"Thank God for Kids"
Single by The Oak Ridge Boys
from the album Christmas
B-side"Christmas Is Paintin' the Town"[1]
ReleasedNovember 20, 1982
GenreCountry
Length2:33
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Eddy Raven
Producer(s)Ron Chancey
The Oak Ridge Boys singles chronology
"I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)"
(1982) 		"Thank God for Kids"
(1982) 		"American Made"
(1983)

"Thank God for Kids" is a song written by Eddy Raven. It was released as the b-side to his 1976 single "The Curse of a Woman".[2] It was later included on the 1984 MCA Records album of the same name.

It was later recorded by American country music band The Oak Ridge Boys, whose version was the only single from their 1982 Christmas album. The song spent sixteen weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts and peaked at number three.

In 2004, Kenny Chesney covered the song for his Christmas album All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan. His version spent one week at number 60 on the country singles charts in January 2004.[3] In 2011, John Rich covered the song for his extended play, For the Kids.

Content

The song is about the relationship between a father and a child. According to Eddy Raven, he wrote it in 1973 after his son said that he wanted to help his father write a song about Mickey Mouse or Big Bird;[4] both characters are referenced in the song ("We'd all live in a quiet house/Without Big Bird or Mickey Mouse...").

Chart performance

The Oak Ridge Boys

Chart (1982-1983) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 3
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 24

Kenny Chesney

Chart (2004) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] 60

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. ^ Whitburn, p. 340
  3. ^ Whitburn, p. 92
  4. ^ Edwards, Joe (April 12, 1989). "Raven's Cajun heritage spices up country music". Courier-Post. pp. 7D. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "Kenny Chesney Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
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