Songs for Pregnancy/Infant Loss
During my pregnancy while I carried-to-term and then as we grieved after losing Mira, music was so instrumental in my healing and for feeling less alone. There is just something about a song that perfectly says the words in your heart that helps you feel a little more whole when your world is falling apart.
There are not a ton of songs out there specific to losing a baby, but there are some great ones! There are also many songs that are not specific to infant loss that have lyrics that can be applied to this journey. In this article, I am going to explore songs that you may be able to relate to. I would love to hear what ones you love! If we get enough responses of additional songs, I would love to do another article with some of our community’s suggestions and thoughts!
Please note, some of the songs below are either specifically Christian songs, or reference general spiritual beliefs (such has Heaven or reunited after death). Many are also songs with no faith background! If you have songs that focus on a different faith that have helped you, I would especially like to hear about them to add to our list!
With no further ado, here are my personal top 50 songs to nurture your heart (in order by artist name) :
1. Title: If I Die Young Artist: The Band Perry Key Lyrics: “Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother. She’ll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors. No life ain’t always what you think it ought to be. Ain’t even grey, but she buries her baby.” Reason I Love It: The recognition in this song of the pain that a young life lost brings is quite unique. The lyrics are from the point of view of a teenage girl, and her sweet words in the first verse of pain her mother feels make me feel ‘seen.’
2. Title: No Longer Slaves Artist: Bethel Music Key Lyrics: “From my mother's womb you have chosen me, love has called my name… I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.” Reason I Love It: This song reminds me of the strength I can still find in my faith, as well as how my daughter was given a purpose, right from my womb. I know she is loved well where she is now.
3. Title: When I Get Where I’m Going Artist: Brad Paisley Key Lyrics: “When I get where I’m going, there’ll be only happy tears. I will shed the sins and struggles I have carried all these years.” Reason I Love It: This song reminds me not only of how happy my baby is right now, but also how happy I will be to drop my struggles and embrace her again someday when it is my time join her. It gives me hope.
4. Title: See You Again Artist: Carrie Underwood Key Lyrics: “I can hear those echoes in the wind at night, calling me back in time, back to you…You are my tomorrow, I will see you again, this is not where this ends. I will carry you with me, until I see you again.” Reason I Love It: This song has a great balance of recognizing the pain of missing someone you love that ran ahead of you to Heaven, while still highlighting the joy in knowing we will see them again!
5. Title: Broken Halos Artist: Chris Stapleton Key Lyrics: “Seen my share of broken halos, folded wings that used to fly. They’ve all gone wherever they go, broken halos that used to shine. Don’t go looking for the reasons, don’t go asking Jesus why. We’re not meant to know the answers, they belong to the by and by.” Reason I Love It: Don’t we all want to know why we lost our babies? Why did they have to leave us? Whether we got a medical answer or not, our hearts still long to know why it had to happen. This song reminds us that there are answers we can’t have, even though it hurts so much.
6. Title: The Girl Artist: City and Color Key Lyrics: “Please know that I’m yours to keep, my beautiful girl. And when you cry a piece of my heart dies.” Reason I Love It: This song focuses on a deep love for a beautiful girl. My husband loves this song to express the love he has for our daughter. The lyrics acknowledge how her happiness means everything to him.
7. Title: Winter Bear Artist: Colby Grant Key Lyrics: “I love you to the moon and back my little winter bear. I know you know how much that is ‘cause you’re already there. And I never knew a love like this could ever possibly exist. I love you to the moon and back, as long as I live.” Reason I Love It: I could have picked any lines from this song as key lyrics. Colby Grant wrote this song for her friends whose child was born still. Her words have a deep recognition of a parent’s love for their child from the moment they are conceived until long after they are gone.
8. Title: The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost Artist: Craig Morgan Key Lyrics: “The pain of this was more than I’d ever felt before, I was broke. I cried and cried and cried until I passed out on the floor…I heal a little more each day inside.” Reason I Love It: This is a great song, especially for loss Dads, which are hard to come by! Craig Morgan sings about losing his son and the immense pain that he feels and hope he has to reunite with him someday.
9. Title: Gone Too Soon Artist: Daughtry Key Lyrics: “Who would you be, what your look like when you looked at me for the very first time? Today could have been the next day of the rest of your life. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you.” Reason I Love It: As these lyrics talk about what could have been, it speaks to that part of a loss parent that will always wonder “what if?”
