2/14/2008

Mind If I Cut In?

During lunch today, the topic drifted to a discussion of the song You Raise Me Up made famous by Josh Groban and now that über geek from American Idol.

Someone said that at the last few weddings they attended, the groom danced with his mother to that song. I immediately felt ill at the treacly image and said that the lyrics were probably more suited to lovers rather than blood relations.

Everyone disagreed and said it was a lovely and appropriate song. What's wrong with you? they asked. Knowing there simply wasn't time enough for a comprehensive answer to their question, I looked up the lyrics to prove my point.

After highlighting the following verse from the song, everyone ewwwwwwed right along with me and I was happy my disgust hadn't been misplaced.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

My theory was that people are so lazy, they're probably mistaking the title of the song to mean You Raised Me. My horror grew when I did a search on mother / son wedding dance songs and this popped up.

Now I'm really horrified but mostly because Superfreak didn't make the cut.

42 comments:

Jake's Mom said...

I am not fond of being the first commentor, but lazy as I am it's now or...
I agree with you about familiarity... it breeds children, and the two should never meet as anything except, parent & child.
I was used to hearing that song played many times over after 9-11-2001. I associate it with that, death per say.
But I also look at it in a religious sense. When I need help I look up. I prefer to think of this song in this way for me.
And ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww is right for it being in a wedding.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

I've never heard that song, but it reminded me of a wedding I attended once where the bride and groom's first dance was to the song Tennessee Waltz, the words which go like so:
"I was dancing with my darling to the Tennessee Waltz when an old friend I happened to see, introduced her to my lover and while they were waltzing, my friend stole my sweetheart from me."
Suitable for a wedding, eh?

I snorted my wine out my nose and my date was mortified.

Dread Pirate Jessica said...

Oh, puke. Thank god I'll never be a groom, mid-life crisis notwithstanding.

Dale said...

I like the song Jake's Mom (especially when the choir kicks in) and can see how it could be used in a number of ways but as a wedding dance with Mom, it's just faulty thinking.

Now that's a perfect first dance Barbara, haha. I'm not a big fan of weddings but it sounds like maybe I've just been going to the wrong ones all this time.

I could have continued with the Father/Daughter songs Mistress but I was scared someone would bring up the song 'Butterfly Kisses'. And by bring up, puke is really what I was going for.

Anonymous said...

I'm just sorry you had to go to a wedding.

Tanya Espanya said...

Puke is right. But how about that stomach-turning Butterfly Kisses that was so popular a while back?

Old Lady said...

Treacly? Now I have to look that up.

Chris the Hippie said...

At least it wasn't "Tube Snake Boogie."

I played in various local bands for years and years. We fought tooth and nail to avoid playing weddings, but we occasionally got roped into doing them for friends (who generally never spoke to us again after the wedding dance). You'd be amazed at what "special songs" people expect you to learn for their wedding... One wedding the bride and groom made us play the Hokey Pokey for their first dance. The event went downhill from there.

Old Lady said...

Old Lady runs screaming in the opposite direction toward the odious Father/Daughter Song nightmare that is to come.

Chancelucky said...

Groom-Mother of Groom wedding songs. my list

1) I like Big Butts I can not lie
2) Desperado
3) Billie Jean
4) Bohemian Rhapsody
5) YMCA

Tanya Espanya said...

Dale, my apologies to you and your readers as obviously I am a complete mental defective and didn't realize you'd written about the putrid Butterfly Kisses in your reply.

I hang my head in shame and continue to hate myself more than even you could.

But may I just add that when I saw the title of your post, my brain added an N to the CUT...I know, it's like that discount you wrote about once.

BeckEye said...

People are lazy. That's why so many people in the 80s used The Police's "Every Breath You Take" as their wedding song, when it's a freaking song about stalking someone.

Remember the dude on Idol last year who dedicated "Sexual Healing" to his parents??? That was classic. If he ever gets married, I'm guessing that his mother-son dance will be to "Me So Horny."

