Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Selections from the Wedding Playlist

1. Wedding-Cocek. Serbian wedding music from the film Underground (1995), a satire of the history of Yugoslavia since World War II. An absolute gem of a film with a beautiful and exuberant soundtrack.

2. Wouldn’t it be Nice- The Beach Boys. This song begins, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were married…” Very appropriate.

3. Let the Good Times Roll- Ray Charles.

4. Jackson- Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

“We got married in a fever
Hotter than a pepper sprout”

The first time Kirsten ever sang karaoke was a duet with me at The Mint, a gay karaoke bar in San Francisco. Unfortunately, Kirsten was too shy to stick the microphone in her face so I had to sing a falsetto for June Carter Cash’s part in addition to my baritone for Johnny Cash. After we sang, we ran out of the bar, got the first cab, and went to visit Gruber at the Press Club where he was chef for the night. We got some free grub and tasted some excellent wine. A fun night.

5. Qué bueno baila usted- Beny Moré

6. Redondo Beach- Patti Smith

7. In my Life- The Beatles

“There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends
I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
there is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more.”

8. "The Girl is Mine" - Michael Jackson (with Paul McCartney)

9.Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Tori Amos

10."Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" - The Flaming Lips

This song--the sound, the lyrics-- really fits into the spirit with Henry Miller's thoughts on paradise and with the Adventure Buddies road philosophy. (For those of you who don't know, the Adventure Buddies are Kirsten, Kendall, Lupe & Marcos).

This road philosophy is hard to explain but it has to do with not waiting for a perfect moment but rather finding the beauty in the time that we are given. People can plan and plan until the end of their days but forget to take stock in the precious moments that they are given. Our wedding was not about planning and planning (sure there was some coordination involved), but it was more about finding the beauty in a sunset and in a few special friends that could be part of the moment that was given to us.

Here are the lyrics to this special song:

I was waiting on a moment
But the moment never came
All the billion other moments
Were just slipping all away
I must have been tripping
Were just slipping all away
Just ego tripping

I was wanting you to love me
But your love it never came
All the other love around me
Was just wasting all away
I must have been tripping
Was just wasting all away
Just ego tripping

I was waiting on a moment
But the moment never came -
But the moment never came -

11. "Joy Inside My Tears" - Stevie Wonder

12."With a Little Help from my Friends" - The Beatles

What would you THINK if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends.

What do I do when my love is away.
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I get high with a little help from my friends,
Mmm I'm gonna to try with a little help from my friends


13. "Ata Ndele Nde Oleli"- Franco & Le Tout Puissant OK Jazz

14. Stand By Me- Ben E. King

15. "Je t'aime moi non plus"- Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

16. "Strangers" - The Kinks

This is another beautiful road song about finding friends in foreign lands.

17. "This must be the place (naive melody)" - Talking Heads

18. "This is Us" - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris

19. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson

It was reported that my mom shook her booty to this song.

20. "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans"- Louis Armstrong

The first Adventure Buddies road trip was to New Orleans. A good time was had by all.

No comments: