Mother’s Day playlist

Get the Kleenex box ready. Maybe even pull out a couple of tissues just in case the fireworks start early. To watch any of the following videos is likely to bring forth more emotion than you’re ready for, so consider yourself warned. Then again, that’s what we’re supposed to be like on Mother’s Day. We love moms—our moms, your moms, every mom. So let’s celebrate them with this perfect holiday playlist of emotionally-charged songs.

Mark Schultz, “Everything to Me”
Let’s start with the most unfair song of them all: a son singing to his biological mother who gave him up. This story song charts the course of a full life and ends with the narrator singing about meeting his biological mom in heaven. Yep, you’re already crying.

You’ll Cry When: “And when I see you there/ Watching from heaven’s gates/ Into your arms/ I’m gonna run/ And when you look in my eyes/ You can see my whole life/ See who I was/ And who I’ve become.”

Steven Curtis Chapman, “One Heartbeat at a Time”
Steven Curtis is the king of heartfelt songs that showcase the beauty of the relationships around us. From the marital songs meant for Mary Beth to his hit “Cinderella”, Chapman is clearly a family man in both life and song. Here he observes the work of the mother that may seem unimportant in the moment, but over a lifetime, it’s clearly felt and appreciated.

You’ll Cry When: “With every “I know you can do it”/ Every tear that you kiss away/ So many little things that seem to go unnoticed/ They’re just like the drops of rain over time/ They become a river…”

Phillips, Craig & Dean, “Midnight Oil”
This track from Phillips, Craig & Dean’s self-titled debut remains one of Christian music’s best mom songs for its portrayal of the faithful praying parent. In this case, it’s an overly busy mom who doesn’t have time to get to her private prayer time until the middle of the night. We’re crying partially out of sympathy for a mom who never seemed to sleep.

You’ll Cry When: “Cause now there’s a Daddy who’s willing/ To burn the midnight oil in prayer”

Mark Masri & Jim Brickman, “A Mother’s Love”
Canadian vocalist Mark Masri and celebrated pianist Jim Brickman teamed together on this powerful thank you for mothers everywhere. Even in the Great White North, a mother’s work is essential.

You’ll Cry When: “You gave me the roots to start this life and then you gave me wings to fly”

Plumb, “In My Arms”
This song turns the tables, a song from a mother to her child. Tiffany Arbuckle, a.k.a. Plumb, sings tenderly to her child about the lengths to which she will go to provide and protect. A perfect way to continue a good cry and wrap up this cycle of perspectives with a bow.

You’ll Cry When: “Rains will pour down/ Waves will crash around/ But you will be safe in my arms”