Father and Daughter

{{For multi|the Academy Award-winning short film|Father and Daughter (film)|the anime|Sky Girls#Episodes}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Father and Daughter

| cover = SimonFatherAndDaughter.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Paul Simon

| album = The Wild Thornberrys Movie Soundtrack {{noitalic|and}} Surprise

| released = {{start date|2002|10|28}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| length = 4:12

| label =

Jive
Nick

| writer = Paul Simon

| producer = Paul Simon

| prev_title = You're the One

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = Father and Daughter

| next_title2 = Another Galaxy

| next_year = 2006

}}

"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,{{cite news|title= Eminem builds on Oscar buzz |publisher= BBC|date=February 14, 2003|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2758693.stm|access-date=August 24, 2010}} as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/20/movies/chicago-and-the-hours-lead-golden-globes-race.html|author=Rick Lyman|work=The New York Times|title='Chicago' and 'The Hours' Lead Golden Globes Race|date=December 20, 2002|access-date=December 30, 2015}}

Background

The song expresses the singer's hopes and dreams for his daughter.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73649/new-simon-p-diddy-tracks-highlight-wild-thornberrys|magazine=Billboard|title=New Simon, P. Diddy Tracks Highlight 'Wild Thornberrys'|date=October 30, 2002|access-date=December 30, 2015}} Simon wrote the song as an ode to his daughter, Lulu, who was seven at the time it was completed.{{cite news|title=Father & Daughter a Simon family affair|date=January 16, 2003|work=The Hollywood Reporter|author=Tamara Conniff}} 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.

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

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,"{{cite news|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/movies/20021220wildmoviep1.asp|author=Scott Mervis|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|title='The Wild Thornberrys Movie': A fun family romp on the Serengeti|date=December 20, 2002|access-date=December 30, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084259/http://old.post-gazette.com/movies/20021220wildmoviep1.asp|url-status=dead}} while Claudia Puig of USA Today dubbed it "classic Simon."{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2002-12-19-thornberrys_x.htm|author=Claudia Puig|work=USA Today|title=Cute, spunky 'Thornberrys'|date=December 19, 2002|access-date=December 30, 2015}} Heather Phares of AllMusic felt it "mellow [and] amiable."{{cite web|title=The Wild Thornberries|website=Allmusic|access-date=December 30, 2015|author=Heather Phares|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-wild-thornberrys-mw0000226787}}

Music video

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

2002 CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Father and Daughter|author=Paul Simon|year=2002|type=CD single liner notes|publisher=Jive Records, Nick Records|id=9254472}}

"Father and Daughter" (album version) – 4:12
"Father and Daughter" (instrumental) – 4:12
"Father and Daughter" (video)

2006 CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Father and Daughter|author=Paul Simon|year=2006|type=CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=W719CD, 5439 15705 2}}

"Father and Daughter" – 4:11
"Another Galaxy" – 5:22

Personnel

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

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2002–2003)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|5|artist=Paul Simon|rowheader=true}}

{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|20|artist=Paul Simon|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Chart (2006)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|UK|31|artist=Paul Simon|song=Father and Daughter|date=20060604|rowheader=true|access-date=December 30, 2015|refname="UK"}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !scope="col"\|Chart (2003) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|US Triple-A (Billboard){{cite magazine\|title=The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Triple-A Songs\|magazine=Airplay Monitor\|volume=11\|issue=51\|page=47\|date=December 19, 2003}} \|23

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2003)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|US Triple-A (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=11|issue=51|page=47|date=December 19, 2003}}

|23

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !scope="col"\|Region !scope="col"\|Date !scope="col"\|Format(s) !scope="col"\|Label(s) !scope="col"\|{{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row"\|United States \|October 28, 2002 \|{{hlist\|Adult contemporary\|hot adult contemporary\|triple A radio}} \|{{hlist\|Jive\|Nick}} \|{{cite magazine\|title=Going for Adds\|magazine=Radio & Records\|issue=1476\|page=27\|date=October 25, 2002}}
scope="row"\|United Kingdom \|May 29, 2006 \|CD \|Warner Bros. \|{{cite magazine\|title=New Releases: Singles\|magazine=Music Week\|page=29\|date=May 27, 2006}} Misprinted as the issue date, May 27, on source.

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|October 28, 2002

|{{hlist|Adult contemporary|hot adult contemporary|triple A radio}}

|{{hlist|Jive|Nick}}

|{{cite magazine|title=Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1476|page=27|date=October 25, 2002}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom