I have a friend – let’s call him J.J. – who’s getting married this coming spring. His fiancee tasked him with selecting a song for their first dance. Brave girl! I would NEVER have delegated that job…..not in a zillion years. (I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest I was a “Bridezilla” but suffice to say I had a few “opinions” about my wedding and how it would go….)
To me, a wedding song is a big deal – it should, of course, be a song that means something to both of you; a reflection of your love. But it also needs to be a song you want to associate yourselves with; one that, when you hear it played in a mall twenty years from the day, it will still make your heart skip a little…. It’s a lot of pressure for a little song!
In the end, it really should be something that represents the two of you – and I’ve always admired those couples who do the unexpected and stray from the obvious/classic wedding song choices. Not that there’s anything wrong with them but, for some couples, they just don’t “fit”.
Anyway, my friend chose “Baby I Love You” by the Ramones. I really, really like it! It’s a nice, simple, classic message and The Ramones give it a little modern day credibility. Check it out:
For the record, my husband and I chose “It Had to be You” by Frank Sinatra. I was going through my crooner phase (which I never really left….) and Harry Connick Jr. had just had his big break with the soundtrack to “When Harry Met Sally” and that song was featured. I thought it was perfect. Unfortunately, so did everyone else getting married that year! I was mortified when my friend and her new husband took to the floor with it a few short weeks before our wedding. My husband had wanted to pick “You Got it” by the Traveling Wilburys, which, despite the sentiment, I couldn’t bring myself to do. But he did pick an excellent last dance song – “Follow You, Follow Me” by Genesis. Great song…great lyrics….great choice.
So this all got me thinking – if I were picking a wedding song today – now that I”m 20 years older and a couple of years wiser - what would I pick?
I don’t think that I could stray too far from the classics – it just wouldn’t be “us”. I’d love to do something a little more “up tempo” like Bobby Darin’s “More” and not necessarily give in to that first dance spectacle. On the other hand, I might pick something like “Sea of Love” – it’s very sweet too. If I was put on the spot though, I’d probably pick Don Henley’s version of “Come Rain or Come Shine” – great lyrics – perfect for a wedding.
Just to tie this back to Springsteen a bit, he has a lovely song that many of the celebrity guest DJs on his satellite channel have played and talked about how they used it at their weddings. It’s very sweet - the lyrics are quite lovely:
We said we’d walk together baby come what may
That come the twilight should we lose our way
If as we’re walkin a hand should slip free
Ill wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for meWe swore we’d travel darlin side by side
We’d help each other stay in stride
But each lover’s steps fall so differently
But I’ll wait for you
And if I should fall behind
Wait for meNow everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
But you and I know what this world can do
So lets make our steps clear that the other may see
And I’ll wait for you
If I should fall behind
Wait for meNow there’s a beautiful river in the valley ahead
There neath the oaks bough soon we will be wed
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
Ill wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
Darlin I’ll wait for you
Should I fall behind
Wait for me
Maybe I’d pick Bruce….who knows??
