So, what’s on my mind this week?
I dunno. I’m seriously dragging today. The kids were…well, loopy today. I was sure it had to be a full moon, but no. It’s a new moon. But not on Monday. 😉
Bought myself a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks and put some upbeat dance tunes on the iPod. That’s helping, but I don’t know how long it’s going to last. I just want to go home and crash. Thankfully, I don’t really have to *teach* tonight…just lead a peer editing workshop.
Other than that? I’ve been thinking a lot about DJs, and why I don’t want one for my wedding (Rand and I are going to go the iPod/computer route. We have a friend to serve as emcee when necessary, and we have or can get all the necessary equipment). Ninety-five percent of the time, I leave a wedding talking about how crappy the DJ was. He played inappropriate music. He mispronounced people’s names. He made lame jokes. Etc. If you’ve known me for any amount of time, you know that I have a huge beef with inappropriate wedding music. (not talking about the first dance songs, of course. that’s the fault of the bride and groom…)
For example, I’m not sure why you would ever play “Jesus Take the Wheel” as a slow dance at a wedding. Or “American Soldier.” The huh? I mean, I just think the slow songs at a wedding should be, y’know, about love. And the happy love kind. Not the “I’m crazy for lovin’ youuuuuuuuu…” kind.
And now for some audience participation…what’s one song you think absolutely *must* be played at a wedding (slow or upbeat) and one that you think should be banned forever?
It’s just not a wedding reception without “Everything You’ve Done Wrong” by Sloan! 🙂 Also, “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang – that’s a given.
And as much as I love Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” album, I don’t think “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” should be played at a wedding reception (and I’ve heard it many times)! I mean, I think the last verse is:
So now I’m praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I have to spend another minute with you
I don’t think that I can really survive
I’ll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I’m praying for the end of time
It’s all that I can do
Praying for the end of time
So I can end my time with you
The other problem with this song is, what are you supposed to do on the dance floor during the baseball commentary interlude? Make out?
I dunno about What Must Be Played … though I’m kinda partial to “Funkytown” myself, as a song that’s appropriate for any and all occasions. *smiles* Talk about it talk about it talk about it talk about it.
But as for Song To Be Banned: I wish every DJ on the planet could be issued, as part of some DJ Ten Commandments Stone Tablets, Commandment #1: “Lo, ‘Every Breath You Take’ is NOT a romantic ballad. It is a STALKERISH PORTRAIT OF OBSESSION AND POSSESSION that Sting wrote for his DIVORCE.” (Still like the song, though.)
Addendum: Same goes for R.E.M.’s “The One I Love.” And, for that matter, the Four Tops’ “Bernadette.”
So much to say! But first I offer the must: Endless Love via Vibraphone (at least at Erin’s Wedding) and Must Not: Cha-Cha Slide.
I have never been to a wedding ever… where any Sloan song was played, that I know of…wow we move in different circles!
And Mark said the same thing about Paradise, they played it at my Aunt and Uncles Wedding Anniversary party and they both got up and sang it to each other. Of course, I thought of how cute Erin and Kenya were in college when they were NOT MAKING OUT but singing back and forth to this song too, but then it was a sorority function and NOT a wedding.
As my brother has told me, the ADPi’s have *ruined* just about every song…(when I hear Celebrate good times…it immediately turns into “Alpha Delta Pi’s C’mon!”
Just to note: the DJ at my wedding was working exclusively from a playlist that *I* gave him. So you never know when the music that you thought was totally ridiculous was actually chosen by one of the wedding party… 🙂
How about a band? A band can read a mood and pull out an appropriate tune from a list of 3,000 or so that they know. (Psst: Sid Winkler Band…)
Also… I dunno about the must-play or banned-forever, other than FOR GOD’S SAKE PEOPLE *LISTEN* TO THE LYRICS. Really all of my ‘oh god that’s inappropriate’ reactions have always come down to that. 🙂 (Like the DJ who used to kick off the five o’clock ‘attitude adjustment hour’ every day with The Wallflowers’ ‘One Headlight’. Hello? Song about a girl who killed herself?
But for another piece of unsolicited advice: one of the few things I genuinely regret about my own wedding choices was caving in to someone else’s opinion about the music. For many reasons, “our song” was really Dave Matthews Band’s “Crash”, and that’s what I wish I’d had for our first dance. But one of my cousins had commented about how offensive she found some of the lyrics, and not wanting to piss any of my family off, I chose a different Dave Matthews song… which was nice, but was one that didn’t really have any meaning for us (other than being Dave Matthews– the first concert we went to together.)
I really, REALLY wish I’d just said “fuck them all, it’s MY wedding” and played the song I wanted to play. So when you’re loading your ipod, just remember to say “fuck ’em all”. It’s YOUR wedding. 🙂
don’t know about songs that should or shouldn’t be played, but in my fam we’ve sort of started a tradition. every wedding has queen’s “another one bites the dust” played & dedicated to the groom. it always seems to get a laugh out of people. my brother actually wanted that song as the one played when he and his wife were introduced!
as for “paradise by the dashboard light”, a friend had that played at her wedding and she and her groom sang it to each other. they’re now divorced. go figure.
No Electric Slide.
And 1 for D2 shout-out!
Confession: the Sloan song was a wee little joke. See here:
It’s so not dorky to think that! I think most women do, at least I know I did. I would tell Niels every now and then the same thing, and now I say “Wow! We’re *married*!” and he just laughs. Wish I could see your dress, the photo’s blocked.