50 Thanksgiving Songs, From Holiday Classics and Hymns to Kids' Songs

What are popular Thanksgiving songs?

The songs most people connect with the holiday are "Over the River and Through the Wood", the hymn "We Gather Together", Vince Guaraldi's "Thanksgiving Theme" from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", which many radio stations still play every Thanksgiving. For a modern family dinner, add songs about gratitude like "What a Wonderful World", "Lovely Day" and "Better Together".

Songs about Thanksgiving

1. "Over the River and Through the Wood", traditional: Lydia Maria Child's poem, sung on the way to grandmother's house.
2. "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", Arlo Guthrie: an 18-minute story-song set on Thanksgiving, a radio tradition.
3. "Thanksgiving Theme", Vince Guaraldi Trio: the jazz piece from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
4. "Thanksgiving Prayer", Johnny Cash: a short spoken prayer of thanks.
5. "Thanksgiving Song", Mary Chapin Carpenter: a gentle song about the family around the table.
6. "The Thanksgiving Song", Adam Sandler: the comedy classic from Saturday Night Live.
7. "Gobble Gobble", Matthew West: a funny modern song about the holiday.
8. "Everybody Eats When They Come to My House", Cab Calloway: a swinging song about feeding everyone.
9. "Thanksgiving", George Winston: a quiet solo piano piece for the morning.
10. "Sweet Potato Pie", James Taylor: a soulful song about the best dessert on the table.
11. "Are You Ready for Some Football", Hank Williams Jr.: for the afternoon game.
12. "Turkey in the Straw", traditional: the old fiddle tune kids still know.

Thanksgiving hymns

13. "We Gather Together": the classic Thanksgiving hymn.
14. "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come": a harvest hymn of thanks.
15. "Now Thank We All Our God": a German hymn sung at many Thanksgiving services.
16. "For the Beauty of the Earth": gratitude for the world around us.
17. "Count Your Blessings": the gospel hymn about naming them one by one.
18. "Great Is Thy Faithfulness": thanks for faithfulness through every season.
19. "Doxology (Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow)": often sung as grace before the meal.
20. "Give Thanks", Don Moen: a worship classic.

Modern worship songs for Thanksgiving

21. "Goodness of God", Bethel Music: gratitude for every season of life.
22. "Gratitude", Brandon Lake: about giving thanks with everything you have.
23. "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)", Matt Redman: reasons to be thankful every day.
24. "Grateful", Hezekiah Walker: a joyful gospel song of thanks.
25. "Blessed Be Your Name", Matt Redman: thanks in good times and hard ones.

Songs about gratitude and family

26. "What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong: gratitude for ordinary beauty.
27. "Lovely Day", Bill Withers: thankful for the person who makes the day.
28. "Better Together", Jack Johnson: warm and easy for the kitchen.
29. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", Sly and the Family Stone: a funk thank-you.
30. "Thankful", Kelly Clarkson: about counting what you have.
31. "Thank You for Being a Friend", Andrew Gold: perfect for Friendsgiving.
32. "We Are Family", Sister Sledge: for when everyone has arrived.
33. "Family Reunion", The O'Jays: made for a full house.
34. "Our House", Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: everyday happiness at home.
35. "Home", Phillip Phillips: for the ones who traveled to be there.
36. "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)", Bing Crosby: the gentle classic from White Christmas.
37. "In My Life", The Beatles: for the people who shaped you.
38. "Grateful", Rita Ora: about how far you have come.

Country Thanksgiving songs

39. "My Front Porch Looking In", Lonestar: gratitude for the family inside the house.
40. "Thank God for Kids", The Oak Ridge Boys: thankful from the parent's side.
41. "Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw: a reminder to say thanks along the way.
42. "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", John Denver: gratitude with a fiddle.
43. "Thank God", Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown: a couple thankful for each other.

Thanksgiving songs for kids

44. "Five Little Turkeys": a counting song for preschoolers.
45. "I'm a Little Turkey": sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot".
46. "Thankful Heart", from The Muppet Christmas Carol: a joyful song about gratitude that kids love.

Funny Thanksgiving songs

47. "Eat It", "Weird Al" Yankovic: for the second helping.
48. "Food, Glorious Food", from Oliver!: theatrical and hungry.
49. "Pass the Peas", The J.B.'s: a funk instrumental for passing the dishes.
50. "Hungry Like the Wolf", Duran Duran: for the moment the turkey comes out.

A Thanksgiving playlist, hour by hour

• Morning cooking: George Winston's "Thanksgiving", the Vince Guaraldi theme and soft jazz.
• Guests arriving: "We Are Family", "Family Reunion", "Home" and "Lovely Day".
• Grace and dinner: the "Doxology" or "We Gather Together" before the meal, then quiet background music while people talk.
• Dessert: "Sweet Potato Pie", "Better Together" and "What a Wonderful World".
• Football and games: "Are You Ready for Some Football" and upbeat classics.
• Evening: "Alice's Restaurant" on the drive home, if you have 18 minutes.

Songs for a grown-up Thanksgiving dinner

For a grown-up dinner party, skip the kids' songs and build around soul, jazz and singer-songwriters: "Lovely Day", "What a Wonderful World", "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", "Sweet Potato Pie", "Everybody Eats When They Come to My House" and the Vince Guaraldi theme. A little Motown after dessert gets people out of their chairs.

Gospel songs of thanks

For a gospel-loving family, "Grateful" by Hezekiah Walker, "Goodness of God", "Gratitude" by Brandon Lake and the hymn "Count Your Blessings" fill the house with thanks. Many families end the meal by singing one together, with the oldest relative choosing the song.

Instrumental Thanksgiving music

For background music while people talk, instrumentals work best: George Winston's "Thanksgiving", the Vince Guaraldi Trio, acoustic guitar covers of "What a Wonderful World" and piano versions of the hymns above. Keep the volume low enough that the person at the end of the table can still be heard.

Songs for a Thanksgiving slideshow

If you are showing photos from the year or from past Thanksgivings, start with "Over the River and Through the Wood" for the old family pictures, move to "In My Life" for the years in between and close with "What a Wonderful World".

Songs for Friendsgiving

A Friendsgiving playlist leans more on friendship than on family: "Thank You for Being a Friend", "With a Little Help from My Friends", "Lean on Me", "Count on Me" and "You've Got a Friend". Ask each guest to add one song when they RSVP and play them while the food is served; it starts more conversations than any icebreaker.

Thanksgiving songs for church

For a Thanksgiving service, many churches open with "We Gather Together" or "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come", place "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" or "Goodness of God" before the message, and close with the "Doxology". A children's choir singing "For the Beauty of the Earth" is a lovely moment for families.

A thank-you that only your family has

Thanksgiving is the one day a year built around saying thanks, yet the words often stay unsaid. A personalized song can name the people at the table: the grandparents who started the tradition, the cook who never sits down, the cousin who flew across the country. Play it after dinner or send it to someone who could not make it home. See our list of thank you songs, our songs about family and our guide to a Thanksgiving song for mom.

How to create a Thanksgiving song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: folk, country, gospel-inspired, acoustic and more.
2. Add up to three names, such as the hosts or the grandparents.
3. Share three things you are thankful for, each with one concrete detail.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page the whole family can play and the lyrics as a PDF.

Say thanks the way nobody else will this year: create a Thanksgiving song and hear four previews for free.