(no subject)

[hiddenmuse]

This morning, I was thinking about music, and how people tend to pick some of the most fucked-up songs for their weddings. Or, at the very least, some of the recommendations for wedding songs.

Now, I can totally get behind something like "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" or even "My Funny Valentine". But, who are the jackasses that pick these songs:

The Police - "Every Breath You Take": A song about stalking someone. Yeah, that's quite romantic. Who doesn't want a song with the line, "oh can't you see - you belong to me?", as their wedding song?

Barenaked Ladies - "Call And Answer": Sure, this one starts out sounding kind of on the sweet and lovey side. Then, halfway through the song, you're hit with, "I'm warning you, don't ever do those crazy messed-up things that you do - 'cause if you do, I'll be the first to crucify you". It's not as bad as the next one, though.

Sonic Youth - "100%": One would think that the line "100% of my love, all for you true star" makes for a good wedding song, but whomever recommended this one apparently glossed over the "gun to my head, good-bye I am dead" line. Songs that are tributes to dead friends are never a good idea. But if you insist, how about the slightly more upbeat, "People Who Died" by The Jim Carroll Band?


If *anyone* picks any of those songs for their weddings, I will be in the corner at the reception hall, in a fetal position with my ears plugged.

That being said, what absolutely wrong songs have you heard at wedding receptions - or heard/read being recommended for a wedding?

Comments

[sam-i-am-not-2.livejournal.com]

Any country song. How can you find "my woman/man left me for someone else and I'm gonna get even" romantic?

Of course I was the maid of honor a Western-influenced wedding that was held in Bumfuck, Idaho and was subjected to every country song ever. I'm just glad that I was drunk.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Country songs, if I were to hear "I Hope You Dance" or "How Can I Live Without You" at a wedding, I'd cry.

But, if you get everyone liquored up and near-rowdy, I'd be quite into hearing Garth Brooks' "Friends In Low Places". Of course, that would *never* happen.

[sam-i-am-not-2.livejournal.com]

They played both. When "I Hope You Dance" came on, I quickly downed the full glass of wine in my hand. And promptly grabbed another glass because really? I can handle one but not one after the other.

Ha. Well, they played "Friends In Low Places" and we all drunkenly sang karaoke to it because by that time, I didn't care anymore.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

I'd probably join you in drinking heavily if the songs were played one right after the other!

And to be honest, I don't need to be liquored up to like "Friends In Low Places" - that song just appeals to the bitchy, snarky, "fuck you!" side of me.

[gardengnomegeek.livejournal.com]

In my opinion, there is no such thing as a wrong song at your wedding reception. The decision is that of the couple...nobody else need like it...or understand why they chose it. They may have chosen it because it was the song playing in the bar when they met, or the song that was #1 the day he asked her to be his girlfriend or just a song they have both loved. The night I met my husband the first thing we did was talk long and hard about "Angry Chair" by Alice in Chains, so it is definitely the song I associate with him. Romantic...no.

Songs have different meanings for different people. I do happen to think Every Breath You Take is a beautiful song. Very beautiful in fact. I have my own meaning for the song...which may or may not be what it is really about (any time I ever heard Sting talk about the song, he did not say it was about stalking, but it might be) but it becomes what it means to you, in my opinion.

At my first wedding, the song we got the mothers up on the dance floor for was "Sporting a Woodie"...maybe not approprite per se, but everybody had fun!

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

I was feeling snarky when I wrote that - and honestly, I try to be of the mindset that whatever makes the couple happy ... go for it!

And I love "Every Breath You Take" - it's a great song. To me, it just seems kind of stalker-y ... lol

Maybe it's just because I've never been married - and as long as the laws are the way they are, it may never happen (legally). So I could risk eating crow if I do end up planning a wedding of my own! :-D

[bexone.livejournal.com]

My cousin Jennifer's first dance with her husband was to "She's Got Legs" by ZZTop. o_O And there was some song that the dj played at my other cousin Jenny's wedding that I am totally blanking on right now, but it was either about or from the perspective of the "other woman." O_O That particular DJ was kind of a giant ball of inappropriateness, though, start to finish. (He was a friend of the family and had volunteered his services in lieu of a gift; he figured that the setting -- a park next to the beach in Santa Barbara -- meant that he could show up in shorts and a tshirt and flipflops even though the wedding itself was semiformal; he was drunk before the [less than 10 minutes by my mom's watch!] ceremony had even ended.)

That said, I cannot stand any use of any Fiddler on the Roof song at weddings, but that may have more to do with the fact that I hate those songs anyway than any appropriate/inappropriateness of theme!

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Wow - that DJ sounds really bad! Was he trying to avoid getting future gigs or something?

Songs from the other woman's perspective are never a good idea. And from what little I know about Fiddler On The Roof, those songs may not be all that appropriate either!

[bexone.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure the guy was, like, an actual dj -- like I said, that was his way of getting out of buying them a wedding present. ^_~

And Sunrise, Sunset seems to be the default for the father/daughter dance, at least at the weddings I wind up at. *gag*

[season.livejournal.com]

crash into me by the dave matthews band. its the stalkers anthem, i tell you. sure its pretty sounding. but listen to the lyrics.. that song is creepy!

[mom-o-cass.livejournal.com]

I agree!! i was at a wedding a few years ago and they used that for the first dance – it was creepier, the bride was 18 and the groom 37, and he had not stalked her but really pursued her is a creepy way.
I think “Crush” by DMB is a good wedding-y song.

[mom-o-cass.livejournal.com]

Michael and I danced our ‘first dance’ to Ben Folds’ “The Luckiest”. My mother felt it was a bad choice because the song mentions people dying. I feel it’s one of the most romantic songs ever. I think she would have passed out if we used our other choice, “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab For Cutie. Our other special dance was the ‘last dance’ of the night and we used a Guster song “I hope Tomorrow Is Like Today” which I thought was perfect as well. A couple I’ve known forever danced to the gorgeous song “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley and I thought while it was a beautiful and meaningful song to them, it was still strange to me to think of the lyrics and a marriage.