Songs for a Brother
Thirty-four songs about brothers. There are far fewer genuine ones than for any other relative, so most of this page is borrowed and says so. Sorted by who is sending it, because a song from a sister and a song from a brother do completely different jobs.
Updated September 202634 songs
Ten actually about brothers
- He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My BrotherThe Hollies · 1969
The one everybody thinks of, and it holds up. About carrying somebody without resenting it.
- My BrotherBlur · 1993
A B-side, and far less obvious than the rest of this list. That is the reason to use it.
- We Are FamilySister Sledge · 1979
Names brothers in the first line and was recorded by four actual sisters. Loud enough for a party.
- Brothers in ArmsDire Straits · 1985
About soldiers, not siblings, and borrowed constantly because the title does the work.
- Danny’s SongLoggins and Messina · 1971
Kenny Loggins wrote it for his brother’s newborn son. A genuine brother song and almost nobody knows it.
- Hey BrotherAvicii · 2013
The modern one. Direct to the point of bluntness, which between brothers is usually correct.
- The WeightThe Band · 1968
About taking a load off somebody. For a brother who did that several times without mentioning it.
- Lean on MeBill Withers · 1972
Direct without being soft, which is the narrow register most brothers accept.
- Simple ManLynyrd Skynyrd · 1973
A mother’s advice to a son. Between brothers it lands as shared inheritance rather than as a lecture.
- Free Fallin’Tom Petty · 1989
About nobody in particular. A whole room will sing the chorus, which is often all you want.
Who is sending it changes everything
A song from a sister to a brother is received; a song from a brother to a brother is deflected. That is not universal but it is reliable enough to plan around. Sisters can be sincere, in public, on the day. Brothers should either send it privately or make it funny enough that he can react to the joke and take the rest of it home afterwards.
The genuine brother songbook is thin. “He Ain’t Heavy”, Blur’s “My Brother”, “Hey Brother” and, obliquely, “Danny’s Song” — after that you are borrowing from songs about soldiers, friends and mothers. This is worth knowing because it means the famous choices are all slightly off, and a slightly off song sent with confidence still works.
Age gap matters more here than in most relationships. A brother eight years older was partly a parent; one eight years younger did not experience the same family. Building a song around a shared memory he does not have is the commonest way this goes wrong, and it is easy to check before you commit.
If you have the competitive kind of relationship, do not fight it. A song that is funny about the two of you does more than a sincere one, because sincerity between brothers who spent a decade wrestling reads as suspicious. Save the sincere one for a year when he needs it, and he will remember it far longer.
By who is sending it
From a sister
You get the latitude here. Sincere, in public, on the day — he will let you, and he will not from another brother.
- I’ll Stand by YouThe Pretenders · 1994
The promise siblings make without announcing it. Sits low enough for most voices.
- You’ve Got a FriendCarole King · 1971
Unfashionably direct. Send it with nothing attached and let it do the work.
- Count on MeBruno Mars · 2010
Simple, warm and short enough to send with no explanation.
- Stand by MeBen E. King · 1961
A promise about presence rather than about feelings, which is the version men accept.
- Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon & Garfunkel · 1970
The largest thing you can say. Save it for a year when it is true.
- PhotographEd Sheeran · 2015
Send it with a picture of the two of you at nine and eleven. That is the whole move.
- For GoodFrom Wicked, by Stephen Schwartz · 2003
Two people saying they changed each other. Enormous, and it works across a sibling gap.
- Rivers and RoadsThe Head and the Heart · 2011
For a brother who moved away. Play the last minute and see what happens.
From a brother
Funny on top, true underneath. The standard technology, and it works better than sincerity does.
- Never Gonna Give You UpRick Astley · 1987
The oldest joke on the internet, and a promise if you squint. Send it at seven in the morning.
- I’m Still StandingElton John · 1983
For a brother who has survived a chaotic year, ideally one he caused himself.
- Money for NothingDire Straits · 1985
For the one who has complained about his job in every conversation since 2015.
- The Final CountdownEurope · 1986
Played far too loudly, for no reason. Nobody has ever taken it seriously and that is the point.
- Always Look on the Bright Side of LifeEric Idle · 1979
Cheerful nihilism, for a brother who finds the whole business ridiculous.
- Old ManNeil Young · 1972
For a brother being dramatic about turning thirty. Deniable, because it is a great song.
- Don’t Stop Me NowQueen · 1978
Not really a joke and it plays as one. For a brother who is exhausting in the best way.
- Thunder RoadBruce Springsteen · 1975
If you both wanted out of the same town, this is the song and no explanation is needed.
When something has happened
A divorce, an illness, a redundancy, a loss. The one occasion when the rules invert and the sincere song is right.
- Lean on MeBill Withers · 1972
The first thing to send. Direct, unembarrassing, and he will not have to reply.
- The WeightThe Band · 1968
About taking a load off. Offer it rather than announce it.
- Times Like TheseFoo Fighters · 2002
About starting over, and loud enough that it does not feel like being handled.
- Fire and RainJames Taylor · 1970
For a brother who has lost someone. It does not try to fix anything, which is the correct approach.
- Fix YouColdplay · 2005
Enormous by the end and slightly embarrassing, which is why it works when nothing else does.
- With a Little Help from My FriendsJoe Cocker · 1968
Cocker’s version is a plea, not a singalong. Choose deliberately between his and Ringo’s.
- Somewhere Only We KnowKeane · 2004
For brothers whose shared world was a house that has since been sold.
- Wish You Were HerePink Floyd · 1975
For a brother you have lost, or one who is here and unreachable. Says it without the vocabulary.
Three demonstration songs
What a song about your brother sounds like
We wrote these from made-up answers to the same five questions you would fill in. They are not customer work. Given how few real brother songs exist, this is the relationship where a written one has the least competition.
Start his song- Biscuit Tin ElaineAcoustic · a mother who worked eleven years of night shifts2:50
- Ray at Sixty-OneCountry · thirty-one years at the plant, same truck since nineteen3:29
- Marcus at FortyPop · written to be funny, at a friend’s request3:00
How it works
Three steps. The first one is the only hard part.
- 1Tell the storyFive questions. Who it’s for, the occasion, three details only you two know, the feeling you want, and the names that have to be in it.
- 2Pick the soundCountry, pop, acoustic, R&B, gospel or rock. A man’s voice or a woman’s.
- 3Listen, then unlockA 30-second preview in about two minutes. Pay only if you love it. You get the full song, the lyrics, and a page you can send.
Common questions
- What are the best songs about brothers?
- “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” and Blur’s “My Brother” are the two genuinely about siblings. “Hey Brother” is the modern one. After that you are borrowing from songs about soldiers and friends, which works fine if you know you are doing it.
- What song should a sister send her brother?
- Anything sincere. Sisters get latitude brothers do not — “I’ll Stand by You” or “Count on Me” will be accepted without a joke being made, which is not true of the same song from another brother.
- How do I send a brother something without it being awkward?
- Make it funny on the surface. A song he can react to as a joke lets the real message through without either of you having to acknowledge it, which is how most brothers prefer to receive anything.
- What if we are not close?
- Then something light and specific to a shared memory says you remember, without asking him for a bigger relationship than you have. Do not send the sincere one — it reads as a demand.
- Can I get a song written about my brother?
- Yes, and this relationship suits it particularly well because so few real brother songs exist. Answer five questions — his name, the occasion, three things only the two of you know, the tone you want and the music he likes — and you will hear a 30-second preview in about two minutes. The full song is $19.