Thursday may not be the day everyone anticipates. But it occupies a particular place in the week. How we feel about it often hinges on where we are in life.
In the workplace, it’s got a Christmas Eve feel: after tomorrow, we get to knock off work for two entire days. For many college kids, it’s the pre-party night before weekend debauchery and tailgate parties during football season.
And if you’re a songwriter, Thursday presents many possibilities for your storytelling. We can all get some inspiration from 15 of the best songs about Thursday. Enjoy reading!
1. “Thursday’s Child” By David Bowie
The first time you hear “Thursday’s Child,” you might think this is about singer-songwriter David Bowie‘s life. After all, there’s a line in the song that says, “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday born I was Thursday’s child,” and he was born on a Wednesday.
Autobiographical or not, Bowie has probably gone through the experiences he outlines in the song. And listeners can easily resonate with the message behind the lyrics. The narrator sings of having a bleak life ahead of him. Despite doing his best, nothing seems to happen.
But like the old poem says, “Thursday’s child has far to go.” He’s got a chance to change his life when he meets someone. For her, he does not regret being a Thursday’s child.
Related: Our list of songs about the days of the week.
2. “Thursday” By Jess Glynne
Co-written with Steve Mac and Ed Sheeran, “Thursday” finds Grammy-winner Jess Glynne extolling the virtues of being herself. She chooses Thursday as the day of the week when she doesn’t put on makeup or get dressed up. Or to even give in to society’s expectations of her.
As she showed in the song, she chooses to accept herself, flaws and all. She “just wanna feel beautiful,” and she’s going to achieve that by not wearing makeup.
She believes that who she is, is enough. By being herself on Thursdays, she takes some proactive steps to feel good about herself.
3. “Thursday” By Pet Shop Boys
Our list continues with Pet Shop Boys‘ own song with “Thursday” in the title. Their 2013 hit, “Thursday,” was released from their album Electric and talks about a love that’s just blossoming.
In the song, the singer poses the biggest question to a potential lover. “Will you love me or leave me?” As with many relationships that are just starting, there may still be doubts. But he doesn’t want her to say it’s over before it has begun.
And so he implores his love interest to “stay with me for the weekend.” They should start on a Thursday night and spend Friday until Sunday together. Because he says, “Why not?” There’s no better time to get it right than a Thursday.
4. “Thursday” By The Weeknd
If there’s any way to describe The Weeknd‘s “Thursday,” it is that it doesn’t depict a happy picture. It’s a sad song, particularly from the side of the person the narrator sings about.
Notably, the song begins with the woman needing the singer and ends in despair for her. It’s obvious that the singer has the upper hand in their relationship, making decisions for the two of them.
And one of these decisions is seeing each other on Thursdays. He emphasizes that it’s only on Thursdays. On other days, they can do whatever they want. However, the girl becomes desperate and now calls him even on other days.
5. “I Lost Thursday” By They Might Be Giants
Many of us spent some time in the last few years social distancing and being locked away from the rest of the world, losing track of time. They Might Be Giants‘ “I Lost Thursday” is an ode to that feeling.
The band has consistently put out quirky and catchy songs. But “I Lost Thursday” is in a class of its own, and many TMBG fans consider it one of the band’s more fun tunes.
Quite simply, “I Lost Thursday” is about losing touch with time. The lyrics go, “I lost Thursday, I had it somewhere.” But he can’t remember where he left it.
6. “Sweet Thursday” By Johnny Mathis
With his all-star crooner’s pipes, Johnny Mathis could sing the phone book and make people listen. That’s not to say that “Sweet Thursday” is mindless like that phone book song would be. This song could have been terrible, and it still would have sounded lovely coming from him.
Lyrically, the song is straightforward. Thursday becomes a special day for the singer because it was when he first met his love.
The singer references a divine act that brought him and his lover together. When once they were strangers, now he stands at her door, knowing his life is complete with her in it. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending for both of them.
7. “(Thursday) Here’s Why I Did Not Go To Work Today” By Harry Nilsson
Like us, we’re pretty sure you’re dying to know the answer to this song’s title. In “Thursday) Here’s Why I Did Not Go to Work Today,” Harry Nilsson extolls the virtues of Thursday. Said virtues being that there’s nothing special about the day at all.
In fact, the singer looks at Thursday as a “crazy, lazy day.” That’s why he didn’t go to work. He’d rather go through the other days of the week. But when it’s Thursday, that’s another matter.
He feels that the day is twice as long, and we can all understand his sentiments. When Thursday comes, we just want the day to pass so we can enjoy Friday! As is the case, the singer would rather go have a picnic or a drink.
8. “Thursday” By Jim Croce
The American folk and rock singer Jim Croce gives us a rare beast in “Thursday.” It’s a relatively upbeat song that’s a real heartbreaker. It’s sadder because it’s happened to most of us at least once.
