The traditional mother-son dance during the wedding reception gives the groom and his mother a special moment to share in the spotlight. Whether you choose a playful, lighthearted mother-son wedding song to dance to or something more sweet and soulful (practically guaranteed to bring tears to everyone’s eyes!) you’ll want a song that’s an expression of your relationship with your mom.
Think about a song you listened to together when you were little, or a tune by her favorite singer or band. And the song definitely does not have to make sense to everyone in the room, as long as it’s special to you and your mother. (But it’s always a good idea to double-check lyrics to make sure the song is wedding-appropriate.)
To help you select your own meaningful tune, we’ve put together a list of popular mother-son dance songs – country, rock, modern – so whatever your style, you’ll find something that works for you.
Classic Mother-Son Wedding Songs
Some songs stand the test of time and need no introduction because they have been around and bringing tears to eyes for decades.
1. Forever Young” by Joan Baez
“May your heart always be joyful / May your song always be sung / May you stay forever young”
2. “In My Life” by The Beatles
“Though I know I'll never lose affection / For people and things that went before / I know I'll often stop and think about them/ In my life, I love you more”
3. “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
“You never need to doubt it / I'll make you so sure about it / God only knows what I'd be without you”
4. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel
“When evening falls so hard / I will comfort you / I'll take your part / Oh when darkness comes / And pain is all, is all around / Just like a bridge over troubled water / I will lay me down”
5. “Simple Man” by Lynard Skynard
“Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself / Follow your heart and nothing else / And you can do this, oh baby, if you try / All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied”
6. “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers
“Lean on me / When you’re not strong / And I’ll be your friend / I’ll help you carry on”
7. “My Mother’s Eyes” by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
“One bright and guiding light / That taught me wrong from right / I found in my mother’s eyes”
8. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
“Oh no darling, no wind, no rain / Or winters cold can stop me baby / No, no baby, ‘cause you are my love / If you ever in trouble, I’ll be there on the double”
9. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
“Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me / Oh, stand by me / Won’t you stand by”
10. “Your Song” by Elton John
“I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind / That I put down the words / How wonderful life is while you’re in the world”
11. “Hero” by Mariah Carey
“There’s a hero / If you look inside your heart / You don’t have to be afraid / Of what you are”
12. “I'll Stand By You” by The Pretenders
“Nothing you confess / Could make me love you less / I’ll stand by you”
Unique Mother-Son Wedding Dance Songs
If you are looking for a mother-son dance song that isn’t at every wedding, try one of these options!
13. “He Gets That From Me” by Reba McEntire
“He loves your old guitar / Yeah he’s taught himself today / He melts my heart / Tells me he loves me every day”
14. “You’ll Be In My Heart” by Phil Collins
“You’ll be in my heart / No matter what they say / You’ll be in my heart / Always”
15. “You Are My Sunshine” by Johnny Cash
“You are my sunshine / My only sunshine / You make me happy / When skies are grey”
16. “The Perfect Fan” by Backstreet Boys
“It takes a lot to know what is love / It’s not the big things but the little things / That can mean enough”
17. “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon
“Before you cross the street / Take my hand / Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”
Source: One Fab Day
18. “Letter To My Mother” by Edwin McCain
“Mama, how do I write the words to you / You were the only one who loved me true”
19. “Small Bump” by Ed Sheeran
“You’re just a small bump unborn / In four months you’re brought to life / You might be left with my hair / But you’ll have my mother’s eyes”
20. “Old Pine” by Ben Howard
“We stood / Steady as the stars in the woods / So happy hearted”
21. “Montezuma” by Fleet Foxes
“So now I am older / Than my mother and father / When they had their daughter / Now what does that say about me?”
Rock Mother-Son Wedding Dance Songs Rock
If you or the family is more of the rocking type and want to show that in your wedding song, don’t be afraid to bust out those songs with electric guitars and heavy drums.
22. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
“Well, I’ve been afraid of changing / Because I built my life around you / But time makes you bolder / Even children get older”
23. “Have I Told You Lately” by Rod Stewart
“Have I told you lately that I love you / Have I told you there’s no one else above you / You fill my heart with gladness / Take away all my sadness”
24. “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles
“All you need is love / All you need is love / All you need is love / Love is all you need”
25. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
“She’s got a smile that seems to me / Reminds me of childhood memories / Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky”
26. “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
“You belong among the wildflowers / You belong in a boat out at sea / Sail away, kill off the hours / You belong somewhere you feel free”
27. “The Wish” by Bruce Springsteen
“This one’s for you, Ma, let me come right out and say it / It’s overdue, but baby, if you’re looking for a sad song, well I ain’t going to play it”
28. “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart
“Be courageous and be brave / And in my heart you’ll always stay / Forever young”
29. “Thank You Mom” by Good Charlotte
“You were my mom, you were my dad / The only thing I ever had / Was you, it’s true / Even when the times got hard”
Country Mother-Son Dance Songs
If you might be wearing cowboy boots to your wedding or are just a country kid at heart, here is a list of songs that would be great for your mother son dance.
30. “Mother Like Mine” by The Band Perry
“She’s the sky that holds the clouds / She’s the lady of the house / A blind believer in all I dare to be”
31. “Like My Mother Does” by Lauren Alaina
“When I love, I give it all I’ve got / Like my mother does / When I’m scared, I bow my head and pray / Like my mother does”
32. “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts
“I hope you never look back, but you never forget / All the ones who love you, in the place you left / I hope you always forgive, and you never regret / And you help somebody every chance you get”
33. “Mama Said” by Lukas Graham
“I know which place I’m from / I know my home / When I’m in doubt and struggling / That’s where I go”
34. “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
“May you never take one single breath for granted / God forbid love ever leave you handed”
35. “Then They Do” by Trace Adkins
“You want all the dreams they’ve dreamed to come true / Then they do / Oh, and then they do”
36. “Mother” by Sugarland
“She’s your mother, you love her / There won’t be another / Place like her again that you call home”
37. “The Baby” by Blake Shelton
“I called home to mom and daddy, I said your boy is now a man / She said I don’t care if you’re 80, you’ll always be my baby”
Short Mother-Son Dance Songs
Perhaps you or mom are not dancers, or don’t like being in the spotlight, or just want to open the dance floor up for everyone else. No matter the reason, any of these shorter mother-son dance songs are a great option.
However, keep in mind that you can always just use a shortened portion of any song–so if your heart is set on a different tune, ask the DJ to help you select about 60-90 seconds of the song to dance to.
38. “You’ve Got A Friend” by Chaz Mazzota
“You just call out my name / And you know wherever I am / I’ll come runnin’ / To see you again”
39.“Loves Me Like A Rock” by Paul Simon
“Oh my mama loves me, she loves me / She get down on her knees and hug me / Like she loves me like a rock”
40. “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” by Stevie Wonder
“You are the sunshine of my life / That’s why I’ll always be around / You are the apple of my eye / Forever you’ll stay in my heart”
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41. “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher” by Jackie Wilson
“Your love, lifting me higher / Than I’ve ever been lifted before / So keep it up”
42. “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel
“I would not leave you in times of trouble / We never could have come this far / I took the good times, I’ll take the bad times / I’ll take you just the way you are”
43. “Home” by Jack Johnson
“And so I try to understand, what I can’t hold in my hand / And wherever we are, home is there too”
44. “A Song For Mama” by Boyz II Men
“You were there for me to love and care for me / When skies were gray / Whenever I was down / You were always there to comfort me”
45. “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac
“For you, there’ll be no more crying / For you, the sun will be shining / And I feel that when I’m with you / It’s alright, I know it’s right”
46. “Days Like This” by Van Morrison
“When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch / Well my mama told me there’ll be days like this”
47. “Sweet Pea” by Amos Lee
“Hey sweet pea / Apple of my eye / Don’t know when and I don’t know why / But you’re the only reason I keep coming home”
Jazzy Mother-Son Wedding Songs
Incorporate a little more smoothness into your dance by picking one of these jazzy numbers for your mother-son dance.
48. “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
“I see trees of green / Red roses too / I see them bloom / For me and for you / And I think to myself / What a wonderful world”
49. “Happy Feelin’ (Anatomy of a Groove)” by Earth, Wind, and Fire
“Feelin’, happy feelin’ / In the music that we’re giving / Feel the power / Of the hour / Every moment that you’re livin’”
50. “Breezin’” by George Benson
“Give and let live / Love and be loved / We’re workin’ on a positive vibe / So let the love rise to the top”
51. “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
“Here’s a little song I wrote / You might want to sing it note for note / Don’t worry, be happy”
52. “Love Is Here To Stay” by Tony Bennett
“In time the Rockies may crumble / Gibraltar may tumble / They’re only made of clay / But our love is here to stay”
53. “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole
“Unforgettable that’s what you are / Unforgettable though near or far / Like a song of love that clings to me”
54. “Mama Said” by The Shirelles
“Mama said there’ll be days like this / There’ll be days like this, mama said”
55. “I’ll Always Love My Mama” by The Intruders
“I’ll always love my mama / She’s my favorite girl / I’ll always love my mama / She brought me in this world”
Upbeat Mother Son Dance Songs
For a little more upbeat dance moves to get people ready to get on the dance floor, try one of these mother son dance songs.