10. Title: Photograph Artist: Ed Sheeran Key Lyrics: “We keep this love in a photograph, we made these memories for ourselves, where our eyes are never closing, hearts are never broken, and time’s forever frozen still… wait for me to come home.” Reason I Love It: Even though this song is not about baby loss, or grief at all, it is one of my favorites. I love the gentle lyrics that explore the depth of love and the pain that can come with it. I think other loss parents will relate, as I have, to the idea of have a moment frozen in time where things were still so joyous.
11. Title: Small Bump Artist: Ed Sheeran Key Lyrics: “You are my one and only. You can wrap your fingers around my thumb and hold me tight and you’ll be alright. ‘Cause you were just a small bump unborn, for four months then torn from life. Maybe you were needed up there, be we’re still unaware as to why.” Reason I Love It: This is another song the artist wrote for friends that experienced a stillbirth. Ed Sheeran does an excellent job of sharing the thoughts of the father as he prepares for his child to be born. The abrupt in change in the lyrics to announce the baby’s death mirrors the real-life abrupt change we all experienced, when suddenly, everything was wrong. The lyrics and tone of the song at the end seem to hold all confusion I felt when trying to understand what was happening as my world changed.
12. Title: God, Your Mama, and Me Artist: Florida Georgia Line Key Lyrics: “My love is never gonna run dry, never gonna come up empty, now until the day I die. You know I’m always gonna be here for you. No one is ever gonna love you more than God, your Momma, and me.” Reason I Love It: This is another love song that has lines that work beautifully for the love of parents as well. These lyrics are perfect for a father to sing to their child.
13. Title: Be Still Artist: The Fray Key Lyrics: “When darkness come upon you, and colors you with dear and shame. Be still and know that I’m with you and I will say your name. If terror falls upon your bed, and sleep no longer comes, remember all the words I said.” Reason I Love It: This musical version of Psalm 46 is so beautiful. It was unexpected when I first heard it being sung by a secular band, and that makes it all the more special. The words are sang in way that make the scripture come alive and I can truly feel the comfort in the words.
14. Title: Hold My Hand Artist: The Fray Key Lyrics: “Please help me. Hold my hand, I can hear the ghosts calling. Help me stand, even if the sky is falling and I want you to know, I can’t do it alone. Hold my hand.” Reason I Love It: I really struggled to know how to ask for help from others when things were at their worst. This song echoed back to me the desperation I felt and longing for someone to help me.
15. Title: Keep on Wanting Artist: The Fray Key Lyrics: “Everything you want in broken pieces on the floor, and everything you thought you’d ever need. But it’s not what you want that matters, it’s what you want more... open up your broken heart, and keep on wanting.” Reason I Love It: These lyrics perfectly remind us that there is hope for our hearts to heal and keep loving, even when we think they are broken beyond repair.
16. Title: All Will Be Well Artist: The Gabe Dixon Band Key Lyrics: “Even after all the promises you’ve broken to yourself, all will be well. You can ask me how, but only time will tell.” Reason I Love It: I love that these lyrics acknowledge that no one knows how you will get through this, but you will. And the words are right, you will get through this, even when it feels you cannot hold on one more second.
17. Title: My Name Artist: George Canyon Key Lyrics: “That big old world is waiting and it’s mine, all mine. Just then everything got real quiet, got real bright, and a man took my hand said don’t worry, your Momma’s gonna be alright… And this love is the one true emotion, Heaven knows no fear, no pain. I never got to set my wheel in motion by they loved me just the same.” Reason I Love It: This is such a beautifully unique song. The lyrics are written from the point of view of the unborn child. The song celebrates that children lost in the womb know nothing but love.
18. Title: You’ll Be There Artist: George Straight Key Lyrics: “I’ll see you on the other side, if I make it. It might be a long, hard ride, but I’m gonna take it…. I know I want to go where the streets are gold, ‘cause you’ll be there.” Reason I Love It: The lyrics in “You’ll Be There” highlight the longing to be reunited with loved ones that have passed. George Strait does a wonderful job of conveying the emotion of the grieving as they struggle to live their lives well and then join their loves ones in the afterlife.
19. Title: Iris Artist: Goo Goo Dolls Key Lyrics: “I don’t want to world to see me, ‘cause I don’t think that they’d understand. When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.” Reason I Love It: Though this song is written about two people in love, the deep meaning of the lyrics can so easily be applied to the love we have for our babies that we cannot be with right now.
20. Title: Say Something Artist: A Great Big World (Ft. Christina Aguilera) Key Lyrics: “I’m feeling so small, it was over my head, I know nothing at all. And I will stumble and fall, I’m still learning to love, just starting to crawl.” Reason I Love It: Both the lyrics and tone of this song communicate a gentle and quiet desperation to find a way to make things better. This song so reminds me of the days of grief where I was desperately trying to find a way to breathe again. The grief of losing a child is certainly a pain that is “over my head” and I “knew nothing” about until it hit me.
21. Title: Walking the Wire Artist: Imagine Dragons Key Lyrics: “Do you feel the same when I’m away from you? Do you know the line that I would walk for you… Oh, the storm is raging against us now. If you are afraid of falling don’t look down. We took the step, oh, we took the leap, and we took the leap. And we’ll take what comes. Feel the wind in your hair, feel the rush way up here. We’re walking the wire, love.” Reason I Love It: The passion of being willing to do anything for someone is clear in this song. Loss parents often (always?) feel this passion of wanting to do anything for their babies. As the song goes on to talk about ‘walking the wire,’ I think of the careful, hard work that has to be done in grieving. It is a true balancing act.
22. Title: The Resolution Artist: Jack’s Mannequin Key Lyrics: “There’s a lot that I don’t know, there’s a lot that I’m still learning. When I think I’m letting go, I find my body it’s still burning… I’m alive, but I don’t need a witness to know that I survive. I’m not looking for forgiveness. I just need light, I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution.” Reason I Love It: This one is all about the ‘new me’ and ‘new normal’ that all those grief books talk about in my mind. There is combination of wanting to learn more about yourself now, and sometimes hating this new person. The artist wrote these lyrics after his recovery from cancer and they clearly talk about the confusing new self he is discovering, as well as fears now in his life. I don’t think it is a stretch that lyrics can be applied to any life changing experience, especially child loss.
23. Title: Climbing Clouds Artist: Jetty Rae Key Lyrics: “You were like a raindrop that fell from a cloud. When you hit the pavement it was so loud, it was so loud, it was so loud. Even I am the only one that heard the sound. Now I’m begging Heaven, climbing clouds, if only they could send you back now.” Reason I Love It: Jetty Rae wrote this song (and the next on the list) for her daughter, who was born still. I love the combination of light cheerful music and darker, honest lyrics. Her lyrics are full of metaphors and imagery that anyone experiencing loss can relate to. I highly suggest checking out the music video for this one but be prepared for triggers/tears.
24. Title: Kerosene Artist: Jetty Rae
Key Lyrics: “Did you see when I wept in my husband’s arms? I just want to see her, I just want my baby girl. Drink it up, this sorrow is a cup, and my soul can’t get enough… oh like kerosene I burn like something you’ve never seen.” Reason I Love It: This song by Jetty Rae, is a more somber sounding peace, and communicates the pain felt in grief as a parent who lost a baby. I related strongly to the metaphor of burning, especially in the early months of grief. Again, I recommend the music video for this one as well.
25. Title: Grace Artist: Kate Havnevik Key Lyrics: “I’m on my knees, only memories are left for me to hold. Don’t know how but I’ll get by, slowly pull myself together. There’s no escape so keep me safe, this feels so unreal. Nothing comes easily, fill this empty space. Nothing is like it seems, turn my grief to grace.” Reason I Love It: The desperation of the pain that grief brings comes through in such a beautiful way in this song. Kate Havnevik’s hauntingly beautiful voice takes the lyrics to a level that feels like she could be singing directly to the hole in your soul that grief left behind. Every line is just so perfect. 26. Title: This Is Me Artist: Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Cast Key Lyrics: “I am not a stranger to the dark. Hideaway, they say, cause we don’t want your broken parts… We are warriors, yeah that what we’ve become. I won’t let them break me down to dust, I know that there’s a place for us, for we are glorious. When the sharpest words want to cut me down, I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. I am brave. I am bruised. I am who I’m meant to be. This is me.” Reason I Love It: Unfortunately, in pregnancy/infant loss there is an incredible amount of shaming present. Did you do something wrong to lose that baby? Why are you still grieving? Why can’t you just be happy? This song is about embracing your brave self and being who you need to be.
27. Title: Break on Me Artist: Keith Urban Key Lyrics: “There’ll be day your heart don’t beat, you pray more than you breathe and you just want to fall to pieces. And nights with 2