Songs About Friendship

Songs about friendship

Friendship songs are the ones people send rather than play. They end up in birthday playlists, leaving-do slideshows and messages at one in the morning, and the good ones are specific rather than sentimental.

Here are the ones that hold up, and what each is actually useful for.

We don't sell music - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the songs, and the card that goes with the day.

Cards for your best friend

Friendship and birthday cards, designed in house and printed in the UK.

Shop cards for friends

The classics

  • You've Got A Friend - Carole King.
  • Lean On Me - Bill Withers.
  • You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman.
  • With A Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles or Joe Cocker.
  • That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick.
  • Stand By Me - Ben E King.

Modern picks

  • Count On Me - Bruno Mars.
  • Best Day Of My Life - American Authors.
  • Good Old Days - Macklemore and Kesha.
  • Ribs - Lorde, for friendships that grew up together.
  • Cardigan Weather territory: Taylor Swift's It's Nice To Have A Friend.

For a best friend's birthday

  • Build a playlist of the songs from the year you met, not the year they were born.
  • Add one song from every holiday, house share or car journey you've had together.
  • Put the in-joke song in, even though it's terrible. Especially because it's terrible.
  • 25 songs is plenty. Name it after something only the two of you understand.

For a leaving do or a move away

  • Time Of Your Life - Green Day.
  • Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds.
  • See You Again - Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
  • Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd, for the quieter end of the night.

For a friendship that ended

  • The Night We Met - Lord Huron.
  • Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi, which is about a friendship as often as a relationship.
  • Between Friends territory - anything that lets you be sad without being dramatic about it.
  • A friendship ending deserves the same kindness as any other loss. A short message beats a long playlist.

Shop cards for friends

Pin badges for a best friend

Small, postable and a bit daft.

Star Trek Lapel Pin Badges (Set of 3) Star Trek Lapel Pin Badges (Set of 3) £7.49 Pointless Meeting Survivor Pin Badge Pointless Meeting Survivor Pin Badge £4.00 Funny Thinking Of You Voodoo Doll Pin Badge Funny Thinking Of You Voodoo Doll Pin Badge £4.00 ChatGPT Is My Therapist Pin Badge ChatGPT Is My Therapist Pin Badge £4.00 Slow Down Nature Inspired Pin Badge Slow Down Nature Inspired Pin Badge £4.00 Yellow Employee Of The Month Rosette Pin Badge Yellow Employee Of The Month Rosette Pin Badge £4.00 World's Best Boss Pin Badge World's Best Boss Pin Badge £4.00 Toe Beans Cat Lovers Pin Badge Toe Beans Cat Lovers Pin Badge £4.00

How to write it so it lands

  • Order the playlist chronologically. It turns a list into a story.
  • Write the reason for one or two songs in the card.
  • Share it as a collaborative playlist so they can add to it.
  • Keep it under an hour and a half.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What is the best song about friendship?

You've Got A Friend by Carole King is the most enduring, and Lean On Me the most used. For a modern playlist, Count On Me by Bruno Mars does the same job.

What should you put on a best friend playlist?

Songs from when you met, songs from shared trips and car journeys, and one in-joke song. Around 25 tracks is the right length.

Is a playlist a good present?

It is, as long as it comes with something physical. A card or a small gift gives the playlist somewhere to live.

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