From songs about adult women calling home for parental support, to tracks illustrating every parent’s appreciation for their daughters’ golden age of childhood, our playlist of songs about girls growing up covers it all, exploring a plethora of different perspectives whilst peering into both the best and worst aspects of getting older.
Songs About Girls Growing Up
1. Miley And Billy Ray Cyrus – I Learned From You
Featuring as the last song on Miley Cyrus’ debut album, I Learned From You is a collab between Miley and her dad, written from the perspective of a teen girl realising her father’s far-reaching influence in childhood upon her life and character.
Uniquely splitting their track between father and daughter verses, I Learned From You not only reflects a dad’s deep-rooted influence upon his growing daughter, but also the incredible impact of a child upon the parent;
“I learned from you that I do not crumble, I learned that strength is something you choose, all of the reasons to keep on believing, there is no question that’s a lesson I learned from you.”
2. Carrie Underwood – Little Girl, Don’t Grow Up Too Fast
Carrie Underwood’s country track, Little Girl, Don’t Grow Up Too Fast, harnesses a nostalgic mid-00s pop-rock sound which in itself transports younger listeners back in time, into wild, bright daydreams of growing up.
Carrie’s lyrics are embedded with cute descriptions of a young girl trying to act older than her age, its first chorus appearing to come from a mom’s perspective;
“Tiptoeing ’round the house in her mama’s shoes, colouring her lips red in her bedroom… Little girl, little girl, don’t grow up too fast, before you know it, you’ll be wishing you could just go back.”
However, by the final chorus, it’s revealed that Carrie is actually giving a message to her younger self, displaying regret over how young she adopted the complexities of adult attitudes;
“’Cause it’s hard to know just what to do, when I still feel like a child in my mama’s shoes … Sometimes I wish I could just go back and say, ‘Take your time and let it last, little girl.’”
3. Trace Adkins – You’re Gonna Miss This
Country music might not be for everyone, but it never fails to harbour heart-warming, story-based sentiments that just couldn’t slide by in the realms of generic radio pop.
Trace Adkins exploits the cheesiness inherent to the classic country sound in his track, You’re Gonna Miss This, crafting his lyrics into a radiant metaphor of appreciating your youth while you still can.
Each verse follows a daughter through a different era of her life from a father’s perspective, detailing occasions where she appears to be growing up too fast.
From acting like a teenager in the back seat of the car, to wanting babies too soon after marriage, each evocative verse is anchored in the resonating message, “You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.”
4. Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt, Wizkid – Brown Skin Girl
Beyonce’s 2020 collab with her daughter Blue Ivy and rappers SAINt JHN and WizKid, entitled Brown Skin Girl, captures a beautiful BLM sentiment which every mother should plant within their growing girl, carrying them through insecurity and strengthening them through the threat of racism;
“Them men, them gon’ fall in love with you and all of your glory, your skin is not only dark, it shines and it tells your story, keep dancing, they can’t control you, they watching, they all adore you, if ever you are in doubt, remember what mama told you.”
Beyonce’s clean and vibrant message echoes majestically through any family teaching their young girls that melanin is something to be empowered by, and never to be ashamed of;
“I love everything about you, from your nappy curls, to every single curve, your body natural, same skin that was broken be the same skin taking over… Brown skin girl, your skin just like pearls, your back against the world, I’d never trade you for anybody else.”
5. Sugarland – Baby Girl
Sugarland’s 2004 single Baby Girl is a country song with an addictively fresh approach, Jennifer Nettles’ artfully soulful vocal tone gripping one’s attention to her lyrical story.
Sugarland craft their track from a creative point of view, moulding it as a letter from an adult daughter to her parents 2000 miles away, asking for financial support to help kick-start the realisation of her musical career;
“Dear Mom and Dad, please send money, I’m so broke that it ain’t funny… Please don’t worry ’cause I’m alright, see, I’m playing here at the bar tonight, this time I’m gonna make our dreams come true, I love you more than anything in the world, Love, your baby girl.”
Clad with poetic scenery, this track proves how growing up doesn’t stop after leaving home; rather, the need for parental support always returns unexpectedly no matter how old you get.
6. Jason Blaine – Dance With My Daughter
Jason Blaine’s 2015 single, Dance With My Daughter, is a moving track about making the most of your daughter’s youth, appreciating her affectionate displays which slowly dissolve after becoming a teenager.
Blaine’s track is as warm as the family feeling he describes, his captivating imagery crafting an anthem for any father met with grief at the thought of his little girl growing up;
“Gonna dance with my daughter, spin her around under the lights, ’cause I’m just a father, making the most of this moment in time, before she lets me go, I’ll hold her close, caught in this race against time, right now all I want is to dance with my daughter tonight.”
7. Halestorm – Dear Daughter
Halestorm’s 2015 pop track Dear Daughter captures a clean and sparse ambience, pulling all attention towards the stunning, soulful vocals.
Dear Daughter is a letter from a mother to her growing daughter, bestowing swathes of advice, support and warning about what inevitably lies in her future;
“Dear Daughter, don’t worry about those stupid girls, if they try to bring you down, it’s cause they’re scared and insecure. Dear Daughter, don’t change for any man, even if he promises the stars and takes you by the hand.”
Halestorm’s message is centred in the unconditional love of a mother to her growing girl, grounded in an overwhelming feeling of peace; “There will be love, there will be pain, there will be hope, there will be fear, and through it all, year after year, stand or fall I will be right here for you.”