I don’t plan to ever get married, but that doesn’t mean that I (like every other girl in America) haven’t ever thought about what song I would want played at my wedding. When I was younger, I wanted my wedding song to be “Rainbow Connection” (though I prefer the Willie Nelson version to Kermit the Frog). At some point, I think I outgrew “the lovers, the dreamers and me” stuff, though I still thought it was possible that I might still marry at some point. After I got a little older, there was a long period that I wanted my wedding song to be the Dixie Chicks’ “I’ll Take Care of You,” which I still think is a super-sweet and realistically romantic song. Then, for a whole lot of reasons, I guess I just stopped thinking about a wedding as a realistic– or desirable– thing for my life, and the whole idea of picking a wedding song just kind of fell by the wayside.
Today’s 30 Day Song Challenge made me realize that I hadn’t really stopped thinking about it, though… because as soon as I read the prompt, I knew exactly which song I would want played at my wedding. I can’t remember when I decided on this one since I can’t even remember the last time I really thought about a wedding that might involve me. At any rate, this is the song that I would want. It’s Percy Sledge‘s “Warm and Tender Love,” which is on a lot of albums, including his 1990 The Best of Percy Sledge. Here it is:
First of all, I love that there are practically no other lyrics to this whole song EXCEPT the inimitably sweet invitation to “let me wrap you in my warm and tender love.” I’m not sure what else a person could want than that. Everything about this song is warm and tender: the sentiment, the organ, the back-up singers, the horns, and those sweet, sweet vocals of Percy Sledge himself. I know that, quite often, weddings are more about the families and friends and guests than they are about the betrothed, so I like the idea of playing a song like this that is both demonstrative of a powerful love and at the same time very, very intimate.
So, if any of you out there were thinking of courting Dr. J, you better make your peace with Percy first.
I was going to sing "I'll Take Care of You" at your wedding. So much for my wedding singing career, I guess. but…I love, love, love Percy! Good choice
Oh Dr. J, I love you so, but I ain't the marrying kind!
I've never, once, ever considered the song I'd play at my wedding! (Possibly because I have never, once, ever, even for a second, considered that such an event would ever come to pass!) Funeral yes. 🙂