And I fucking hate that Josh Grobin song. I do a really great version of it though. I used to sing it to one of my co-workers and he got the biggest kick out of it. I just sing like I have a big lump of peanut butter stuck in my throat. Next time you come to NYC, get me drunk and I'll sing it for you.

Cup said...

What about "She's a Bad Mama Jama"?

Leonesse said...

Dale, I went to a wedding that had a money dance. The mother went up and shoved money waaaayyyyyy down into his crotch. And I mean, up the the elbow.

Beckeye, is that invite only for Dale? I would love to go to NY and get you drunk.

paperback reader said...

Sometimes, it's nice to not know anything about songs, shows, or anything else popular, because then you can still hold out a tiny bit of hope in people.

Then, when you realize everyone spends their free time watching a subpar karaoke competition, you can give up on humanity.

Dale said...

Want to come to the next one Franki?

Tanya, see my earlier comment you big doorknob.

Know that I'd never use that word in relation to you Old Lady.

The Hokey Pokey Chris? Oh my. I hope their marriage went downhill too, it really deserved to. If not, I hope you at least played it badly.

Odious. I'll have to look that up. Okay, I don't have to but I wanted to even the score Old Lady.

I'd love to see them go at it to Billie Jean Chancelucky! Not go at it that way, you know what I meant.

Tanya, I'm sorry for calling you a doorknob earlier (especially since I'd already read your apology). I meant to call you 'The Hated'. Love, The Haterator. Haha, the discount...good times.

I forgot about the Sexual Healing squirmathon Beckeye. Now I can't wait to get you hammered to hear your dulcet or not so dulcet tones. I'm a wuss for saying it but I like it. I'm not a stalker though. The R.E.M. song 'The One I Love' is another example of lazy thinking when people think it's all good.

I will pay you to sing it live so the happy(ish) couple can dance to it Beth.

That's beyond gross Leonesse, I wish I'd been there. When shall we make our way to the big city to hear Beckeye warble?

Don't give up on us baby... I knew fear and loathing would be the order of the day as soon as I mentioned American Idol, Pistols.

BeckEye said...

Whoever wants to come to NY and get me drunk is more than welcome. The more the merrier. (And in my case, the drunkier.)

Tanya Espanya said...

Beckeye, we still on for Friday March 28? I'll have a baby with me so I don't know how drunky I'll get...what the hell, we'll make Rowbear be in charge of Alexander.

Dale said...

Drunkier should definitely be a word if it ain't already!

Tanya, you're going to NY and I'm not (that you know of). See why the hating's so important to me? :-)

Allison said...

Josh Groban...the name is not ringing a bell...those lyrics are beyond ew for a wedding though, and the list, terrifying. Probably equally so if one were to search for daughter/father songs. Which now of course I must do. ;)

WendyB said...

My dad and I cut a rug to "Erotic City." What? Is that peculiar?

Anonymous said...

Roberta Flack is on that mother/son list.

"The first time ever we et ceteraed and definitely ad nauseumed..."

Treacly Golden Syrup it is not.

wonderturtle said...

HahahahahahahaHA! I wish I were a boy getting married so I could pick Chicago.

Joe said...

We had our wedding reception in a punk rock bar, and I don't remember doing all those traditional wedding dances

Tenacious S said...

Had kind of an unorthodox wedding myself, so there was no dancing. Quick and quiet cake with relatives at my parents' home and then off to a German restaurant and a lot of beer with our friends. Worked for me. No dancing and no very bad wedding music.

Cap'n Ergo "XL+II" Jinglebollocks said...

Huh... Now I don't feel so bad about playing "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood when me and me grandy-ma danced 2-gether...

Lord, I apologize...

Johnny Yen said...

I didn't listen to it, but does it sound anything Proud Mary or Kool and the Gang's Celebrate?

Dale said...

