I think it's just that country music tends to have more slower, ballad-type songs about family relationships.
If Nancy Sinatra's version of the song goes a little fast, could you find a version that doesn't, maybe a cover? Or maybe you could hire a band as a last resort... It's also pretty popular these days for orchestral or string quartet arrangements all sorts of songs to crop up on YouTube, with download links and everything, so if a song doesn't quite work you could also luck out there. For example,
here's one of All Star Here's some more brainstorming. Are there any appropriate songs with his name in it? Or yours? You looked into some bands he likes, how about movies, for their soundtracks?