Top Ten Inappropriate Songs Played At Weddings
I’m getting married in 2014 and I’ve already started on a bit of prep on the musical selections. It’s one of only a handful of jobs my bride to be has given me and I’m taking it very seriously. The music must be what the lady and I like but at the same time, it must not suck and the Macarena has been outlawed (unfortunately the chicken dance and YMCA are still in as I was only allowed to cut one).
And there is a ton of songs that get played at weddings that shouldn’t. It’s usually a case of people not really paying attention to the lyrics and the songs are lumped in as slow ballads instead of creepy and inappropriate. A lot of these songs could also be listed for high school dances as well but in any case these are the Top Ten Inappropriate Songs Played At Weddings!
10) Hinder – Lips Of An Angel
According to my fiancée, the customers at her work place have discussed using this song at their weddings. You know, a song about thinking about and sleeping with your mistress.
9) Live – Lightning Crashes
This is not a sappy song, it’s about an old lady dying and a baby being born and the word placenta is in it. Not exactly father daughter dance material.
8) Nazareth – Love Hurts
No… just no.
6) Whitney Huston – I Will Always Love You
Not a happy song, it’s all about holding on to the good memories and loving someone even when it’s over. Only play this one in order to give Dolly Parton a few bucks.
5) Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
A wedding staple since Titanic, I am convinced no one actually pays attention to the words or even what movie it came from. It’s about going on with life after the other person is either a) dead or b) gone.
4) Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
Okay, this song is kind of about sticking together when everyone is trying to pull you apart but let’s be honest here. If you’re getting married there’s this many (as the song describes) problems going on, you might want to rethink things.
3) U2 – With or Without You
This is really a song about problems in a relationship. The title alone really gives it away. You can really boil down the narrative to “I’m going to do this, with or without you.” Not the best foot to start your lives together on is it?
2) The Police – Every Breath You Take
What many declare as a nice romantic ballad is really a song from a stalker to his target. It’s not romantic, it’s down right disturbing and it’s not just me who thinks this. Sting wrote the song and had this to say:“One couple told me ‘Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!’ I thought, ‘Well, good luck.’
1) Billy Idol – White Wedding / Mony Mony
These two are tied for the Billy Idol slot. I don’t know what’s a worse thought; a song about a shotgun wedding (about Idol’s real life sister to boot) played at my wedding or a song with the crowd participation lyrics of “Get Laid, Get F**ked”… at my wedding… in front of my Granny… not cool.
Now there are a ton more that didn’t make the list. I’m sure you have your own list of songs so please feel free to share them in the comment section below. Like I said, I’m planning the music for my own wedding and if you can help me avoid some landmines, that’d be great.
Arcade Fire: Rebellion (Lies). Friends of friends had at play as they exited the church.
I would have gone with U2's One – which people use regularly as a wedding song. "You gave me nothing now it's all I've got"
Meat Loaf, "Paradise By the Dashboard Light". Not exactly a sunny outlook on the whole marriage thing.
REM, "The One I Love". Really, a lot of supposed "love" songs are actually a) break-up songs, b) wistful remembrances of ex-lovers, or c) anti-love songs.
There was a period when all the Italian weddings I had to attend always played Andrea Bocelli's duet "Vivo per Lei (I Live For Her)". It drove my sister crazy because the "her" the song refers to is music, which is a feminine noun in Italian.
Try by Blue Rodeo.
I got married last year and planning the music was the best part. A couple highlights were 'Meet Me in the Basement' Broken Social Scene it was used to introduce the wedding party. 'Holocene' Bon Iver in the background prior to ceremony. Pearl Jam's Version of 'Can't help falling in love' was our 1st dance. But here is where I hit a home run… I used 'Innocene' Airborne Toxic Event (Album Version) from 0:00 to 1:30 just for the instrumental while my bride strolled down the aisle.
My parents' wedding song was "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. The wedding took place in my grandma's living room. They're not together anymore.
I was a year and a half old, so I don't remember the wedding itself, but it certainly seems an appropriate choice in hindsight.
These comments need a 'like' button…LMAO Anon.
"Babe" by Styx. Opening lyric: "Babe I'm leaving"
I never understood why a friend of mine wanted to use "Beth" by Kiss. It's about a guy who would rather hang out with his pals then spend an evening with his girlfriend/wife.
Goddamned motherfucking "Picture" by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. This is a song about two addicts trying really hard to fuck. It's AWFUL.
I'm surprised no one mentioned Green Day Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)… The title says it all.
Hinder Lips of an Angel is the worst offender for me since the song came out. So many women tell me it's their couple's song. Crazy.
No macarena at my wedding either….but Limbo Rock WILL be played, damn it. I consider it to be the more dignified of the "dance" songs. Plus, I just want to see drunk wedding guests limbo. I predict hilarity.
We're coming up on our one year anniversary pretty quick. I too took the music list VERY seriously, and our DJ was awesome about having or getting every odd ball song on the list. I had to keep in mind that the audience wasn't just me, but my husband (I basically declared the music my role, he was allowed input if I approved), our parents and grandparents, siblings, friends, parent's friends, etc. Early on in the planning I was hell bent and determined to hear every single one of my damn songs. Our awesome DJ ever so gently had to remind me that he has to play requests made by guests, sometimes songs that you would have otherwise banned. Now I'm not a big dance music fan, but love 80s new wave and some pop. This got people moving, but they made their own requests too. I wouldn't have chosen Pink for my wedding, but someone did, so, I had to suck it up. Actually, the fact that people were dancing and having a blast made me totally happy, so it was all good. If your guests wanna dance, you hafta play what they want! I'd rather have people dancing than being the music overlord and expecting my 90 year old grandpa to enjoy listening to Buck65.
That's a really good way of looking at it, Tooks. 🙂
Rolling Stones “You can’t always get what you want”.