What do you write in a 60th birthday song?

One or two things they did for a long time, one person they love, and one plan for what comes next. That is enough for two verses and a chorus.

Can grandchildren be part of a 60th birthday song?

Yes. Mention them in your lines; the lyrics can name them, and younger ones love hearing their own name sung.

Can we play it at a surprise party?

Yes. Nothing is sent to the birthday person; the song comes only to you until you press play.

Do we get the lyrics for the 60th birthday card?

Yes. You can read every line on the preview page before paying, and the full song comes with a lyric sheet to print and sign, or to save as a PDF.

60th birthday

Sixty sits between a working life and grandkids on their knee. A song can look back and forward at once.

A 60th birthday song about everything so far

Sixty often lands near retirement and the first grandchildren, so the song can look both ways: at the working life behind them and the plans in front. Families usually make it together and play it at the dinner.

Hear the second a name lands

Nguyen, you are the anchor of my life.

You wrote“Taught me to fish on Galveston pier.”

The song singsWe fished on Galveston pier in the breeze.

From a real song made here: “My Anchor, Nguyen”, for Nguyen, from what his daughter typed.

The moment you give it

Three households join the same call. The song covers the career behind them and the grandkids in front, and a small voice on the call asks if that's really Grandpa's name in it.

Sixtieth birthday, family on speaker

The family

On speaker

“Everyone say hi. Now be quiet for two minutes.”

Start with one memory

Pick a question. The form opens with your first line already started.

A song for a parent from our samples

Written for Father's Day rather than a sixtieth, but it is a grown child singing about a dad's working life.

My Anchor, Nguyen

for Nguyen · dad · Father's Day · Country

Dad drove a taxi in Houston for twenty years and never missed one of my soccer games. He taught me to fish on Galveston pier and to fix a flat tire in the rain. He still calls me kiddo.

1:55

Ten Octobers with You

for Saoirse · wife · Anniversary · Acoustic pop

We met on a rainy platform in Cork in 2016. She lent me her umbrella and kept it for a year. Every Sunday she sings to the dog, Murphy, while the toast burns. Ten years this October.

1:55

What you get for $12.99

You hear it first, free. You pay once, only if you keep it.

Free preview: The first 60 seconds, ready in about two minutes after you enter your email. No card.
The song: The full song, about two minutes long, as an MP3 to download and keep.
Lyrics: Every line is on the preview page before you pay. Unlocking adds the lyric sheet, to print or save as a PDF.
Their link: A private link that plays the whole song without an account, with your name and a short note. Switch it off any time.
Photo video: Free: a vertical 9:16 photo video of your photos with the lyrics on screen, plus 15- and 30-second cuts. Made in your browser.
The name: Unusual name? Type how to say it (SEER-sha for Saoirse) and the singer says it that way.
Re-record: One free re-record per song: change a line, the style or the voice and record it again.
Name sung wrong?: After you pay, a free remake with the name fixed, once per song.
Languages: Sung in English, German, French, Spanish or Japanese.
Teaser: Before you pay, a 15-second teaser link that tells them a song is on its way.
For this song: Posting it? The 15-second cut fits an Instagram story and the 30-second cut a Reel, with the lyrics already on screen.
: Want a nudge next year? Opt in and we email you three weeks and one week before the date.

Looking back, looking ahead

Pick one or two items from each column above. A sixtieth song works best when it ends looking forward, so put the plans in your last line and the song will finish on them.

Looking back	Looking ahead
The job they did for decades	What they will do with the free time
The house where the kids grew up	The trip they keep planning
How they met their partner	The grandchildren, here or on the way
A hard year they got through	The hobby they will finally take up

For example

A son writing for his dad's sixtieth could type:

Dad drove a city bus in Cleveland for 31 years and knew every regular by name.
He coached my Little League team even though he never played baseball.
He retires in June and wants to drive Route 66 with Mom.

Style and voice

Country and acoustic pop suit most sixtieth parties. If the birthday person grew up on soul records, R&B / soul is the better choice. Ask for a clear vocal so every name lands, especially if older relatives will be listening across a noisy room.

A song for the retirement party too

If the sixtieth falls in the same year as retirement, one song can serve both. Put the job in the first verse and the plans in the second, and play it at whichever party comes first. There is a separate retirement song guide if you would rather keep them apart.

A 60th birthday song for mom or dad

Most sixtieth songs are written by the kids. Pick Mom or Dad in the form and the lyrics speak as their child; write "we" in your lines if the song is from all of you, and give each sibling one detail so nobody is left out.

If part of the family lives abroad, the song can be sung in German, French, Spanish or Japanese instead of English, so the relatives at the dinner hear every word. Send the private link to the family chat afterwards; it plays on any phone without an account.