Growing up is one of the most universal experiences there is, and music has always found a way to capture its messy, funny, and sometimes bittersweet sides. From childhood innocence to the chaos of adulthood, these songs trace the milestones, memories, and moments that shape who we become.
There’s some crossover here with the Songs About Time Passing and Songs About Nostalgia lists, but this list focuses specifically on growing up.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Growing Up Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Growing Up
1. “Slipping Through My Fingers” – ABBA
Lyric Sample: “I’m glad whenever I can share her laughter, that funny little girl.”
This ABBA classic captures a parent’s heartbreak as they watch their child grow older and drift toward independence. It’s a reminder of how fast time passes when you’re raising someone.
Related: Best Songs About Mothers
2. “7 Years” – Lukas Graham
Lyric Sample: “Soon we’ll be 30 years old, our songs have been sold, we’ve traveled around the world, and we’re still roamin’.”
Lukas Graham’s 2015 hit traces his life from childhood dreams to adulthood, blending nostalgia with wisdom. The song’s unique storytelling style quickly made it one of the most recognized modern songs about growing older.
Related: Best Songs with Numbers in the Title
3. “Jack & Diane” – John Mellencamp
Lyric Sample: “Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of livin’ is gone.”
This ’80s rock staple follows two small-town kids trying to make sense of love and adulthood. It perfectly encapsulates that period when you’re still a kid but starting to experience the complexities of life.
Related: Jack & Diane Song Meaning
4. “Cat’s in the Cradle” – Harry Chapin
Lyric Sample: “And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon.”
Chapin’s story of a father too busy for his son has become one of the most famous songs about kids growing up. Its final twist still hits hard decades later.
Related: “Cat’s in the Cradle” Song Meaning
5. “My Wish” – Rascal Flatts
Lyric Sample: “My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to.”
This 2006 country ballad is a message from a parent hoping their child finds happiness, strength, and love throughout their adult life.
Related: Best Songs About Daughters
6. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” – The Offspring
Lyric Sample: “Chances thrown, nothing’s free, longing for, used to be.”
The Offspring’s late-’90s hit looks at how youthful optimism can fade as people face real life. It’s a punk rock track about the moment when innocence gives way to reality.
7. “Ribs” – Lorde
Lyric Sample: “This dream isn’t feeling sweet, we’re reeling through the midnight streets.”
Lorde sings about the anxiety and uncertainty of growing up in this 2013 track. It’s about the fear of losing childhood innocence and the realization that growing older comes with unsettling changes.
8. “Growin’ Up” – Bruce Springsteen
Lyric Sample: “I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere, and you know, it’s really hard to hold your breath.”
Springsteen’s lesser-known ’70s track is about the youthful drive to break free from the ordinary, using rock-and-roll adventures to describe his coming of age. It’s a song that’s all about the early days of finding yourself.
9. “Growing Pains” – Alessia Cara
Lyric Sample: “And I can’t hide ’cause growing pains are keeping me up at night.”
This 2018 pop song is about the overwhelming pressure and confusion that comes with growing up. Cara sings about how expectations and uncertainty can make adulthood feel lonely and uncertain.
10. “Kids” – MGMT
Lyric Sample: “Control yourself, take only what you need from it.”
This 2000s synth-pop classic is about the loss of innocence and the bittersweet reality of growing up. It mixes nostalgia with the unsettling realization that adulthood brings more responsibility and complexity.
11. “Still Fighting It” – Ben Folds
Lyric Sample: “Everybody knows it hurts to grow up.”
Folds wrote this for his son, turning his trademark humor and honesty into something personal. It’s a comforting reminder that nobody truly has adulthood figured out.
Related: Best Songs About Sons
12. “I Lived” – OneRepublic
Lyric Sample: “I, I did it all, I owned every second that this world could give.”
This 2014 track, which Ryan Tedder dedicated to his son, is all about wanting to live life to the fullest. It’s a reminder to chase experiences and live without regret.
13. “Class of 2013” – Mitski
Lyric Sample: “Mom, am I still young? Can I dream for a few months more?”
“Class of 2013” is a short indie track about wanting to delay the responsibilities of life. Mitski sings about feeling ill-equipped for the adult world.
14. “Wake Up” – Arcade Fire
Lyric Sample: “Children, wake up, hold your mistake up, before they turn the summer into dust.”
This 2004 indie rock song is about youthful idealism and the disillusionment that comes with growing up. It’s a call to action, urging us not to forget the dreams and hopes of childhood as we navigate the challenges of adulthood.
15. “Older” – Sasha Alex Sloan
Lyric Sample: “The older I get, the more that I see, my parents aren’t heroes, they’re just like me.”
This 2008 pop track is about how growing up changes your view of your parents. It’s a look at how understanding replaces blame as you age.
