Van Morrison (1995). Upbeat enough to move to, calm enough to talk over.
- Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion (1996). From the son, as a thank-you. Direct address.
- Blessed by Elton John (1995). Written to a future child. A mother reading it back to her grown son.
- The Perfect Fan by Backstreet Boys (1999). Written for their mothers. A choice that tells the room the son grew up in the 90s.
Upbeat mother-son songs
For a mother and son who would rather make the room laugh.
- Mama by Spice Girls (1997). A thank-you disguised as a pop song. Guaranteed grin.
- Hey Mama by Kanye West (2005). A rap song about a mother. Works if the room will get it.
- You've Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman (1995). Toy Story. Start with it for a laugh, or use the whole thing.
- Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (1967). The switch-halfway song. Start slow, then cut to this.
What 500,000 custom songs tell us about mother-son songs
One wedding song in five that we write is from a mother to her son. That is a bigger share than the father-daughter dance, and the orders look different too. Aggregated and anonymized:
| Measure | What the orders show |
|---|---|
| Who writes them | 97% are ordered by the mother for her son; 3% by the son for his mother |
| Most-chosen genre | Country (65%), then acoustic (10%), then R&B (6%) |
| Voice | 63% choose a female voice, 25% leave it to us, 12% male |
| When mothers order | 38% of mother-son songs are ordered on a Saturday or Sunday |
| How often it gets played | Median of 12 plays per song after delivery |
Two thirds country is the highest share for any occasion we write. And 97% mother-to-son is the most one-sided split we see anywhere on the site. The mother-son dance song is almost never the son's idea. It is the mother's, and she usually orders it on a weekend. We suspect he does not know.
None of these quite say it?
Have one writtenRelated reading
- How a custom wedding song works
- 30 Best Wedding Songs: First Dance, Aisle, Reception
- 26 Father-Daughter Dance Songs: Classic to Modern
- What 500,000 Custom Songs Taught Us
Questions people ask
What is the most popular mother-son dance song?
"A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men is the most played mother-son dance song, with "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts the most requested in country. Among the custom mother-son songs we write, 65% are country.
How long should the mother-son dance be?
Two minutes is plenty. Ask the DJ to fade after the second chorus, or choose a naturally short song like "What a Wonderful World." Many couples also cut the parent dances to half a song each and run them back to back.
Can I have a mother-son song written for the wedding?
Yes. You tell us his name, what he was like as a boy and what you want him to hear on the day. ForeverSongs writes and produces it in under 24 hours, and playing it at the wedding is included.