I wrote this song for my mom’s 70th birthday, very much as a response to the following song on this album which I had written for my dad’s 75th – because I love both my parents equally and I couldn’t leave her out after making such a big deal for the old man’s 3/4 century party!
As always, it’s a bit daunting to write to order, especially after already delivering a pretty good special song for dad, so I knew it had to come up to at least that level. But once I sat down to play around on the guitar, hitting up an old reliable D chord, with some of my usual touches, I found the words starting to flow. Though it was for her birthday, it made sense to build the message around that special day we celebrate for all mothers. Of course, every day you should appreciate your mom, and that got built into the lyrics as well. No matter how much we try, we can never really thank our parents for all they did for us, and I was very aware how much I owed to her, how I’d “grown to be the man I am / from the boy that you brought up”.
Some of these themes and sentiments get repeated in later songs I realize, but it’s the struggle to express that ineffable love that causes art to be created. All I wanted to say to her was impossible to sum up, in either a birthday or Mothers Day card, or even in a song – and yet the imperfect attempt is always worth it. Like the whole album, this is a highly personal song, but when the time came the band stepped in and made something truly special out of it, especially the rhythm section. Adrian, who lost his own mother just before we recorded this, went all out on the drums, laying down some of his best work, and I can’t help but think that there was a profound resonance with the subject matter.
Mothers Day You know exactly how I feel I don’t need to repeat it To show is better than to tell So I’m going to reveal it: You mean more to me Than I could say in a card... Come what may On Mothers Day, every day I love you more than I can say Even on Mothers Day I’ve grown to be the man I am From the boy that you brought up You’ve shown what I’ve tried to understand I don’t need to get caught up You mean more to me Than I could say in a song... Come what may On Mother’s Day, every day I love you more than I can say Even on your birthday Any day, come what may, I love you more than I could say Even on Mothers Day... Should be every day... Ah, but Happy Birthday, Mom!
© 2022 Scott Perry (SOCAN/BMI)
Recorded by Jackson Gardner at Flash Recording
and Adrian Buckley at Chez Miaou
Mixed & Mastered by Adrian Buckley
Scott Perry: Vocals, Guitars
Eric Lefebvre: Bass
Derek Macdonald: Keyboards
Adrian Buckley: Drums