I'll expect a full quease-inducing report Allison.

Not at all Wendy B., you and your dad are hot!

Golden oldies might be more like it Wapentake. I shudder but not in a good way.

I know what you meant Wonderturtle but now I want to see you re-do the entire film Chicago at your wedding dance.

Traditional punk is a much better thing Bubs, that would have been a fun wedding.

Beer and more beer is a much better way to go Tenacious S. You're Tenacious! and S.!

No apology required Hot Lemon, I brought that song up when we were talking about it at work and made everyone sick. Of course, I left that part out of my post didn't I?

It sounds exactly like those Johnny Yen, only completely different.

Gifted Typist said...

Gag me with a rototiller.

Boldly Serving Up Wheat Grass said...

I didn't realize there even *was* a traditional groom/mother dance. I hope my mom's not too disappointed.

Valerie said...

We didn't have dancing at my wedding...thank goodness.

Dale, if you ever get married, you should have a special dance with the Korean Bagel Lady...

let's have a contest for your readers of what song it would be...

Deepti said...

Chancelucky, your comment almost made me spit out my coffee laughing!

Moderator said...

How romantic of you to post this on Valentine's Day.

X. Dell said...

You're observation is obviously correct. I mean, how many times has Bruce Springsteen's anti-jingoistic "Born in the USA" been used as jingoistic propaganda? People don't really listen to things closely, I'm afraid.

I could think of more appropriate mother/son songs, and many of them are listed at the link you provide. But all that aside, I wonder what Freud would say about all this.

BeckEye said...

We're on, Tanya. And don't worry about getting drunk in front of your baby. Britney does it all the time, and she's famous, y'all!

Don't forget your wig, but leave the underpants at home.

Coaster Punchman said...

I've never been a fan of the parent-child wedding dances. So there.

RC said...

i definitly have a memory of hearing this osng played at a high school graduation with the same theme as the mother/son wedding dance.

it's certainly overdone.

Unknown said...

My son and I did not dance at his wedding. They chose not to have that awkward dance..thanks Mike!

All of those songs are too mushy..ewwwww.

Dust In the Wind maybe!?

Anonymous said...

You did have to go and post this on Valentine's Day, you romantic, you.

I just hope none of us ever goes to a wedding where the groom dances with his mother-in-law to "Stacy's Mom."

I think the perfect song for the dance of mother and son--aside from the fact that it's hard to dance to--would be "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," because it recounts an epic battle between good and evil, and clearly Johnny had been well educated by his mother about important matters like how to resist being dragged down to hell by a fiddle-playing Satan. God knows if I ever had a son, I'd want him to understand such things, and I'd want everyone else to know how well I raised the little bastard (which is what he'd no doubt be, literally).

Old Lady said...

Alright, alright already. How much longer do we have to read about Josh????

BeckEye said...

Where the F are you? You haven't been killed and ground up to make some sort of crazy Korean cream cheesey spread, have you?

Dale said...

Sounds painful but appropriate to the situation Gifted Typist.

What she doesn't know won't hurt you BSUWG!

Good contest idea Valerie! I'd probably go with Tonight, I Celebrate My Love of Cheese Bagels With You At A Reduced Price.

Jane Austen Jr., thank you for swallowing.

I thought it made good sense Mr. Miller.

Freud would probably sit there waiting for the midnight dessert table to show up X. Dell.

She never wears underpants Beckeye, at least not where she should.

I approve of your so there-ing CP. What will you and George dance to?

Overdone and overwrought perhaps RC.

Dust in the Wind beats Wind Beneath My Wings Mel!

I had to look up the lyrics Holly and I share your hope! I'll play The Devil Went Down To Georgia on Guitar Hero for the couple who chooses the song.

I will do whatever it takes to screw Hot Lemon! Good post.

You love Josh and you know it Old Lady! Read it again.

I'm right here Beckeye. I've been busy kissing babies and shaking hands trying to get a promotion.