Love and Marriage

Songs idealizing marriage -- if sometimes only fleetingly or implicitly -- used to be pretty common in popular music, even in '60s rock. I am insufficiently up-to-date to know whether that's still the case, but here are some old examples, with a bonus or two at the bottom of the post. (Happy anniversary, Linda, a few days early.)

"Wedding bells are going to chime":

"Some day my name and hers are going to be the same":

Audio only"

"A lifetime of devotion."

Audio only:

"Then he asked me to be his bride."

"When I come home, I'll wear your wedding ring."

"A Pretty Girl to Love Me/With the Same Last Name as Mine (Gram Parsons, audio only)

"Let's Walk up to the Preacher/and Let Us Say I Do"

"Would you marry me anyway . . ."

. . .  to marry you and take you home.

"Hey, Paula, I want to marry you"

I hope we won't be hearing (or seeing) anything like this again:

Or this:

Then again,

John Hartford thinks otherwise: "And it's knowing I'm not shackled/By forgotten words and bonds/And the ink stains that are dried upon some line . . ."

There are plenty of divorce and break-up songs, especially in country music. I decided to include this one because of the jubilant lyrics and the delightful intro:

And in a much more depressing vein:

 

Comments

[cory]

Special song for tomorrow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-vYuV3OmhE

penned by Mann and Weil

[A Spy in the House of Love]

Excellent selection of songs, Steve.

Here are some of my favorites:

Buddy Holly, Peggy Sue Got Married:
https://youtu.be/tgA3WUFPiQk?feature=shared

Rolling Stones, That’s How Strong My Love Is
https://youtu.be/g17WEvG05Cw?feature=shared

ABBA, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
https://youtu.be/9NRVEpd9M0I

The Seekers, I’ll Never Find Another You (Judith joined the Choir Eternal in 2022)
https://youtu.be/hqMZePE7SQk?feature=shared

Paul Stookey, The Wedding Song (written for Peter Yarrow’s wedding)
https://youtu.be/1ZhTKAb7Ebg?feature=shared

Joan Baez, Sweet Sir Galahad (I first heard this at Woodstock, Sat morn 2 a.m. drifting off the the ethereal sound of Joanie’s voice)
https://youtu.be/R9cpBML9SoE?feature=shared

Tammy Wynette, Stand by Your Man
https://youtu.be/zc4e-HdlhPY

Suzy Bogguss, Someday Soon
https://youtu.be/6fM_jnS-MjY?si=-pjThzIq9GeVyrqm

If you like opera, follow what has to be the grandest story of marriage persuasion -- the final act of the Puccini opera Turandot
.
Read the synopsis here to set the scene (skip to Act III if impatient):
https://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Turandot/

Then go here for the three minute Finale:
https://youtu.be/YCTDEblTqOk?feature=shared