16. “17” – Youth Lagoon
Lyric Sample: “My brain can think faster than I can, I’m not fast enough.”
Youth Lagoon’s song drifts between nostalgia and melancholy, looking back on childhood imagination and the inevitability of adulthood. It’s about how growing older often means losing the freedom to dream.
17. “High School Never Ends” – Bowling for Soup
Lyric Sample: “The whole damn world is just as obsessed with who’s the best dressed and who’s having sex.”
“High School Never Ends” takes a funny jab at adulthood, claiming it’s just high school with bigger stakes. It’s a reminder that growing up doesn’t always mean maturing.
18. “When I Grow Up” – Garbage
Lyric Sample: “When I grow up, I’ll be stable, when I grow up, I’ll turn the tables.”
This 1990s alternative rock song dives into the chaos of identity, ambition, and the pressure to mature while feeling far from ready. Shirley Manson’s lyrics mix dark humor and defiance, turning the idea of “growing up” into a sarcastic track about instability and self-acceptance.
19. “Father and Son” – Cat Stevens
Lyric Sample: “I am old, but I’m happy, I was once like you are now.”
This classic folk song is a dialogue between an aging father who advises caution and a son who yearns to leave. It’s about the universal struggle of growing up and finding your own path, even when it means breaking away from the people who raised you.
Related: “Father and Son” Song Meaning
20. “You Learn” – Alanis Morissette
Lyric Sample: “You live, you learn, you love, you learn.”
“You Learn” is a 1995 rock song about the unpredictable lessons life throws at us. From love to loss, Morissette reminds us that every misstep is part of the process of growing up.
21. “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)” – The Beach Boys
Lyric Sample: “When I grow up to be a man, will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?”
This 1960s hit is about the uncertainty and changes of growing up, questioning how adulthood will affect personal desires, relationships, and even family life.
22. “Growing Up” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ed Sheeran
Lyric Sample: “I’m still tryna figure out who I am, I don’t wanna mess this up or do this wrong.”
Written as a letter to his newborn daughter, Macklemore shares lessons and insecurities about parenthood. It’s a song about the challenges of finding identity while raising a child, offering advice about love and embracing life’s lessons.
23. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” – Vitamin C
Lyric Sample: “As we go on, we remember, all the times we had together.”
This late-’90s pop hit is practically a soundtrack to every school goodbye. It’s sentimental, hopeful, and filled with the optimism of youth on the edge of change.
Related: Best Songs About Friendship
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24. “Fast” – Luke Bryan
Lyric Sample: “Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty.”
This 2015 country song is about how quickly time seems to accelerate as a person moves from youth to adulthood and then parenthood. It’s a relatable commentary on life going fast and wishing you could savor the small moments.
25. “What’s My Age Again?” – Blink-182
Lyric Sample: “Nobody likes you when you’re twenty-three.”
This pop-punk classic nails the confusion of being caught between adolescence and adulthood. It perfectly illustrates the sometimes-awkward transition into adult responsibilities.
26. “I Wish” – Stevie Wonder
Lyric Sample: “I wish those days could come back once more.”
“I Wish” is a 1970s funk tune that celebrates the carefree innocence of childhood and the pure joy of simpler times. Stevie Wonder remembers the mischief, family love, and lessons that shaped him before adulthood took over.
27. “Used To Be Young” – Miley Cyrus
Lyric Sample: “You say I used to be wild, I say I used to be young.”
Miley Cyrus’ reflective pop ballad addresses her past, chaotic public image, and the freedom she had when she was younger. She accepts that change is inevitable and acknowledges the necessity to move past a wild youth.
28. “Letter to Me” – Brad Paisley
Lyric Sample: “If I could write a letter to me, and send it back in time to myself at seventeen.”
Paisley imagines what advice he’d give to his teenage self. The song’s humor and honesty make it one of the standout country songs about growing up.
29. “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” – Britney Spears
Lyric Sample: “All I need is time, a moment that is mine.”
This pop ballad from the early 2000s is about the in-between stage of late adolescence, where a young woman feels ready for independence but is still navigating the world on her own.
30. “Same Drugs” – Chance the Rapper
Lyric Sample: “Wendy, you’ve aged, I thought you’d never grow up.”
Chance the Rapper uses the Peter Pan narrative to describe growing apart from someone. It’s a song that mourns the way time can separate people who used to dream the same way.
31. “Fifteen” – Taylor Swift
Lyric Sample: “‘Cause when you’re fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna believe them.”
Swift recounts the intense, naive experiences of being a freshman in high school, from first dates to first heartbreaks. It’s about the valuable, sometimes painful lessons learned during your teenage years.
Related: Best Songs About School
32. “Seventeen” – Sharon Van Etten
Lyric Sample: “I used to be seventeen, now you’re just like me.”
