She was the mom and the dad, the one who worked and the one who worried, and you want a song that actually says that. Below are eight real songs that honor a single mother, and one more idea: an original song written about your own mom, for $39.90, delivered in 24 to 48 hours. We start with the last one, because it is the example.
Listen: "You Raised Me Twice"
What makes a song for a single mom actually land
The songs that move a single mother are the ones that name the two jobs, not just the love. A single mom is usually thanked in the general way, on a card, in a hug. The songs that reach her go smaller and truer. "You Raised Me Twice" is about a mother who did the raising a second time, alone, after someone left. The late shifts. The plate she filled last. The worry she carried where you could not see it. That is the move: pick the thing she did quietly and let the song say it out loud.
This matters for two reasons. A specific detail tells her you saw the cost, which is what most single mothers never hear said. And a specific detail is something no famous song can give you, because the songwriter did not know your mother worked two jobs or held it together the year your dad left.
8 songs that honor a single mom
Here is a short rule for choosing: a famous song is best when its story already sounds like your mother's, and a written song is best when you want her own details in the words. These eight are real, well known, and truly about mothers who carried everything.
- "Dear Mama" — 2Pac. His 1995 tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur, does not sugar-coat the poverty or the hard years, and loves her through all of it. For the child who wants to thank a mother who struggled and stayed. The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry.
- "A Song for Mama" — Boyz II Men. Babyface wrote it as the theme to the 1997 film Soul Food. It names a mother as the guiding light, the protector, and the friend who was always there. The plainest, warmest thank-you on this list.
- "Hey Mama" — Kanye West. From 2005's Late Registration, a tribute to his mother, Donda, who worked nights to keep the lights on and raised him largely on her own. For the child who wants to say: I saw how hard you worked.
- "Coal Miner's Daughter" — Loretta Lynn. Lynn's 1970 number one about her Kentucky childhood honors a mother's devotion through real poverty, reading the Bible by lamplight and putting her children first. For a mother who made a hard life feel like enough.
- "Oh Mother" — Christina Aguilera. From 2006's Back to Basics, a piano ballad that thanks her mother for leaving an abusive father and starting over. For the daughter or son whose mom got them out and built a new life.
- "Mama's Song" — Carrie Underwood. A 2010 country single that thanks a mother for the lessons and reassures her that her child turned out okay. Sung from a daughter, gentle and grateful, good for a wedding or a milestone.
- "Rockabye" — Clean Bandit, ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie. This 2016 hit is written plainly about a single mother doing whatever it takes for her child. Modern and radio-familiar, for a younger family who grew up on it.
- "The Best Day" — Taylor Swift. From 2008's Fearless, written in secret to surprise her mother, built from small memories of pumpkin patches and ordinary afternoons. For the mom whose love showed up in the everyday things.
The lyrics
The lyrics
You Raised Me Twice
You packed my lunch and hid your tears
Worked two jobs for all those years
You held the world up, just for me
While I was dreaming, you were on your knees
No cape, no spotlight, just grit and grace
You gave me everything you couldn’t chase
You raised me once, you raised me twice
As a mom, and as my guiding light
You held the pain behind your smile
And walked me through my every mile
Now I see what strength looks like
You raised me twice
You skipped your dreams so I could fly
Told me the truth, let me cry
You were my anchor, soft and tough
A love so loud it said enough
Now I hold my child, and I see
Everything you passed to me
You raised me once, you raised me twice
Through sleepless nights and sacrifice
You gave me roots, you gave me wings
And I became everything
Because you never thought of price
You raised me twice
Common questions
What is a good song for a single mom?
For honoring a single mother, "Dear Mama" by 2Pac and "A Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men are two of the most fitting choices. Both are about a mother who carried everything alone and was loved for it. If you want the lyrics to name your own mother and what she actually did, a custom song is the most personal route.
What song says thank you to a single mother?
"Hey Mama" by Kanye West and "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood both work as a thank-you to the woman who raised you. One comes from a son, one from a daughter, so you can match the voice to yours. A custom song from Songbond is $39.90 and arrives in 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions, if you want the thank-you in her own name.
What should a custom song for a single mom include?
Small, true things work better than grand statements. The two jobs, the meals she skipped so you did not, the year your dad left, the way she never let you see her worry. You fill out a short questionnaire about those details and Songbond turns them into an original song.
Give her the song that is only about her
A famous song says what a single mother goes through. A song about your own mom says what she went through, in your kitchen, in your name. If you want the second kind, have a custom song written for your mother for $39.90, delivered in 24 to 48 hours, revised until it is right. Tell us about the two jobs, the plate she filled last, the years she did it alone. We will write the rest.
From the same series: Mother's Day song gift ideas and songs for a new baby.
