Anything Like Me but Then They Do while Watching You so Let Them Be Little – You’re Gonna Miss This

Well hello, Monday. I’m actually happy you’re here, because today will be a day of catch-up after having been waylaid in the recent weeks. My ears are still plugged and annoying, but at least the congestion and hacking cough has been reduced to a much smaller annoyance. I would hope so, after two rounds of antibiotics.

Thank you for hanging in there with me for these past couple of weeks while I’ve been hiding under the covers.

This week’s theme was chosen by our newest Spotlight Dancer (who also happens to be one of my favorite bloggy friends), Tiffanie from Sounds Like Life to Me. She suggested we share songs “Either about kids growing up (such as Brad Paisley’s- “if he’s anything like me” ) or songs from Musicals, whichever you prefer!” I’m going with the songs about kids, of course.  

Let’s start off with one of my favorite artists whose song was from an album where he looks back to who he became from a little boy on. This song is about his oldest son – and in it he both worries and hopes his son grows up like he did. The antics described in the lyrics are things that this artist and his co-writers did as kids, so it makes the song even better.

The three of them got together and were talking about all the trials and tribulations of being a father (the other two writers also have kids), then the words and antics started to flow magically – talking about the excitement you have from the moment you find out you’re having a boy and reflecting back on all the trouble you caused as a kid.

Here’s my boy Brad Paisley with “Anything Like Me”:

Next up is a song that I’ve heard a few times, but wasn’t able to find much about it other than it was a top 10 hit for this artist in 2003. It’s a song about a father looking back on the good times he had with his children who grew up way too fast and the loneliness of a house without them.

It’s kind of a sad and sweet ballad at the same time and easily one of this artist’s best vocals of his career. Grab the tissue, though, because you’re gonna need it!

Give a listen to Trace Adkins with “Then They Do”:

Next up is a song that this artist wrote about his son. It’s a song about the joys of fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with it – his son is always watching him and learning new things; he wants to be just like his dad.

The artist’s son appears in the video – he was 4 years old at the time (and a cutie!). The video was voted as the Fan’s Choice for Video of the Year at the 2008 ACM awards (that seems so long ago).

The artist wrote the song after he discovered that his son had been singing his hit from 2006 to his teachers (the song, by the way, is entitled “If You’re Going Through Hell), so the artist was late to a writing session because he had to stop by his son’s daycare to talk to the teacher.

Apparently his son was standing in line singing part of the song. Picture this – a cute little 4 year old singing “If You’re going through Hell, hell, hell.” Heh.

When he relayed the teacher visit to his co-writers, his eyes lit up and they decided they needed to write a song about that – and so they did. The song was a big hit peaking at #36 on the Hot 100 and was named the #1 song of 2007 on Billboard’s Country year-end chart.

Without further ado, here’s Rodney Atkins with “Watching You”:

Next up is a song that was released in August 2004 as the third single and title track from the artist’s newest album at the time. The song reached 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in March 2005, becoming his last Top 40 single.

It’s a ballad celebrating children, proclaiming how they are a precious gift and grow up all too soon. Those of us with kids can certainly relate.

Give a listen to Lonestar with “Let Them Be Little”:

Last, but definitely not least, is a song that gets me every time I hear it. Hope you still have your tissues handy. The video for this song was shot in this artist’s hometown in Louisiana. The idea of the song is to cherish the moments of your life. It’s a powerful song – a great thing. The artist has a powerful voice, but he sings this song with a tone of he’s been there, and he’s sincere.

The artist decided to return to his hometown to film because he’s very close to his mom and dad and that is home to him. When he started thinking about the video, he decided he wanted to go back to his roots – where he played football, where he went to school.

Fun fact: When the writers first worked on the song, they were so busy writing it and getting it recorded that they didn’t get into the emotion of it. It was only when this artist recorded it that the duo realized its depth.

Here again for your listening pleasure is Trace Adkins with “You’re Gonna Miss This”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohorts, Callie from JAmericanSpice, and Naila Moon from Just the Stuff Ya Know. 

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!