What song to perform at friend's wedding?

November 6, 2006 12:16 PM

Three friends and I are going to have to perform a song at a friend's non-traditional wedding. The hunt for the perfect song is on. More details to follow...

All three of us are mediocre guitar players, and we will only have acoustic guitars. To make matters worse, all of us (and the groom) have rather unusual taste in music. Our music that we enjoyed together (and still enjoy now) ranges/ranged from The Pixies, Ministry, REM, Revolting Cocks, Wolfgang Press, The Feelies, Beastie Boys, Cake, Sonic Youth, Soul Coughing, Pop Will Eat Itself, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beck, Tom Waits, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, etc.

Does anyone know of any good songs that can be translated to acoustic guitar and are fairly appropriate for a wedding? I really don't want to just come up with cliche some Dylan or Beatles song. Oh, and everyone who's involved is an atheist, so religious themes wouldn't fly.
Thanks.

posted by tom_g to Media & Arts (36 answers total)

Ween "Oh my Dear (falling in love)" sung in falsetto, really easy to learn.
posted by iurodivii at 12:22 PM on November 6, 2006

Beaver Patrol by PWEI.

(Sorry. But) ...the intro is probably enough to make everyone who knows it laugh, and then you can go into something more sensible.
posted by handee at 12:23 PM on November 6, 2006

Response by poster: by the way, not looking for songs just from those bands. I just thought I'd list those to give a general idea on musical taste. Also, yeah - I know the music is a bit dated. I'm old.
posted by tom_g at 12:23 PM on November 6, 2006

If you like REM, "You Are Everything" is kind of nice, and easy on the guitar. In fact, if one guitarist capos it high enough (like the 12th fret) you can get sort of a pseudo-mandolin sound.

Of course, I suggest also learning "I Know It's Over" by the Smiths as well, and insist as long as you can that it is "the song you chose." :-)
posted by 4ster at 12:30 PM on November 6, 2006

Is this instrumental or will some of you be singing? If singing, how many singers?

I recently recorded an acoustic guitar instrumental of Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow you Into the Dark" for a friend's wedding procession. Depending on what kind of atheists they are, that might be an appropriate choice. Here's the chorus:

"If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied,
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs,
if there's no-one beside you when your soul embarks,
I will follow you into the dark."
posted by scottreynen at 12:46 PM on November 6, 2006

Response by poster: scottreynen - we'll be taking turns singing most likely.
Thanks for the Death Cab suggestion. It's an emotional song, but the whole 'heaven and hell' and 'soul' thing would be out of place at this event.
posted by tom_g at 12:56 PM on November 6, 2006

Have you heard of the Magnetic Fields? I bet there is one song out of these 69 that would be very easy to adapt.

The good thing about these songs are that they are pretty funny so people listening won't get bored.
posted by milarepa at 12:57 PM on November 6, 2006

Ween has a lot of great strange love songs.

Stay Forever is my favorite, more serious than the first comment (which I still like).

Even though it's not that weird, the one syrupy ballad most people with weird tastes can get behind is "time after time."

If you have good singing voices, then "2-Step" by Low is the best.

On preview: My Magnetic Fields suggestion would be "All My Little Words." Great stuff.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:07 PM on November 6, 2006

Tom Waits' "I hope that I don't fall in love with you" would be perfect for three guitars and a voice, especially if you could feign a crush on the bride and sing it directly to her, slightly camped up. ;)
posted by pmbuko at 1:36 PM on November 6, 2006

"All My Little Words" is a little depressing for a wedding.
Better songs for a wedding off "69 Love Songs":

The Book Of Love
Parades Go By
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing
When My Boy Walks Down The Street
World Love
Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin
posted by Sara Anne at 1:37 PM on November 6, 2006

Magnetic Fields was a good suggestion.

I would also suggest "Question" from the Old 97s, or "First Day Of My Life" by Bright Eyes.
posted by GregW at 2:11 PM on November 6, 2006

Here is a video of Ben Lee covering "Question" so you can hear what it sounds like.

It looks pretty easy to play...
posted by GregW at 2:15 PM on November 6, 2006

Another One Bites the Dust

Ok, ok, just kidding. It didn't fly at my friend's wedding either.
posted by Cog at 2:20 PM on November 6, 2006

"Water is Wide" by Karla Bonoff - a traditional song (not for weddings) written in the 1800's.
"For My Lady" by the Moody Blues
"It couldn't be better" by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils

All are acceptable for acoustic guitar, and you only need be an acceptable (not exceptional) vocalist to sing them.

Good luck! oh, and also to the bride and groom ;)
posted by fox_terrier_guy at 2:25 PM on November 6, 2006

I see other people have already recommended the Magnetic Fields; my own suggestion is "The Book of Love."
posted by dfan at 2:35 PM on November 6, 2006

My absolute favorite, and it will play at my wedding, whenever that is, would be "A Long Time Ago" by Jim Croce.

My favorite part is:

We spent the whole night talkin'
You said you'd like to see the sunrise
But in the gold of mornin'
Was nothing I had not seen in your eyes
posted by slavlin at 2:39 PM on November 6, 2006

We are using the Magnetic Field's It's Only Time. It would probably be easy to adapt to acousitc guitar and it's short.
posted by Alison at 2:39 PM on November 6, 2006

Perhaps Forever Instant by Lou Barlow, or Tree by Sebadoh (also written by L.B.)?
posted by loiseau at 2:52 PM on November 6, 2006

Favorite love song ever: Sweet Avenue by Jets to Brazil.

I also heartily second Magnetic Fields.
posted by faunafrailty at 3:22 PM on November 6, 2006

I think Un bel dí vedremo would be rather smashing.
posted by oxford blue at 3:32 PM on November 6, 2006

The acoustic version of the Postal Service's Such Great Heights on the Garden State soundtrack always makes me think of my wife and smile.
posted by frogan at 3:35 PM on November 6, 2006

Friend of mine had "Let's get married" by the Proclaimers. Worked very well.
posted by alasdair at 3:46 PM on November 6, 2006

Hotel Yorba by The White Stripes.
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 4:28 PM on November 6, 2006

Tom Wait's "Blind Love" would be quite easy to play and arrange for whatever flavour of 3-part harmony you can get together. So would "Picture in a Frame" (which has perfect lyrics for a wedding I think).
posted by rongorongo at 4:30 PM on November 6, 2006

Jayhawks--I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. All open chords if you want to keep it simple, plus some opportunity for backup singers to chime in.
posted by Kibbutz at 4:56 PM on November 6, 2006

Thank You by Led Zeppelin
I'll Be Your Mirror by Velvet Underground
Thirteen by Big Star
posted by extrabox at 6:58 PM on November 6, 2006

My brother used Tom Waits Picture in a Frame. It was very sweet.
posted by susanbeeswax at 7:25 PM on November 6, 2006

Ben Fold's The Luckiest is a kickass love song that would be perfect for a wedding, IMO.
posted by jtfowl0 at 8:58 PM on November 6, 2006

My absolute favourite wedding song is At Last, by Etta James. It's full of syrup-y strings, so it might not be appropriate for three acoustic guitars, but the song is wonderful.

Perfect by Fairground Attraction might also by a good song for you guys. Easily done on guitar, fine for harmonising, check out the youtube video.

Another song I've always felt might be nice at a wedding, altho maybe inappropriate is Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Something Stupid".

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck!
posted by ashbury at 8:59 PM on November 6, 2006

Rikki Lee Jones does a great duet version of "One Hand One Heart" from West Side Story. Heard it at a (cool) wedding and it was awesome - sung by friends, not pros.
posted by qwip at 11:19 PM on November 6, 2006

It might almost be worth getting married just to play "Do You Realize" by the Flaming Lips at the wedding.
posted by ibmcginty at 12:27 AM on November 7, 2006

Waste by Phish. It's not the least bit negative, despite the title. Here are the lyrics.

Here's Dave Mathews and Trey Anastasio singing it as a duet on YouTube at Bonnaroo '04. It's all syrupy sweet 'cause Trey had just announced that Phish would disband in three months.

While on the hippy side of things, maybe a re-invention of Scarlet Begonia's by the Dead? Sublime sure as hell had fun turning it into a ska song :-)

Still thinking too hippy... but what about No Woman, No Cry? I've got a Matisyahu cover of him really twisting it into something very energetic and fun.

Moving into indie territory, the music behind Ugly Casanova's [an Isaac Brock side project] Hotcha Girls is ripe for stealing and rewording the lyrics. Very sugary weddingly sweet. It's easy to play.

Iron & Wine's Fever Dream is nice, but it might be a bit too niche-y on the vocals for most to pull off.
posted by trinarian at 1:01 AM on November 7, 2006

Seconding "Nothing Matters When We're Dancing" by Magnetic Fields.
posted by Jofus at 3:03 AM on November 7, 2006

She Sells Sanctuary
by the Cult
posted by rileyray3000 at 5:48 AM on November 7, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Some good suggestions.
posted by tom_g at 6:40 AM on November 7, 2006

I've always thought The Zombies song "Friends of Mine" would be the best wedding song to play for a friend ever. It's really a nice sentiment without being all sappy.
posted by audrey the bug at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2006