Grouplove, Joy Williams and More Share Words and Songs for Paste‘s Mother’s Day Playlist

Tomorrow (May 12) is Mother’s Day—a day to celebrate the hardest-working, often under-appreciated member of the family unit. Mothers are caregivers, teachers, confidants, protectors, role models, friends, cheerleaders and our rays of guiding light. In celebration of mothers and this fine holiday, Paste decided to ask some of our favorite musicians who are also mothers to choose songs for a Mother’s Day playlist and tell us about their picks. Musicians like Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper, Joy Williams, Lori McKenna and more chose songs and shared what those songs mean to them. Dig into Paste’s selection of Mother’s Day songs below, as chosen by these wonderful women, musicians and mothers. We’ve also compiled a Spotify playlist of these songs and more of our favorite tunes about mothers, which you can listen to here.

Dawn Landes: “I’m Your Mama”

“I wrote this song with my best friend Danica Novgorodoff, we both became moms around the same time and had a lot to sing about.” —Dawn Landes

Eleni Mandell: “Oh Mother”

“It is really the first song I wrote about my mom and in writing it, I really discovered how much I love and respect her and her strength. It was a long time coming. I hope that I am as strong as she is and can be present for my children the way she’s been present for my brother, sister and me. The toughness that once seemed like a defect now amazes me.” —Eleni Mandell

“Oh Mother” is taken from Mandell’s new album, Wake Up Again, out on June 7 via Yep Roc Records

Gregory Alan Isakov: “Chemicals”

“GAI’s new album came out right after my daughter was born last fall. I remember being up in the middle of the night those first few days, staring at my perfect baby, delirious and trying to adjust to a whole new reality. I put on these tunes and just wept for no exact reason. But it was the kind of crying that feels right. Later my sister told me she cried with her baby while listening to Gregory too, so there must be something to it.” —Mandolin Orange’s Emily Frantz

Lori McKenna: “A Mother Never Rests”

“I wrote this song with the brilliant Barry Dean therefore I know it applies to dads too. It’s that kind of care and love that keeps all of us up at night. Once you have a child, sleep and prayers all go to them.” —Lori McKenna

Joy Williams: “When Creation Was Young”

“After I’d recorded this song for Front Porch, my son, Miles heard this song and asked, ‘Mama, did you write this about me and Poppy?’ To me, this song speaks to the heart of a mother, that deep, ancient love that hums in the marrow of our bones for our children.” —Joy Williams

The Beatles: “Here Comes The Sun”

“I love the memories Miles and I have of singing this together – in the car, dancing along to it in the kitchen, shouting it up at the sky at the beach where I grew up, after a winter’s day when the clouds parted… it’s been an anthem for us for years.” —Joy Williams

Idles: “Samaritans”

“Surprise, surprise. Willa likes to headbang. This song lets us do just that together while simultaneously having a very positive message.” —Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper

Grouplove: “Naked Kids”

“Humbled that we are Willa’s favorite band. Here’s her favorite song.” —Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper