Dedicated to My Mama
Mindy Smith, Lunchmoney Lewis, Bette Midler, and Donda
Mother
There is no other
Like Mother
So treat Her right
-Take it from Mr. T. and “Treat Your Mother Right” (1984)
This week’s Swap crosses a wide range of styles and stories. As we sent in songs, it occurred to me (Ben) that this might be a mix that has never been featured in the same place, from Bette Midler to Kanye; from Mindy Smith to LunchMoney Lewis. Mommas inspire songs everywhere.
Mindy Smith | One Moment More (Ben)
I’ve made a lot of mistakes on Mother’s Day as a pastor. I’ve talked about how awesome my wife is or ideal my mom was growing up only to be told that not everyone has my experience and I should be more sensitive. I’ve also overcorrected and turned Mother’s Day into a somber reflection of loss. I’ve even blended the two in ways that unintentionally trimmed both experiences. In reality, it’s a great day of celebration for some and uniquely hard for others. One Moment More was written years after Mindy Smith lost her mom to cancer and you can feel it in her voice and the crying strings. It captured me the first time I heard it (almost 20yrs ago), even without knowing her story.
Also available on Apple Music.
LunchMoney Lewis | Mama (Jonathan)
There’s no denying it, we are all here because of them and their sacrifice, and my choice to commemorate their special day coming up Sunday was between this song and Nathaniel Rateliff’s “Hey Mama” (which is a great song). While LunchMoney Lewis is rather obscure to me, his song about these special ladies is fun and hits the nail on the head about what mamas (and grandmamas, step-mamas, single mamas…) do to raise us. So in the words of LunchMoney, this song is “dedicated to my mama, who taught me to put on my pajamas!”
Also available on Apple Music.
Bette Midler | Wind Beneath My Wings (Kody)
This song isn’t about mothers, but it makes me think of mine. I definitely heard it first on Magic 104.1 KMGL (OKC) during our early EARLY morning drives to the YMCA where she dropped me off before school started. She worked so hard for our family while carrying a lot of burdens I didn’t know about until I got older. She also sought (and still does seek) the Lord earnestly. I’ll never forget waking up earlier than usual one morning and walking into the living room where she was praying, eyes closed and Bible open. Where would we be without momma’s prayers?
When it came time to choose a song for our mother-son wedding reception dance, I didn’t hesitate. She’s a hero. Thank God for you, mom!
Also available on Apple Music.
Bonus Track - Eclectic Corner: HEY MAMA (Donda) by Adam Tait
We’re excited to welcome back our resident contributor, Adam Tait, to the Swap. When he writes, we call it the Eclectic Corner. Here goes…
“Hey mama, ahhhhhhh. I wanna scream so loud for you, cause I’m so proud of you.”
You don’t ever have to wonder who Kanye West truly loves with all his heart. Some would say himself, but that just isn’t true. Kanye absolutely adored his late mother, Donda.
Now before we go any further, I have to confess that through all the crazy I have remained a true fan of the art that Kanye produces. I want to stress the art part, because I look forward to the day when we think of Kanye the way we do someone like Van Gogh or Pollock. Extremely incredible artists who suffered from mental illness. We have to take the art for what it is, greatness.
Kanye professes the love he has for his mother in the song “Hey Mama” from his sophomore album, Late Registration. The song itself is an exposé of the life and times of Kanye and his mother through the years. You can truly feel the love through each bar. If you haven’t added it to your Mother’s Day playlist (if that isn’t a thing it should be) then add it, no questions asked.
If you’ve seen the Netflix special, Jeen-Yuhs then you’ve seen how Kanye truly loved his mother. There is a scene where Kanye goes back to his mom’s apartment and at one point they are singing and carrying on and it’s beautiful. I would say that you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that loves their mother more than Kanye. This could clearly be seen in how much Donda’s death affected Kanye in 2007. Some would even say her death was the beginning of this whole fiasco that is Kanye West.
When reflecting on Kanye’s relationship with his mother it should challenge us to love our mothers in that way. It should also encourage us to have our kids love their mothers in that way as well. So if you haven’t thought about it, prepare to call your mama and scream sooo loud for her! I can speak from experience, she will love it if you call and sing a little tune!
Below you will find my Mt. Rushmore of Mother’s Day tunes.
1. Hey Mama - Kanye West
2. Mama Tried - Merle Haggard (but perfected by The Grateful Dead)
3. Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Gregg Allman (Don’t judge this pick too hard)
4. Dear Mama - Tupac
Adam Tait lives in Kentucky and is seriously just one of the best dudes you could ever know. He serves thousands of students through Crossings Ministries. The last song he listened to was “Arrow” by Goose and his upcoming concerts are Dead and Company in Cincy followed by a Goose show at the Palace in Louisville, KY.
Thank you for reading The Music Swap. Kiss your mother. Tell her you love her. And sing her a song!
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Never heard the Dead cover Merle. Good shout out Tait!
Disappointed no honorable mention for Danzig. ;)