Though the song came out in 1973, “Thursday” had the trappings of being friend zoned. The singer wants a long-lasting relationship, but what the woman looks for is a friend.
He sticks around long enough to realize that she will never look at him beyond friendship. Though it hurts him, he knows that he has to move on.
9. “Thursday” By Morphine
Our next song with “Thursday” in the lyrics is Morphine‘s “Thursday.” This song shows us why it’s never, ever a good idea to date someone who’s already married.
But that’s exactly what the singer does. At first, it’s fun because they can get away with meeting “for a couple of beers and a game of pool” on Thursdays. Until the woman suggests that they hang out in her house while her husband is out of town.
Bad decision. The neighbors recognize his car and her husband finds out about him. Now he has to skip town to avoid her violent and jealous husband. At the end of the song, the singer is reduced to wishing they’d stick to their Thursday schedule.
10. “Jersey Thursday” By Donovan
As a folk singer, Donovan spent the 1960s exploring the genre. His second album, 1965’s Fairytale, mined British folk music. One of the tracks, “Jersey Thursday,” verges on the psychedelic as the narrator sings about looking at the world through colored glasses.
Jersey is a British island where the narrator seems to be chilling out and watching the birds. The song could be about watching this beautiful scenery or perhaps alluding to a romantic scene.
Incidentally, “Jersey Thursday” is one of those songs with legendary misheard lyrics. He’s watching gulls, not girls, wheel and spin in the sky.
11. “Thursday In The Danger Room” By Run The Jewels Ft. Kamasi Washington
Although they have a reputation as hard-partying dudes, the duo Run the Jewels came up with something poignant. “Thursday in the Danger Room” is a thoughtful song about loss— specifically, people we lose too soon.
There’s an element of carpe diem to the tune in terms of enjoying the time you have with the people you love. From the lyrics, you can feel the sadness of losing someone so young. It makes you lament the loss when that person could have grown and achieved things in life.
So the singer has some words of advice for his listeners. To enjoy the good times while they last. And to try to move on, despite the difficulty.
12. “Some Birds Blue” By Terence Trent D’Arby
In 2001, Terence Trent D’Arby began transitioning from that name to his current legal name Sananda Maitreya. That same year, he released his Wildcard album containing the track “Some Birds Blue.”
This song finds the singer recounting the pain of a lost love. He posits some questions everyone has. “Why are some birds blue? What is the taste of rain? And why am I not with you?”
Referring to himself as Thursday’s child (the one in the poem that has far to go), the narrator tells his ex that he is made for her. But she’s gone anyway. It’s a sad little ditty, as many Thursday songs seem to be.
13. “Sweet Thursday” By Pizzicato Five
Though sung in Pizzicato Five’s native Japanese, “Sweet Thursday” is more bittersweet than anything. Here, the singer shares some of the most important events in his life that coincidently happened on Thursdays.
The song follows the story of two lovers who meet on a Thursday in May. They share their first kiss exactly a week later on Thursday, then predictably fall in love. And when they break up, it’s on a Thursday morning in September.
The song’s lilting feel invokes the springtime feel of new love. The relationship doesn’t last, though. The singer has to accept the fact that they’ll never see each other again.
14. “Probably On A Thursday” By Sarah Brightman
Up next is a song that mentions “Thursday” in a sad light. “Probably on a Thursday” comes from Sarah Brightman‘s album Love Changes Everything.
The song was originally recorded by cabaret singer Ross Hannaman. It didn’t get much attention then. Nearly 40 years later, Brightman covered it, singing about how her lover will likely cheat on her on Thursday.
She pines for him and the love they used to share but seems to be resigned to the fact that it’s over. She muses that things will probably come to a head before the weekend.
15. “Like A Summer Thursday” By Townes Van Zandt
Finally, we reach the last of our list with Townes Van Zandt‘s “Like a Summer Thursday.” This is a cowboy ballad that paints a sad picture of loss.
The lyrics find the singer recollecting how his lover looks. He remembers her best traits, saying, “she was mine.” Eventually, they part ways, and he finds himself hurting.
Hot summer days in Texas can be painful, and the rain is a soothing balm. The narrator experiences his own tears at the loss of his beloved in the same way. He cries for healing by wishing that rain would come on “a summer Thursday.”
Summing Up Our List Of Thursday Songs
When a lyricist has a subject with so many interpretations, he has enough options to create something unique. These songs about Thursday demonstrate those opportunities well.
Across musical genres, the idea of Thursday tells different stories. Some are happy, some sad, but all fascinating.
If there’s one thing these songs will show us, it is that Thursday isn’t really a boring day. It may sit behind Friday, but a lot can happen on this day. So we hope you found new songs to listen to, just as we had fun collating this list.
