Celebrate Mothers Day with the best and the worst music our mums ever brought us, from disco to the blues and everything in between.
Hopefully you were all over this but in case you weren’t – Mothers Day is this Sunday. That’s right, start scrambling for presents and booking brunches because it’s time to give your mumma the love she deserves for that quarter lifetime of food she hooked you up with.
To celebrate this special day, the Happy team got in touch with our respective mums and asked them which song, if any, they would choose to have posted online. Gotta say, the picks were fierce.
Mama to Isabella Moore – Music Contributor
I took my mum to Splendour In The Grass last year and I’ve never seen her happier than when she was singing her heart out to The Cure. Lovesong is pure Cure. She loves it because it’s romantic, joyous and sunny as well as poetic and a bit dark.
Mama to Freya McGahey – Intern
My mum Penny’s choice is First Light by Dustin Tebbutt. I interviewed him last year I mentioned how much she loved him and he asked her to write him a letter.
He’s now her new pen pal, it’s hilarious.
Mama to Molly Ulm – Intern
“I Wish by Stevie Wonder because I can sing and dance to it and it gets me in the groove.”
Mama to Paddy Regester – Music Contributor
“I wanted to say Let Her Go by Passenger or Please Mr Postmanby the Carpenters but I can’t go past the scintillating licks of Jeff Hanneman, the pounding double kick of Dave Lombardo and the triumphant screams of Tom Arraya. It has to be Raining Blood by Slayer for me.”
Mama to Daniel Host – Arts Contributor
“This one helps me chill out. It’s relaxing, happy and lets you appreciate good songwriting. You can’t not feel good when listening to this song.”
Mama to Chloe Kay-Richardson – Music Contributor
“Be My Friend by Free. Because I was 17 the first time I heard it and it blew me away, I’d heard of Bad Company but nothing more of Free’s than Alright Now, and it changed my life. I went and bought Free Live! and never looked back.”
Mama to Susie Garrard – Music Contributor
I’m actually old enough to remember my parents playing LPs (specifically the Cats soundtrack weirdly) but I’m going with Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark because, ever since I can remember, my mum has played the piano in the house and sung along. This is the song I remember her playing the most, and for years it was the only version I knew.
When I listened to the actual recording I realised my mum’s way of playing it was different – but to this day I always sing it her way.
Mama to Riley Fitzgerald – Music/Audio Contributor
“Top of The World by Shonen Knife off of the If I Were a Carpenter 1994 tribute LP. The original was my mother’s favourite song and thanks to Matt Wallace and David Konjoyan, it’s now mine!”
Mama to Jacinta Rets – Intern
Electric Blue by Icehouse because even though she’s 63, every time she hears this song it reminds me she’s still got the moves of a 20 year old.
Mama to Johanna Urbancik – Arts Contributor
Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Best gig ever.”
Mama to Josh Grech – Music Contributor
“I chose True Colors by Cyndi Lauper because l love the words and my interpretation of the song. I think so many of us feel society expects us to be and act a certain way so we put up walls and hide behind a facade . The song encourages us to show your true feelings! So touching.”
Mama to Nic Wheatley – Partnerships Manager
Mum had a burnt copy of The Looks by MSTRKRFT in the car for about a year while I was at high school.
Had to choose this track as it was the song playing when she picked me and a friend up after school the day she shaved her head and dyed it pink.
Mama to Liz Nash – Music Contributor
“Picking my favourite song is very hard, but I love Without You by Keith Urban. It’s a beautiful song, his love for his wife and his family really come through. I saw him perform not long ago and the emotion was so real, he’s a great performer.”
Mama to Nick Stillman – Sub-Editor
“Superstylin’ by Groove Armada. I can’t be still when I hear this… brings back memories of one of my favourite shows at the Hordern Pavillion.”
Mama to Tom Cameron – Sub-Editor
“Bohemian Like You by The Dandy Warhols, because it will still make me feel like dancing when I’m 80.”
Happy Mothers Day y’all.
