Uncertain Principles

I once eavesdropped at a wedding reception in Utah and was horrified to note that the live band played "Fire and Rain" not once but twice!

Posted by: crowther | September 1, 2010 3:22 PM

Beats "Strok'in" by Clarence Carter I guess, but not by much.

PBDL is one of those songs that is best the first time you hear it and benefits greatly from massive consumption of alcohol, but becomes more tedious with every playing. "Freebird" is another; mitigated by lashings of talented guitar work. Meatloaf seems to me to be a loser garage band that was rescued from obscurity by an alien wearing a black lace trimmed red corset and fishnet stockings, who proceeds to slay the singer with an ice axe. This scene often elicits applause from people who have hear Meatloaf one too many times.

On the other hand "Strokin" is shorter, doesn't require attention to a back story, and has a catchy beat. And if you don't pay much attention the really offensive part slips by unnoticed.

Posted by: Art | September 1, 2010 3:54 PM

Actually, off the same Meat Loaf album, "Two out of three ain't bad" might be considered at least contrary to other things that were said at the wedding...

At one wedding reception I attended the DJ played Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". Which is a perfectly fine song on the merits (and was among the bride's favorites), except that it is a contender for the ultimate breakup song. Not the most auspicious thing to play at a wedding reception. I don't think it ultimately mattered; the couple in question are still together, mumble years later.

Come to think of it, the "praying for the end of time" section at the end of PBDL isn't really all that appropriate, either, and for a similar reason. But that's not my call.

Posted by: Eric Lund | September 1, 2010 4:16 PM

Also, if it's a shotgun wedding, PbtDL might be mandatory.

Posted by: Captain C | September 1, 2010 6:08 PM

"Paradise" is absolutely the wrong song to use at a wedding; my ghu, the lyrics... Then again, I've heard "Every Breath You Take" by the Police as a wedding choice which also boggled me for total inappropriateness of sentiment.

-- Steve

Posted by: Anton P. Nym | September 1, 2010 6:27 PM

Actually, it has been kind of traditional amongst my college friends to play that song at their wedding receptions. Because we are inappropriate, that way.

Posted by: Pam | September 1, 2010 7:11 PM

Captain C at #7 and #8 may in fact be familiar with the specific Wednesday night events in which the song became significant for the person I was talking to, prompting this poll.Oh, I'd assumed I prompted this (I'm honored, I think...) so I'm aware of the significance in *this* case. I just feared what readers voting for that option might be envisioning.

(It's not at all wedding-appropriate, but as long as it's not for the first dance, or heaven forbid the ceremony, I'm not much bothered about how wedding-appropriate songs during the reception are. Especially for after last call. Now we just need to decide on a !@# first dance song.)

Posted by: Jennifer | September 1, 2010 8:43 PM

Also, if it's a shotgun wedding, PbtDL might be mandatory.

If it's a shotgun wedding, Billy Idol's "White Wedding" or the Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" are probably better choices. At least people can dance to those two songs. The relationship implied in the former song is something best not thought about at a wedding reception, though.

Then again, I've heard "Every Breath You Take" by the Police as a wedding choice which also boggled me for total inappropriateness of sentiment.

If both bride and groom are of a certain age--roughly speaking, born between 1961 and 1975--then they probably remember this song as a hit without having thought about what the lyrics are suggesting. The reinterpretation of this song as a stalker's anthem came several years later.

Posted by: Eric Lund | September 2, 2010 9:48 AM

That "reinterpretation" of the Police song is from Sting, who ought to know. There are a lot of hit songs with lyrics that are disturbing if you listen to them; Dave Barry argued years ago that this doesn't matter, because teenagers (the target audience for new music) aren't listening to the lyrics anyway.

Posted by: Vicki | September 2, 2010 12:04 PM

I personally get really tired of hearing the "Rose". I know it's really popular but jeez, it gets annoying. Maybe its just a thing in my area.

Maybe I should move.

Posted by: peter - home speaker blog | November 2, 2010 11:54 AM