Father and Daughter
| "Father and Daughter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Paul Simon | ||||
| from the album The Wild Thornberrys Movie Soundtrack and Surprise | ||||
| Released | October 28, 2002 | |||
| Length | 4:12 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer | Paul Simon | |||
| Paul Simon singles chronology | ||||
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"Father and Daughter" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. The song, written for the animated family film The Wild Thornberrys Movie, was released as a single in October 2002. An alternate version later appeared on Simon's 11th solo album, Surprise (2006). When re-released as a single in 2006, the song became a top-40 hit in the UK, giving Simon his most recent hit. The song is a ballad in which Simon expresses his love for his daughter, Lulu. "Father and Daughter" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song,[1] as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[2]
Background
[edit]The song expresses the singer's hopes and dreams for his daughter.[3] Simon wrote the song as an ode to his daughter, Lulu, who was seven at the time it was completed.[4] Simon's son, Adrian, sings harmony on the song's choruses; he was 10 years old at the time of recording. He had heard his son singing along to it while driving and encouraged him to contribute to it.[4]
The song was written for the animated family film The Wild Thornberrys Movie and released in 2002. The song also appeared on the movie soundtrack album, and a different mix of the same performance was used for Simon's 2006 release, Surprise, and the 2007 compilation, The Essential Paul Simon.
Reception
[edit]The song received a favorable response from critics. Scott Mervis, writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, considered it "the best pop song he's written in years,"[5] while Claudia Puig of USA Today dubbed it "classic Simon."[6] Heather Phares of AllMusic felt it "mellow [and] amiable."[7]
Music video
[edit]The music video for the song was directed by Wayne Isham and features Simon performing the song in a child's bedroom, intercut with clips from The Wild Thornberrys Movie, as well as live action clips of wild animals (which were used in the end credits of the film).
Track listings
[edit]2002 CD single[8]
- "Father and Daughter" (album version) – 4:12
 - "Father and Daughter" (instrumental) – 4:12
 - "Father and Daughter" (video)
 
2006 CD single[9]
- "Father and Daughter" – 4:11
 - "Another Galaxy" – 5:22
 
Personnel
[edit]- Paul Simon – vocals, electric guitar, nylon-string acoustic guitar, high-string acoustic guitar
 - Vincent Nguini – acoustic guitar
 - Steve Gadd – drums
 - Abe Laboriel – bass
 - Adrian Simon – vocals
 
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
 
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Year-end charts[edit]
 
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Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 28, 2002 | [15] | ||
| United Kingdom | May 29, 2006 | CD | Warner Bros. | [16] | 
References
[edit]- ^ "Eminem builds on Oscar buzz". BBC. February 14, 2003. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
 - ^ Rick Lyman (December 20, 2002). "'Chicago' and 'The Hours' Lead Golden Globes Race". The New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ "New Simon, P. Diddy Tracks Highlight 'Wild Thornberrys'". Billboard. October 30, 2002. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ a b Tamara Conniff (January 16, 2003). "Father & Daughter a Simon family affair". The Hollywood Reporter.
 - ^ Scott Mervis (December 20, 2002). "'The Wild Thornberrys Movie': A fun family romp on the Serengeti". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ Claudia Puig (December 19, 2002). "Cute, spunky 'Thornberrys'". USA Today. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ Heather Phares. "The Wild Thornberries". Allmusic. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ Paul Simon (2002). Father and Daughter (CD single liner notes). Jive Records, Nick Records. 9254472.
 - ^ Paul Simon (2006). Father and Daughter (CD single liner notes). Warner Bros. Records. W719CD, 5439 15705 2.
 - ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
 - ^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
 - ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
 - ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. June 3, 2006. p. 28. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
 - ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 47.
 - ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1476. October 25, 2002. p. 27.
 - ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. May 27, 2006. p. 29. Misprinted as the issue date, May 27, on source.