There’s just something about singing. It’s fun, it can make us all feel better, and it’s a joyous activity to partake in when you’re happy. But singing also provides a wonderful opportunity to better describe one’s emotions — particularly if these emotions have anything to do with sadness.
We all love singing — and we all love listening to songs that encourage us to sing! Below, we’ve listed 20 songs about singing. While most of these tracks are positive and fun, you’ll find a few introspective pieces as well!
1. “Midnight Memories” by One Direction
“Midnight Memories” by One Direction is all about having fun, partying, and enjoying your young life! The boy band sings about wanting to have fun — and about wanting to sing at the top of their lungs.
The band sings, “Baby, you and me stumblin’ in the street / Singing, singing, singing, singing / Midnight memories.”
2. “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks
1984’s hit song “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, which appears on her album Bella Donna, is one of the best songs about singing. While many people may think the song is quite upbeat and fun upon first listening to it, the song is actually about death!
But Nicks still mentions singing, as she says, “Just like the white winged dove / Sings a song / Sounds like she’s singin’ / Whoo, baby, whoo, whoo.”
3. “Here’s to Never Growing Up” by Avril Lavigne
In “Here’s to Never Growing Up”, Avril Lavigne sings about never wanting to have the responsibilities that one must have when one grows up and become an adult. Instead, she wants to drink, party, and hang out with her friends — with no worries in her world!
The song opens with the lyrics, “Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs / With the boombox blarin’ as we’re fallin’ in love / Got a bottle of whatever, but it’s gettin’ us drunk / Singing, ‘Here’s to never-growing-up.’”
4. “You Got Me Singing” by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen’s “You Got Me Singing” begins with the lyrics, “You got me singing / Even though the news is bad / You got me singing / The only song I ever had.”
As the song goes on, we learn that Cohen feels as if he could sing — and he wants to sing. Even though his life isn’t what he thought it would be, even though there might be bad in the world, someone helps him want to sing, which is always a good, positive thing!
As Cohen also explains that he wants to sing the song “Hallelujah” — a song that he wrote — this song could be seen as a song about singing to God.
5. “Hey Mama” by Matt Kearney
“Hey Mama” by Matt Kearney is a love song. Kearney sings to a woman that he’s falling for. Throughout the song, he also explains that he’s singing the entire time, hinting at his happiness at meeting this woman. He says, “Singing hey mama, don’t want no drama / Just a kiss before I leave.”
6. “Mouthwash” by Kate Nash
Kate Nash’s 2007 song “Mouthwash” also mentions singing. Throughout this song, Nash simply sings about herself and mentions who she is — and what she likes. Even though she’s unique, she’s also so similar to everybody else. So, she ends up singing, “I’ve got mixed-up memories / And I’ve got favorite places / And I’m singing, ‘Oh oh’ on a Friday night.”
7. “Singin’ In the Rain” by Gene Kelly
The iconic song “Singin’ In the Rain”, which appears in the classical musical of the same name, was first released by Gene Kelly, who sings it in the movie. However, it’s been covered by a number of great artists since its release — and likely will always be a favorite to turn to for many musicians.
If you’re looking for a happy song about singing, look no further. This song is all about being happy, singing and dancing — and, of course, singing in the rain!
8. “A Song For You” by Carpenters
1972’s “A Song For You” by Carpenters, which appears on their album of the same name, features the lyrics, “I’ve acted out my love in stages / With ten thousand people watching / But we’re alone now and I’m singing this song for you.”
The band sings about performing on stage and singing so many songs for strangers. However, this song is for the one they love. The singer knows that they treated their love badly, but they’re hoping this song will make up for it!
9. “Sing Your Life” by Morrissey
In “Sing Your Life”, Morrissey begins the song by singing, “Sing your life / Any fool can think up words that rhyme / Many others do / Why don’t you?”
Morrissey explains that we should all be living the life we want to live — and singing the song we want to sing. We shouldn’t be hiding, nor should we be singing a song we despise. Instead, we should all just be our unique selves!
10. “Sing” by Carpenters
Another Carpenters song! “Sing”, which is a cover of the Sesame Street song, is similar to Morriseey’s “Sing Your Life” above. The band explains that we should all feel the confidence to sing our own songs — regardless of what other people think.
They say, “Sing, sing a song / Make it simple to last your whole life long / Don’t worry that it’s not good enough / For anyone else to hear.”
11. “40” by U2
“40” by U2, which appears on the band’s 1983 album War, was inspired by the Christian Bible. The singer talks about how God pulled him out of a pit of clay — which could also be considered his struggles or own internal darkness — and saved him.
As a result, he’s ready to sing a new song, though he does question just how long he should keep singing.
12. “Dream On” by Aerosmith
“Dream On” by Aerosmith is definitely one of the best songs that talk about singing. The music, the vocals, the lyrics — everything about this song is great. Throughout this song, the singer explains that we should always live our lives to the fullest, regardless of how old we are. Instead of worrying, we should dream and live our dreams!
The band sings the memorable words, “Sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear / Sing with me, if it’s just for today / Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away.”
13. “How to Be a Heartbreaker” by MARINA
“How to Be a Heartbreaker” by MARINA also mentions singing! The entire song follows the singer as she explains all the ways that others can be players and heartbreakers like her. However, she also talks about how she can make these boys sing for her!
She says, “This is how to be a heartbreaker / Boys, they like a little danger / We’ll get him falling for a stranger, a player / Singing I lo-lo-love you.”
14. “Song of the Heart” by Prince
In “Song of the Heart”, Prince sings about the joys of singing. He explains that we should always sing our own songs. However, we should also always sing together, our own songs in harmony with each other!
He says, “Whatever you do, little darlin’ it’s cool, just get up out your seat / And wave your flag because everybody plays a part / One world united singing the song of the heart.”
15. “Riptide” by Vance Joy
“Riptide” by Vance Joy follows the singer as he sings a love song. He describes himself before fully explaining why he loves his partner. He even loves her mistakes, such as when she sings the words of a song wrong!
Vance Joy says, “I love you when you’re singing that song and / I got a lump in my throat ’cause / You’re gonna sing the words wrong.”
16. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Britney Spears
2002’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Britney Spears is all about having a good time, partying, and enjoying some good rock music! Spears sings about seeing a man who she knows she’ll end up with, as she says, “I could tell it wouldn’t be long ’til he was with me / Yeah, with me, singin’ / I love rock ‘n’ roll / So put another dime in the jukebox, baby.”
17. “The Healing Game” by Van Morrison
Van Morrison’s “The Healing Game” follows the singer as he explains that he’s back in the corner again. He’s back alone and healing, possibly after having a difficult time.
However, Van Morrison’s not done singing yet. He says he’s, “Where the choirboys sing / Where I’ve always been / Sing the song with soul.”
18. “I’m a Song (Sing Me)” by Neil Sedaka
In “I’m a Song (Sing Me)”, Neil Sedaka personifies a song. So, he sings from the point of view of a song that nobody will sing. But he explains that he has so much to say — and he wishes someone would listen to him. In this way, both Sedaka and the song he has personified are one and the same!
Sedaka sings at the beginning of the song the lyrics, “I’m a song and I’ve waited so long / For someone to come and sing me / I’ve got a rhyme that I’ve had for some time / But nobody wants to sing me.”
19. “If That’s What Makes You Happy” by Hall & Oates
“If That’s What Makes You Happy” by Hall & Oates follows the duo as they sing about nature, love, and the joy of singing a song. They want to sing, especially if this makes the ones they love happy!
So, they end up saying, “If that’s what makes you happy / Then I’d love to sing my song / And if it strikes your ear / Won’t you sing along?”
20. “Shut Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol’s “Shut Your Eyes” is about escaping to a secret place — whether in reality or in your mind — with your loved one when things get hard. The singer explains that his partner should do this, as they’ll be happier there, rather than in reality.
The band sings, “Shut your eyes, I’ll spin the big chair / And you’ll feel dizzy, light and free / And falling gently on the cushion / You can come and sing to me.”
Listen to the full playlist on YouTube here.