Proving that he was ahead of his time, Phil Collins already has dibs on the word-now-ubiquitous-to-Danita's-lexicon, "seriously," having titled his album from 1989, "... But Seriously" -- which is seriously something I say as much as possible every single day. Most of the time without even realizing it. (Sure Grey's Anatomy has done its fair share of bidding on the word and saying it compels me to challenge my inner Meredith and Yang on a basis that's so constant it's flatline.)
But whatever.
What a dandy album that was, in my opinion. Four solid songs -- "Something Happened On the Way to Heaven," "Do You Remember?," "Another Day In Paradise" and my personal favorite, "I Wish It Would Rain Down." Nothin' like a Clapton-wailin' guitar and a choir to give a song some emotion. I don't know if it was the video for "Something" or what, but that song came on my Pandora today and I was some kind of happy chair dancin' person. It was awesome. Not "Sussudio" awesome, but still pretty darn great.
It's amazing to me how much "lite rock" I know ... and love ... but it's SO good! Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Elton John, the Bee Gees, Steely Dan, Michael Bolton, Journey & Steve Perry, Chicago during the Cetera/Karate Kid soundtrack years, Mike & the Mechanics, Kenny Loggins and on and on.
Lately, I've been watching quite a few of those wedding shows, and I watched this one the other day. The bride was really lovely and her dress was the best dress I'd seen on those shows period. It was gorgeous! Everything about her wedding struck me as lovely as I nodded my head along in almost constant approval -- flowers. Wonderful. Dress. Stellar. Bridesmaids. Lovely. Food. Supreme. Location. Fantastic. Everything was good. And then she -- with a "straight" smiling face -- in all honesty revealed that she and her husband had not practiced their first dance. Not once. And to what were they dancing?
"You Are," by Lionel Ritchie.
At first I was like, "You are what?," because I didn't think that was a song title. So mentally I started trolling my knowledge of his music library in my head and I thought, "No, it's not the jambo! jambo! karamu, fiesta, forever one, it's ... it's ... oh lord no. You ARE?! As in 'You ARE the sun, you ARE the rain that makes my life this foolish game ..."
AndI thought, "Lordy me. What kind of first song is that?"
I mean, I get it, but the first song? I mean, it's not the biggest deal really, because it could be said that too much is made of weddings -- just that one day -- as it is, but come on. This wedding was a destination platinum wedding, and while I wasn't exactly expecting something all hoity-toity or stately, I certainly wasn't expecting "You Are." I mean I was even ready for some Styx's "Babe I Love You," Shania and some "From This Moment," "You Light Up My Life," or even "Endless Love," but "You Are?"
Mercy, mercy me.
This of course, led me to ponder what my first song would be, which led me to ponder lots of things, but since those things are neither here nor there, I'll resort to lists, because I have to at least account for the setting and the man ... and perhaps most importantly of all I have to account for me. Will I be Etta James's "At Last" relieved? Or will it be more like Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus?
What kind of woman will I be on that day? I've been at weddings where Bebe & Cece Winans's "I'm Lost Without You" was the first dance, and while I think that's a sweet sentiment, I was always under the impression that they were lost without God and not another human being, but then, if you are united by God then I guess it follows that the love is in fact, sanctified. But will I just want to cut loose and have it be all about fun, or will it be pure romance? Old school? Classic?
Dunno, but here's my list, in no particular order from which I shall one day choose ... well, you know, if ... ;)
- Sinatra - All the Way
- Barry White - My First, My Last, My Everything
- Ben E. King - Stand By Me
- Chaka Khan - Love Me Still
- Sam Cooke - You Send Me
- Taylor Dayne - I'll Always Love You
- Anita Baker - Giving You the Best That I've Got
My dad - God bless him because he jokes every week that he doesn't know if he'll live to see it - but our first dance will be to King Curtis's "Soul Serenade." Mags and I will two-step to The Isley's "For the Love of You" because that's our favorite song and Kim and I will tear it up to all of the Gap Band's greatest hits -- "Burn Rubber" and "Oops Upside Your Head" obviously excepted due to not-so-lovey content.
And I don't know if this is just typical of me or what, but I felt the need to ponder a list of breakup songs ... you know, "Just in cases." :) However I would like to say that I feel breakup songs are easier because to me, I feel they inspire songs more than love itself, as absence makes the heart grow fonder.
- Annie Lennox - "Why"
- Bonnie Raitt - "I Can't Make You Love Me"
- Al Green - "For the Good Times"
- Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
- Angie Stone - "I Wish I Didn't Miss U"
- umph. and this is totally old school, but The Manhattans - "Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye"
- Eva Cassidy - "Time Is a Healer"
- Billie Holliday - "Good Morning, Heartache"
- Gladys Knight & the Pips - "Neither One of Us"
- The Jackson 5 - "Never Can Say Goodbye"
- Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam - "All Cried Out"
- The Gap Band - "Yearning"
- James Taylor - "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
- Marc Broussard - "Let Me Leave"
And then I stayed on "woe is me way" and thought about funeral songs. I feel quite a few from above could easily apply, because I love them that much, but I also feel that Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" would fit well, too.
- Tramaine Hawkins or the MS Mass Choir - "Goin' Up Yonder" -- that is my JAM, y'all. That song comes on and I tell you. I go. Not all the way up yonder, but I do gets high.
- Rev. James Cleveland and the MS Mass Choir - "Peace Be Still"
- The Clark Sisters - "You Brought the Sunshine"
There are many others, but I feel this is a quality start. More about more songs and times for certain songs tomorrow ...
In the meantime, this is the song I've played on repeat at least 5 times over the course of writing this post:
From "French Cafe" by Marc Broussard ....
And I stop to catch my breath
On the slippery steps of Angouleme
And with my little finger
Across the town I write your name
I can't stop drinking the wine
Can't stop counting the days
A world apart, an ocean away
Just loving you baby
Sittin' here, loving you
From this little French cafe