Country songs always seem to find a way to express the words we aren't always able to find. And when it comes to songs about dads and fatherhood, country music has a way of perfectly summing up the beauty of being a dad and cherishing the moments with our old man. From Thomas Rhett's "Things Dads Do" to Conway Twitty's "That's My Job," country music hits the perfect note when it comes to celebrating dear old dad.
So this Father's Day, if you can't find the right card or the right gift, here are 12 country songs about fatherhood that perfectly describe everything we love about dear old dad.
12. "It Won't Be Like This For Long," Darius Rucker
![LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 17: Darius Rucker performs onstage during the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 17, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/darius-rucker-cover.png?resize=1024%2C683)
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Darius Rucker, a father of three, reflects on how quickly time moves for parents on "It Won't Be Like This For Long."
"It wont be like this for long/ One day soon that little girl is gonna be all grown up and gone," Rucker sings. "Yeah this phase is gonna fly by/ He's trying to hold on/ It won't be like this for long."
Listen here.
11. "My Little Girl," Tim McGraw
![Tim McGraw](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/Tim-McGraw-Football-Skills.jpg?resize=1024%2C683)
Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
Tim McGraw is a father to three girls so he knows a thing or two about the bond between a dad and his daughter. "My Little Girl," written by McGraw and Tom Douglas, is one of the country star's sweetest fatherly messages.
"Chase your dreams, but always know the road/ That'll lead you home again," McGraw sings. "Go on, take on this whole world/ But to me you know you'll always be my little girl."
Listen here.
10. "A Father's Love," Bucky Covington
![HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Bucky Covington arrives at the FOX's "American Idol" Finale For The Farewell Season at Dolby Theatre on April 7, 2016 in Hollywood, California.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/06/GettyImages-519882216.jpg?resize=848%2C1024)
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Actions speak louder than words in this song about a son who learns that saying "I love you" doesn't always mean saying those three words out loud.
Listen here.
9. "Drive (For Daddy Gene)," Alan Jackson
![Alan Jackson performs onstage for the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on November 21, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/07/Alan-jackson-grandpa-edit.png?resize=1024%2C683)
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Alan Jackson's song "Drive (For Daddy Gene)," is about capturing memories that are remembered long after the moments are gone and passed down to the next generation.
Listen here.
8. "He Didn't Have To Be," Brad Paisley
![AUSTIN, TX - MAY 02: Musician Brad Paisley performs onstage during the 2015 iHeartRadio Country Festival at The Frank Erwin Center on May 2, 2015 in Austin, Texas. The 2015 iHeartRadio Country Festival will be televised as an exclusive nationwide two-hour broadcast special on NBC, May 27 from 9-11 p.m. ET.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/12/GettyImages-472004110.jpg?resize=1024%2C683)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Brad Paisley's "He Didn't Have to Be" is a song for all of those stepdads who stepped up to the plate and loved a child as if they were their own.
Listen here.
7. "Just Fishin'," Trace Adkins
![Trace Adkins attends 2022 Fox Upfront on May 16, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/trace-adkins-monarch.png?resize=840%2C560)
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
This Trace Adkins song is a sentimental story about how children learn and grow through the little moments in life. It's a song about cherishing the time you have before they become memories.
Listen here.
6. "Love Without End, Amen," George Strait
![?-Country music legend George Strait headlines the country music festival held Saturday night at Edison Field. Other performers included Faith Hill, John Micheal Montgomery and Tim McGraw.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/06/GettyImages-569158605.jpg?resize=800%2C1024)
Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
George Strait's "Love Without End, Amen" is the true depiction of what a father is. He is a man who teaches and loves endlessly and unconditionally as a child grows and learns — no matter how many mistakes they may make.
Listen here.
5. "In My Arms," Mark Wills
![NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 16: Mark Wills performs at Nashville Palace on February 16, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/06/GettyImages-1467021510.jpg?resize=1024%2C748)
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Mark Wills' "In My Arms" is a beautiful song about a father cherishing the moments he's able to share with his little girl before she grows up and finds her happily ever after.
4. "That's My Job," Conway Twitty
![Conway Twitty](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/06/GettyImages-84891658-1.jpg?resize=798%2C426)
David Redfern/Redferns
Here's an emotional song about a son who has a dream about losing his father. When he asks what he would do without his dad, Conway Twitty's response is, "that's my job."
Listen here.
3. "The Best Day," George Strait
![OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 26: George Strait performs during the George Strait Music Festival at Oakland Coliseum on April 26, 1998 in Oakland, California.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/GettyImages-544403156.jpg?resize=840%2C560)
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
Another great song about dads from George Strait. "The Best Day" is a song told through the eyes of a child. It focuses on those special milestone moments that boys share with their fathers.
Listen here.
2. "There Goes My Life," Kenny Chesney
![Kenny Chesney performs in concert during "Trip Around The Sun" tour at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/10/Untitled-design-1112.png?resize=1024%2C683)
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
This tune from Kenny Chesney's 2004 album When the Sun Goes Down is sure to bring on the tears. The song tells the story of a young man who's unsure whether he's ready to become a dad and knowing that his life as he knows it is over. (All he could think about was I'm too young for this/ Got my whole life ahead," Chesney sings. "Hell, I'm just a kid myself/ How am I gonna raise one?). However, throughout the course of the song, the meaning of "there goes my life" is turned on its head. His little girl is now his whole world, and saying goodbye to her as she drives off to college is one of the most difficult moments of his life.
Listen here.
1. "Daddy's Hands," Holly Dunn
![Holly Dunn during Holly Dunn in Concert - 5-18-1995 in New York City, New York, United States.](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/04/GettyImages-115314057.jpg?resize=1024%2C660)
Steve Eichner/WireImage
Holly Dunn's beautiful 1986 hit "Daddy's Hands" remains one of the most moving tunes about a father's love.
"I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer/ And reachin' out to hold me, when I had a nightmare," Dunn sings. "You could read quite a story in the callous' and lines/ Years of work and worry had left their mark behind."
Looking for more Father's Day songs? Check out our playlist of more of our favorite tunes about dads, including Gary Allan's "Tough Little Boys," Zac Brown Band's "My Old Man" and more, below.