Songs About Gratitude and Appreciation
published 11/8/15; updated 1/1/25
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
Here are a variety of songs about appreciating our circumstances and our loved ones. (This is the first of what turned out to be a very popular series of Song Playlists for Teachers.)
Teachers, please note: With such a multicultural audience teaching young children through adults, I can’t guarantee that all of the songs and videos will be appropriate for your particular context. Please preview anything you plan to share with your students.
A Beautiful Day, india.arie
youtube video with lyrics
The Best Day, Taylor Swift
lyrics, official video (with home movies from her childhood and adolescence)
Grateful, Osmunda Music
Grateful: A Love Song to the World, by Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod
lyrics; official video featuring grateful adults and children from around the world; student video featuring kids from Seven Hills School
It Feels So Good to Be Living, Bill Gaither Trio
video of cover by Damon Timm, with American Sign Language by Rosa Lee Timm, + Lyrics
Milionaria, Ana Tijoux
Spanish lyrics; English translation; live performance
She feels like a millionaire because she has so much to be grateful for.
My Favorite Things, Rodgers and Hammerstein
lyrics; video clip from The Sound of Music; cover by Maeve Touhey; instrumental jazz by John Coltrane
Ode to Joy/Symphony No. 9, Ludwig van Beethoven
video of a flash mob performance, with a delighted multi-generational audience
instrumental/no lyrics
Thank You, Dido
lyrics; video withsign language (ASL interpretation) by Jason Listman
Thank You for Being a Friend, Andrew Gold
lyrics; video of performance by Andrew Gold; audio by Rachel Platten
Thank You (A Song for Friends & Family), Brandin Reed
video (song starts :37; I couldn't find lyrics for this one. The description says "I've faced some serious challenges[...] there's no way I could have made it through without[...] my friends and family.")
Thank You Song in 45 Languages
video (Be sure to preview before using in your class. There's nothing offensive in the words but some of the images are an odd choice for such a family-friendly song.)
What a Wonderful World, Bob Thiele and George David Weiss
lyrics; Playing for Change video of children's choirs and young musicians from around the world; Auslan interpretation
Wonderful Life (in 28 Languages), from the movie Smallfoot
For more songs in different languages, check out the Multilingual Playlist on Peace, Love, and Tolerance.
Your Song, Elton John
Related Posts
There are many more song playlists and resources on gratitude here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: