Songs about fathers and fatherhood range in tone from joy and celebration to absence, tension and grief. For Father’s Day, we asked 11 experts to share their favourite tracks and albums about fatherhood.

1. Teeth of Time by Joshua Burnside (2025)

Joshua Burnside’s album Teeth of Time is an, at times, gut-wrenching exploration of early fatherhood. The nihilism of some of the lyrics – “but don’t think on the soil above me / or the worms wriggling in my skull” – is contrasted with a warm sonic landscape that includes an array of found sounds and samples. The latter are brilliantly arranged to reflect the brain-scrambling exhaustion that many of us feel when trying to juggle childcare with work and maintaining a semblance of your old social life.

Marching Round the Ladies is a highlight. The track was recomposed from a children’s street song to form an upbeat singalong moment that has the irreverence of Belfast life at its core.

Teeth of Time is a rare album about being a dad which goes to reassure the rest of us that we are all feeling the same things – even if we can’t express them as profoundly as Burnside.

Conor Caldwell is an associate professor at the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance

2. When the Tigers Broke Free by Pink Floyd (1982)

Originally pitched for inclusion on The Wall album (1979) by Pink Floyd’s principal songwriter Roger Waters, When the Tigers Broke Free was ultimately rejected by the rest of the band for being “too personal”. It was instead released on the soundtrack for The Wall film (1982) a couple of years later.

Working under the title Anzio ‘44, the song is a tribute to Waters’s father, Eric Fletcher Waters, who was killed during a brutal second world war battle. But it’s also a pointed critique of royalty and military leadership, whom Waters sings “took my daddy from me”.

The result is a haunting yet deeply moving song about bravery, loss and the lasting impact fathers can have on their children. Even when, as in Waters’ case, they never had the chance to meet.

Glenn Fosbraey is an associate dean in the faculty of of humanities and social sciences

3. First of the Birds by Admiral Fallow (2025)

The paradox of feral male ego versus the domestic sensitivity of fatherhood is played out most effectively in the world of rock music. Indie Scottish band Admiral Fallow’s album First of the Birds embraces contrast through a clever and complex set of songs. The album captures the joy of sleepless nights while reflecting the shifting priorities that come with fatherhood.

From the very first track, First Names – a lullaby contrasting the longevity of climate catastrophe with parental love (“When we run out of first names for all the storms, there’ll still be you …”) – the album sets its tone. The first single, Avalanche, explores maternity hospital experience from the male perspective.

The album shows how songwriter Louis Abbott’s life has been transformed by the arrival of his two young children. I can also say as a slightly older father, that the opening line of The........

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