21 Popular Songs About Mommy Issues (2024)

Mommy issues simply refer to a person’s problems forming and maintaining relationships because of insecurities developed due to unhealthy relations with their mother.

They can also manifest when you have a negative relationship with any other female during childhood that you saw as a maternal figure leading to a negative self-image and many other issues.

The presence of a caregiver during someone’s childhood significantly impacts their well-being because babies develop a strong attachment to their mothers.

21 Popular Songs About Mommy Issues

These songs about mommy issues will explore different tunes where the composers had mommy issues and give us an insight into what happened so that we can better understand them as adults.

1. Monet Issues – Chase Petra

The first song on this playlist is from Chase Petra. The song describes her pain toward her mother as she feels her mom hasn’t fulfilled her duty as a mother.

She’s so tired of her mother that she’d rather be disowned, and it would heal her scars. The song’s ending shows the singer forgave her mother as she doesn’t want to be anything like her.

Recommended: 21 Life-Changing Songs About Repentance You Need to Hear.

2. Mother – Pink Floyd

Mother is one of the most popular songs in Pink Floyd’s album, The Wall. The song’s story narrates a young boy who loses his father in a war and is raised by a single mom.

The mother, in turn, becomes overprotective of the boy, and eventually, the boy gets shunned by the men around him.

3. There Was A Semi Fight on I-69 – Hot Mulligan

The next song on this playlist by Hot Mulligan comes from their album, “Pilot.” In an interview about the music, the composer noted that the piece is about his need not wanting to end up with his mother.

He says he looks up to his father and wants to be more like him. The song shows how negativity from a parental figure can create issues within a family.

4. The End – The Doors

The End is one of The Doors’ most disturbing songs I have ever listened to. The song deals with the dualities of life, and it is inspired by trauma caused by bad parenthood.

The violent lyrics directed towards the mother are evident that the artist has mommy issues.

5. My Mom – Eminem

My Mom is one of Eminem’s popular songs about mommy issues, and it is from his studio album Relapse. The song was a response to his mother after writing about a book that he considers a lie.

In the song, Eminem describes explicitly how his mother got him addicted to drugs. He talks about how she abused him.

6. Mommy Issues – Cloudy June

While most of the songs in this playlist are soothing anthems narrating stories of wounded souls with mommy issues, this piece is unlike the rest.

Cloudy June took a different route. She points out a sexual kink that some men are attracted to throughout her lyrics, telling her lover that she would dominate him and give him mommy issues.

7. The Tide – The Spill Canvas

The Tide is quite a good indie band with many emotional ballads. Their song, The Tide, narrates a story of a mom who is depressed after the divorce from her husband.

She becomes negligent of her children, who end up drowning in the sea.

8. Mommy, Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight – Misfits

This song, which was written by Misfit’s founding member Glenn Danzig in 1982, is a look at how mothers can enable toxic behaviors in their children.

The title and song’s chorus show that the mother is complicit to the child’s homicidal plans as he raises the question if it is okay to kill tonight rather than whether he should do it.

Recommended: These 21 Songs About Prophets Can Inspire Your Faith.

9. Cleaning’ Out My Closet – Eminem

Released in 2002, it is one of the most famous songs about mommy issues, with over 370 million views. The song talks about the negligent behavior of his mother and the mistreatment.

At one point, Eminem shares that his mother suffers from Munchausen syndrome and even wishes that Eminem died instead of his uncle.

10. Mama – My Chemical Romance

Mama tells a story of a soldier who has serious mother issues and is coming to terms with the fact that he has been holding too much pain inside.

This song is a message to his mother as he is in fear that he will die at war.

11. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson

“Because of You” is one of the most popular songs in this playlist, as it has over half a billion views since its release. Kelly Clarkson composed this song to express what she was going through during her parents’ divorce.

Aside from her father, the lyrics are also directed at her mother, as she felt she was too unavailable during the tough period.

12. Mother Knows Best – Richard Thompson

Though “Mother Knows Best” is a scathing attack on the personality and politics of the former British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher, its lyrics also give us a view of the various psychological issues at play by most controlling mothers.

It shows their need to always be right even when it’s very clear that they are not, giving rise to an array of issues for the child.

13. Headlights – Eminem & Nate Ruess

After writing several songs about mommy issues that were explicitly directed to his mother, Eminem wrote this piece to try to mend his relationship with his mother.

The song carries a heartfelt message, letting us see the artist in another light. We see that there can be healing and letting go of past trauma as he seeks forgiveness for creating a gap in their relationship.

14. Eat Your Young – Hozier

The song’s title is not merely about food or the practice that some species practice in the animal kingdom but is about exploitation by those in a position of power.

The song can perfectly apply to the theme of songs in this playlist as some parents, especially mothers, are in a position of power over their children and can create a destructive mindset through the exploitation of their children.

15. Sulk – Moose Blood

In an interview, the band confirmed that the song is about a family relationship. The song is words of comfort from the singer to his girl, telling her that their mother is not worth the time.

The song talks about the mother’s absenteeism and selfishness, and the singer consoling her not to be disappointed again.

Recommended: 21 Songs About Redemption That Can Inspire Positive Change.

16. Kiki wa Dekinai Ko (You are a Worthless Child) – Kikuo

The Japanese song is about a mother who constantly abuses her child, calling him different derogatory names.

This disturbing piece ends up with the child developing issues hence running away or even committing suicide, and the mother starts blaming herself. Not everyone deserves to be a parent.

17. Mutter – Rammstein

Unlike most of the songs about mommy issues in this playlist which revolves around a maternal figure, this piece tells a story of a child born not of the womb but of a lab experiment.

The song nearly 100 million views on YouTube. The song lyrics are quite dark as they vividly describe the child’s feelings toward his mother.

18. Nonsense Speaker – JubyPhonic

Originally known as Tawagoto Speaker, it is a Japanese track. This English-translated version by JubyPhonic gives it the depressing vibe that the song’s writer intended.

The lyrics tell a story of a girl who feels inadequate because her mother has high expectations of her, which she cannot attain.

19. Romulus – Sufjan Stevens

Romulus is a biographical song by the artist that shows his relationship with his mother. The song narrates how his mother abandoned him and his sibling with their grandfather and only showed up when he was dying.

The song is narrated from a child’s point of view and the feelings he experienced due to the lack of a mother figure while growing up.

20. The Apple – Eminem

The Apple is an unreleased song by Eminem that is quite personal as he tries to explain to his listeners who he is.

The Phrase “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is what this song is about as the composer explains to us he is crazy because his mom is also crazy. It shows how his mommy issues shaped him to be the man he is today.

21. Dear Mama – 2Pac

The last song on this playlist is from the legendary Hip-hop artist Tupac. The tribute song details the poverty in his upbringing and his mother’s drug addiction.

He also shows that his love supersedes all his bad memories, showing that he decided to let go of his mother’s issues to have a positive relationship.

The track shows there is a way to let go of all hurt caused by a parental figure to be a better person.

Last Words

The bitterness from some of these composers shows it is important to work through these feelings to form a healthy relationship.

Talking to a trusted friend or family member can be a great start to getting rid of the negativity carried for many years.

If such feelings are causing distress in life and ruining your relationships, it may be beneficial to you to seek professional help. These songs have shown me that mommy issues are quite common, as many relatable stories exist.