Van Etten looks back on her teenage self with both affection and frustration in this 2019 indie rock track. The song feels like a conversation between who you were and who you’ve become.
33. “I’m Eighteen” – Alice Cooper
Lyric Sample: “I’m a boy and I’m a man, I’m eighteen and I like it.”
Alice Cooper’s 1970 rock tune captures the restless confusion of growing up, caught between childhood and adulthood. It celebrates the messy, uncertain freedom that comes with being eighteen and not quite knowing who you are yet.
34. “Give Yourself a Try” – The 1975
Lyric Sample: “And what would you say to your younger self?”
The 1975’s hit digs into growing older, self-doubt, and the messy search for meaning in adulthood. With honesty and humor, it encourages learning to accept yourself even when life feels chaotic or uncertain.
35. “Castle on the Hill” – Ed Sheeran
Lyric Sample: “I’m on my way, drivin’ at 90 down those country lanes.”
Sheeran looks back on his teenage years with warmth and nostalgia. The song celebrates how the places we come from stay with us even as we grow older.
Related: Best Songs About Buildings
36. “17” – Avril Lavigne
Lyric Sample: “We were on top of the world, back when I was your girl.”
In “17,” Lavigne reminisces about young love and carefree teenage nights. It’s a nostalgic look at a time when love felt simple, wild, and full of possibility.
37. “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” – John Lennon
Lyric Sample: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
Lennon wrote this comforting lullaby for his young son, Sean, assuring him through the anxieties of childhood. It’s full of warmth, patience, and advice from a father watching his child grow up.
Related: Best Songs About Sons
38. “Fifteen” – Mandy Moore
Lyric Sample: “No regrets, with a few exceptions, every wrong turn was the right direction.”
Mandy Moore looks back on the challenges and lessons of teenage life, from early career struggles to growing up in the public eye. It’s about learning from mistakes and embracing imperfections that shape who you become.
39. “Boy” – Lee Brice
Lyric Sample: “You’re gonna drive and kiss, and throw a punch and grow up way too fast.”
“Boy” is a 2017 country track about watching a son grow up. Brice sings about the reckless, fearless energy of youth while acknowledging that some lessons can only be learned with experience.
40. “I Don’t Want to Grow Up” – Ramones
Lyric Sample: “I don’t want to grow up, nothing ever seems to turn out right.”
“I Don’t Want to Grow Up” is about resisting the pressures and responsibilities of adulthood. Its punk energy channels the frustration of wanting to hold on to childhood freedom.
41. “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” – Billy Ray Cyrus ft. Miley Cyrus
Lyric Sample: “She’s at the startin’ line of the rest of her life, as ready as she’s ever been.”
“Ready, Set, Don’t Go” tells the story of a father watching his daughter chase her dreams and learning to let her go. Billy Ray shares the bittersweet mix of pride and heartbreak of watching Miley step into their own life.
Related: Best Songs About Daughters
42. “At Seventeen” – Janis Ian
Lyric Sample: “I learned the truth at seventeen, that love was meant for beauty queens, and high school girls with clear-skinned smiles.”
Janis Ian’s 1975 folk song offers a more difficult view of adolescence, describing the pain of social exclusion and comparing her own experience to the popular, privileged kids growing up.
43. “Older” – Ben Platt
Lyric Sample: “When you are younger, you’ll wish you’re older, then when you’re older, you’ll wish for time to turn around.”
“Older” is a 2019 piano-driven pop song about wishing to grow up too fast and then realizing later you miss being young. Platt reminds us to enjoy the present and hold on to our sense of wonder.
44. “High School” – Kelsea Ballerini
Lyric Sample: “This ain’t high school, where all you care about is if the pretty cheerleader thinks you’re cool.”
In this 2017 country song, Ballerini sings about clinging to teenage memories and first loves even as life moves forward. It’s about realizing adulthood is different and the world can feel harsh when you’re still stuck in your past.
Related: Songs About School
45. “Growing Up Is Getting Old” – Teddy Swims
Lyric Sample: “Growing up is getting old, I can’t fit my favorite clothes.”
Swims’ 2024 R&B tune is about growing up, feeling time slip by, and noticing life’s changes. Despite the struggles and loss of childhood magic, moments with loved ones remind him that some feelings remain timeless.
Conclusion
The theme of growing up spans musical history because it touches on the most fundamental parts of the human experience: change and the search for identity. Whether through a parent’s proud gaze or a teenager’s confused declaration of independence, these songs show the complexity of the journey from childhood to maturity.
The next time you feel sentimental about your younger years or anxious about the future, throw on a few of these tunes.
If you enjoyed this list, you might also like our picks for Songs About Fathers, Songs About Daughters, and Songs About School.
