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Songs for your daughter

28 songs · Updated 27 September 2026

Songs for a daughter change as she does. The lullaby you sang at two is not the song you play at her graduation, and neither is the one you want on at her eighteenth.

This list follows her through those years: songs written about daughters, songs that tell her she can do hard things, bedtime songs, and a few for dancing round the kitchen on her birthday. Every song links to Spotify and YouTube.

Songs about daughters

For a card, a video, or a quiet moment when she is old enough to hear it.

  1. 1

    Isn't She Lovely — Stevie Wonder, 1976

    Written for his newborn daughter. Joyful, and a favourite for a baby's first birthday video.

  2. 2

    In My Daughter's Eyes — Martina McBride, 2003

    A mother on what her daughter gives her. Tender without being heavy.

  3. 3

    Daughters — John Mayer, 2003

    Soft acoustic song about how fathers and mothers shape their girls.

  4. 4

    Father and Daughter — Paul Simon, 2006

    A promise from a father to his daughter. Light and sweet, good for younger girls.

  5. 5

    Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) — Billy Joel, 1993

    Billy Joel wrote it for his daughter. A good one to share when she is grown.

  6. 6

    Butterfly Kisses — Bob Carlisle, 1997

    A father watching his little girl grow up, all the way to her wedding day.

  7. 7

    Never Grow Up — Taylor Swift, 2010

    For the parent who wants time to slow down. Gentle guitar, easy to listen to together.

  8. 8

    Cinderella — Steven Curtis Chapman, 2007

    A dad dancing with his little girl before she grows up. Have tissues nearby.

  9. 9

    I Loved Her First — Heartland, 2006

    A father's view on giving his daughter away. Best saved for her wedding year.

  10. 10

    You Are the Sunshine of My Life — Stevie Wonder, 1973

    Bright and warm. Suits a birthday message at any age.

  11. 11

    My Girl — The Temptations, 1964

    Written as a love song, but dads have claimed it for their daughters for decades.

  12. 12

    Unforgettable — Natalie Cole, 1991

    The duet Natalie Cole recorded with her late father, Nat King Cole. A daughter and dad on one record.

To lift her up: graduation and new starts

Songs that say you can do this, for exams, first jobs, and moving out.

  1. 13

    The Climb — Miley Cyrus, 2009

    About the effort, not just the finish line. Good for a graduation video.

  2. 14

    Unwritten — Natasha Bedingfield, 2004

    Upbeat and open-ended. The right song for her first day of something new.

  3. 15

    Firework — Katy Perry, 2010

    Big and confident. For a daughter who needs reminding how bright she is.

  4. 16

    Brave — Sara Bareilles, 2013

    Encourages speaking up. Good before a big exam or interview.

  5. 17

    Fight Song — Rachel Platten, 2015

    For a daughter going through something hard. Builds from quiet to loud.

  6. 18

    I Hope You Dance — Lee Ann Womack, 2000

    A list of wishes for a child's life. Often read at graduations, lovely played too.

  7. 19

    Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) — Kelly Clarkson, 2011

    Fast and defiant. For after a breakup or a setback.

  8. 20

    Beautiful — Christina Aguilera, 2002

    For a teenager having a bad day about how she looks. Slow, direct and kind.

Or have one written about her

These songs are about somebody's daughter. A song about yours can have her name, the way she laughs, the first word she said and the thing she wants to be. Tell TunedForYou her story and we will write it. You hear a preview before you decide.

One we made, to hear what it sounds like

Spread Your Wings
3:30
graduationpopfemale

Spread Your Wings

For Emily From Mom & Dad

"From your first steps to this day We've watched you grow in every way Now spread your wings and fly so high The world is yours, reach for the sky..."

Write a song for my daughter

You tell us about them, we write and sing it, and you hear a preview before you decide.

Bedtime songs for little ones

Slow, soft and easy to hum.

  1. 21

    Baby Mine — Bette Midler, 1990

    The Dumbo lullaby, sung warmly. Settles a small child in a couple of minutes.

  2. 22

    Somewhere Over the Rainbow — Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, 1993

    Ukulele and a soft voice. A favourite for bedtime and baby videos alike.

  3. 23

    Here Comes the Sun — The Beatles, 1969

    Works as a wake-up song too. Cheerful and short.

  4. 24

    Three Little Birds — Bob Marley & The Wailers, 1977

    Calm and reassuring. Toddlers learn the chorus fast.

For her birthday

Kitchen-disco songs that span most ages.

  1. 25

    Girls Just Want to Have Fun — Cyndi Lauper, 1983

    Play it loud for a sleepover or a twenty-first.

  2. 26

    Happy — Pharrell Williams, 2013

    Kids and grandparents can all dance to it.

  3. 27

    Dancing Queen — ABBA, 1976

    Perfect for a seventeenth, obviously, but it works at any birthday.

  4. 28

    Shake It Off — Taylor Swift, 2014

    Most girls under twenty know every word. Let her pick the next one.

How to choose

Choose by her age, not yours

A song about watching a daughter grow up can move a parent to tears and bore a nine-year-old. For younger girls, pick songs she enjoys now and save the reflective ones for when she is older.

Pair a song with a letter

Graduations and eighteenths are good moments to send a song with a short letter. The song sets the mood; your words are what she keeps.

Watch the wedding songs

Butterfly Kisses and I Loved Her First are written with the wedding day in mind. If she is not engaged, they can feel like a hint.

Make a playlist that grows with her

Add one song each birthday. By the time she is grown, it is a record of every year.

Questions people ask

What is a good song to dedicate to your daughter?

Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder, In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride and Daughters by John Mayer are popular choices. For a grown daughter, I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack is a lovely set of wishes.

What song should I play for my daughter's graduation?

The Climb by Miley Cyrus, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield and I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack all suit a graduation video or party.

What is a good song from a mother to a daughter?

In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride is written from a mother's point of view. Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift also works well from either parent.

What is a good lullaby for a baby girl?

Baby Mine, Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and Three Little Birds by Bob Marley are gentle, slow and easy to sing yourself.

Can I get a song written about my daughter?

Yes. TunedForYou writes a personalised song from what you tell us about her. You hear a preview first and only pay if you want the full song.

More song lists

Looking for a song written just for them? Graduation songs · Birthday songs

Or have one written about her

Their name, your stories, the things only the two of you would get. Written and sung for them.

Write a song for my daughter