Songs to be born to...

[MrsMc]

Just been listening to my birth playlist (having a bit of a soppy evening) and wondered what songs fellow forumers' babies were born to. My boy was born to 'Something Changed' by Pulp which seemed poignant and 'right' as it was also our one of our wedding dance songs.

[littleEDfamily]

Not sure if she was actually born to it, but straight afterwards, the radio played that lovely version of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (had to google to get spelling). I'm not much of a sap, but even now it makes me feel emotional when I hear it.

You've reminded me I need to sort some tunes out....

[Fuschia]

No music playing at our births but I did a montage of the twins' birth pictures with Roberta Flack singing "The First time, ever I saw your face"

Makes me cry too.

[ryedalema]

We didn't have anything playing during either of our births (too fast and not enough wits about us) but we've kept the number ones from each of their birthdates.

- Rihanna's Umbrellas for daughter #1

- Rage against the machine for daughter #2.

this link takes you to the site that works it out.

[Ann]

That's a great link ryedalema.

When my daughter was born, number one was D Ream "Things Can Only Get Better."

When I had my son Michael Jackson was number one with "Earth Song".

Had no idea about either until now.

[MrsMc]

Fuschia - I would definitely blub to that!

[let-them-eat-cake]

I know someone who coped with contractions by madly singing 'Happy Birthday DEAR BABY' for about 5 hours.....I still feel pity for her birth partner and everyone else involved........

[ladywotlunches]

I don't think any music was playing when he was actually born, but the day I went into labour my Snow Patrol CD arrived, so we played 'chasing cars' a lot (as well as it being on the radio every day). When he was smaller, and it came on the stereo in the car, it was guaranteed to help him get to sleep. And even now, when he hears the song he says "it's my song, Mummy".

[Ruth_Baldock]

My birth playlist had Jose Gonzalez- Heartbeats and Jeff Buckley- Hallelujiah on it, as well as Joni Mitchell- Both Sides Now but in the end, we ended up in Kings the week before Xmas listening to Magic FM. If I ever hear 'Stay Another Day' again, it'll be too soon...

Interesting fact; my Mum had me and all my siblings whilst listening to 'A Night At The Opera' (her labour with me only lasted the length of the whole album apparantly!)

MrsMC, that's one of my favourite songs! Good choice! We had 'Babies' by Pulp on ours, as well as all the acoustic stuff as a bit of a joke...

[EDmummy]

Theatre music for No. 1 (something classical but by that point I barely knew what was happening so no recollection). For No 2 Magic FM was playing in the background and baby delivered on my chest to Your Beautiful by James Blunt which brings me to tears even now. Wouldn't have been my choice but means a hell of a lot to me now.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I had the 3rd test between England and South Africa at the Oval playing*. Random doctors kept popping in to catch up on the score.

* we won by 8 wickets - pretty perfect day!

[kristymac1]

My hubbie sang full rendention of 'This Charming Man' by the Smiths when our little one popped out (and I was being 'seen to' upstairs...), our little one was of course a baby girl and I think there were more than a few tears from hubbie. Still, if you ask DD who is her favourite singer, she'll say Morrissey every time......

[Ondine]

Nancy Spain - Christy Moore - on the 14th floor of the Guys tower watching the sun rise - amazing

[bawdy-nan]

archie wah-wah by desmond decker - love that whole greatest hits album - still gets me in the zone for running or whatever ...

[hpsaucey]

Second born to Miles Davis 'Birth of the Cool' at home, which was fun as we'd not planned anything really an had had a hypnotherapy tape going on for a while so it made a nice change! First was something hippy trippy, or maybe that was the drugs???

[Pam50]

When my son was born in March 1979, Simon and Garfunkle's 'Bright Eyes' was playing on the radio.

If it were now, I'd fancy Aqualung, 'Everything Changed'

'you came into my life so small, altering everything, everything changed..'.

[alieh]

We had a playlist playing when our son was born, and at the exact moment he came out the song playing was "What a Good Boy" by the Barenaked Ladies (Canadian....people here probably won't know it). A beautiful song and the lyrics are quite apt, though also bittersweet:

When I was born they looked at me and said

What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy

And when you were born they looked at you and said

What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl

We've got these chains that hang around our necks

People want to strangle us with them before we take our first breath

Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same

When temptation calls we just look away

Here's the song on You Tube in case anyone is really bored and fancies a listen!

[buggie]

BNL's were the first concert I ever went to (was late starter for concerts!).

Am loving this thread - will definitely be re-reading it when I start trying to work out my baby playlist! :))

[Smiler]

Great thread!

We had nothing playing at any stage (had an emergency C-section at quite an early stage of labour), but in the final few weeks of pregnancy Mr Smiler insisted on playing his favourite Smiths, Depeche Mode and New Order tracks to the baby via giant headphones, placed low down on my bump. As it turned out, she was breech, so he was lovingly playing them to her feet (maybe dislike for her father's taste in tunes made her turn breech!)

Sadly, her favourite kind of music since birth has seemed to be banging, old-school house (Mr Smiler's choice for car journeys both pre and post-birth). Argh.

Think that Kings only allows battery-operated players / radios, not ones with plugs.

[MrsMc]

Guess that's one of the 'benefits' of having a planned c-section :-S... the anaesthetist seemed genuinely impressed with my compilation... Joan Armatrading's 'Love & Affection', 'You Are So Beautiful' by Joe Cocker, 'Venus as a Boy' by Bjork and 'Head & Heart' by John Martyn.... to name a few.

The boy has the disc in a memory box we put together for him, so he can re-discover all these great songs in a few years.

Yep - still being soppy

[hilili]

Songs In The Key of Life - Stevie Wonder - magical!!!

[The Nappy Lady]

Annie Lennox 'Precious' and it still makes me well up when she gets to the bit "I would run 1,000 miles just to be with you".

Also, very randomly I associate Strictly Come Dancing with the birth of my first daughter, as labour started whilst I was watching Natasha Kaplinsky win the final back in 2004, and it was brilliant! Watched a film after that, but couldn't tell you what it was if my life depended on it!

Molly

[MrsMc]

Ah - Hilili. 'As' made the playlist too - can't beat Stevie Wonder.

[Fuschia]

I absolutely couldn't imagine music while I am in labur "shudder" esp anything wth lyrics!

I had all sorts of prep for both labours, but CDs or music definitely didn't feature! I did have a hypnotherapy MP3 on my headphones early in labour with the twins. I am dead irritable in labour, can't even stnad whispering. Human equivalent of going into the bottom of the wardrobe!

[Keef]

My friend and I were discussing this the other day (well sort of, we were talking about the number 1s when our kids were born).

When his son was born, "America" by Razorlight was at number 1, so he went out and bought the single, and plans o give it to his son for his 18th birthday.

Unfortunately, my daughter was born when

was at number 1. I feel that if I give this to her for her 18th, I'll have to supplement it with a pill!

As an aside, my birthday number 1 was "Youre the one that I want" from Grease. I'm jealous of my friend who is a few months older than me, as he got Wuthering Heights, which I think is a cool one.