56. “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
“Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had / Been with you such a long time / You’re my sunshine”
57. “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge
“All of the people around us they say / Can they be that close / Just let me state for the record / We’re giving love in a family dose”
58. “Home” by Phillip Phillips
“Just know you’re not alone / ‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home”
59. “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by Marvin Gaye
“You were better to me than I was to myself / For me, there’s you and there ain’t nobody else”
60. “I Say A Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin
“The moment I wake up / Before I put on my makeup / I say a little prayer”
61. “Mama Hold My Hand” by Aloe Blacc
“Then I call my mama to help me / And she came right away / To help me get back home, where I wanna be”
62. “Take Your Mama” by Scissor Sisters
“Gonna take your mama out all night / So she’ll have no doubt that we’re doing oh the best we can / We’re gonna do it”
63. “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
“Teach your children well / Their father’s hell did slowly go by / And feed them on your dreams / The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by”
64. “Home” by Edward Sharpe
“Oh, home, let me come home / Home is wherever I’m with you”
Modern Mother-Son Wedding Songs
To keep your playlist in more of modern times, here are some modern songs for your mother-son dance.
65. “Sweetest Devotion” by Adele
“The sweetest devotion / Hitting me like an explosion / All of my life, I’ve been frozen / The sweetest devotion I’ve known”
66. “Mom” by Meghan Trainor
“Have a mom, she might be the bomb / But ain’t nobody got a mom like mine / Her love’s ‘til the end, she’s my best friend”
67. “I’ll Be There” by Mac Miller
“Hey, see, I was six years old with a dream / When my moms told me I can do anything / She said she’d be there forever, no matter what’s the weather”
68. “Beautiful Boy” by Ben Harper
“Before you go to sleep / Say a little prayer / Every day in every way / It’s getting better and better”
69. “Love Is A Verb” by John Mayer
“Love is a verb / It ain’t a thing / It’s not something you own / It’s not something you scream”
70. “93 Million Miles” by Jason Mraz
“Son in life you’re gonna go far / If you do it right / You’ll love where you are”
71. “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift
“I know you were on my side / Even when I was wrong / And I love you for giving me your eyes”
72. “Hey Ma” by Bon Iver
“Full time you talk your money up / While it’s living in a coal mine / Tall time, to call your ma / Hey Ma, hey Ma”
Heartfelt Mother-Son Dance Songs
73. “Difference Maker” by NEEDTOBREATHE
“And he climbs up on the hill on the rock on which he stands / He looks back at the crowd / He looks down at his hands and he says / I am a difference maker”
74. “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion
“Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach / You gave me faith, ‘cause you believed / I’m everything I am because you loved me”
75. “A Mother’s Love” by Jim Brickman
“Thank you for watching over me / All of the sleepless nights you lay awake / Thank you for knowing when to hold me close / When to let me go”
76. “When God Made You” by NewSong
“He made the sun, he made the moon / To harmonize the perfect tune / One can’t do without the other they just have to be together”
77. “Loved You Before” by Natalie Taylor
“When you breathe for the first time / When you see for the first time / When you love for the first time / I’ll be here”
78. “Child Of Mine” by Carole King
“Although you see the world / Different from me / Sometimes I can touch upon / The wonders that you see”
79. “(They Long To Be) Close To You” by The Carpenters
“On the day that you were born the angels got together / And decided to create a dream come true”
80. “I Look To You” by Whitney Houston
“And when all my strength is gone / In you I can be strong / I look to you”
81. “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young
“I’ve spent my whole life gettin’ it all wrong / And I sure could use your help cause from now on / I wanna be a good man”
82. “Sweet Love Of Mine” by Joy Williams
“Oh, my darling, sweet love of mine / I’ll hold you all through the night / I gave you your name, you gave me back my life”
Mother-Son Dance Song FAQs
Do you need to have a mother-son dance at your wedding?
Your wedding is your own and should be put together however you decide. Having a mother-son dance with the groom and the groom’s mother is traditional, but not necessary. Decide what fits best for your timeline!
Who picks the song for the mother-son dance?
Because of what this dance is, the song is normally chosen by the groom, or decided on between the groom and the groom’s mother.
How to choose the right mother-son dance song
This is all going to depend on the individual. If you don’t immediately have a song in mind, first pick a style that fits with the rest of your wedding style. Then use our handy list of great songs to find one that speaks to you. Take your time – you don’t need to pick the song months in advance.
If all else fails, ask your mother – she probably has some wonderful ideas.
How long should mother-son dances be?
This is completely up to the groom and mother who will be dancing, but usually it’s kept between 60 and 90 seconds. You do have the option of dancing for the full duration of the song, or having the DJ fade the song out after a set amount of time.
Choose the Best Wedding Dance Songs
Ready for a dance floor that never stops? Browse some of our other best dance song lists:
