10 Songs About Kids Growing Up

These 10 songs about kids growing up were popular in different decades and have remained classics for many listeners.  They bring back memories and remind us of how we looked forward to a less complicated life and a happy and fulfilling future.

1. "Forever Young" was originally a single in 1984 by Alphaville, but it has been sung by many musical groups and has appeared in movies, on television, and in advertisements.   Laura Branigan started a tradition of using this song as a concert encore.  As recently as 2009, Jay-Z used it as the basis for his song "Young Forever".
2. "Angels" by Robbie Williams was on an album that was certified gold.  "I know that life won't break me/When I come to call, she won't forsake me/I'm loving angels instead". 
3. "I Believe I can Fly" was written and performed by R&B singer R. Kelly in 1996.  It is #406 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".   It was featured in the movies "Space Jam", "Drumline", "Ice Age: The Meltdown", and others that had the theme of kids growing up.  It became associated with the NBA and especially Michael Jordan.
4. "You Could Be Happy" from rock band Snow Patrol's fourth album "Eyes Open", which was released in May 2006.  Encouraging growing up, partial lyrics were:  "Do the things that you always wanted to/Without me there to hold you back/Don't think, just do/More than anything I want to see you go/ Take a glorious bite out of the whole world". 
5. "Dear God" was a track on Elton John's 1980 Album "21 at 33".The lyrics, which were about love and world peace and how kids should grow up, included "I hope and pray you'll lead us to a better way/Love is the answer/ So light up our way, dear God". 
6. "Stay Young" was a 1996 song by the English rock band Oasis about growing up with unstoppable courage. "Hey! stay young and invincible/Cos we know just what we are/And come what may we're unstoppable/Cos we know just what we are". 
7. "Don't Laugh At Me" is a country music song sung by Mark Wills on his 1998 album, "Wish You Were Here".  This album was #2 on the Billboard country charts. Co-writer Allen Shamblin wrote the song after his daughter came home from school and told him she was being teased because of her freckles. Mark felt that all kids, even those who are called names, will grow up to have "perfect wings". 
8. "16 Going on 17" was sung in "The Sound of Music" at a palace pavilion in Salzburg, Austria.  This famous romantic growing up song was sung by Leisl and her boyfriend Rolfe.  Why were they drinking champagne?  Because Austria does not have a drinking age!
9. "Big Girls Don't Cry" was sung and co-written by Fergie on her debut album "The Duchess" in 2006.  With sales of more than 3,000,000 copies, it was also the most downloaded track in the USA and was the decade's 8th most successful pop song.  It is about being a big girl now, and "big girls don't cry". 
10. "Like A Prayer" sold over five million copies worldwide and became one of Madonna's highest selling singles. Prince provided guitar parts in this song.