Story Behind The Song

My own wedding took place at night in the middle of the winter in St. Paul Minnesota. It was 14 below zero outside. There was no wine, because it was strictly long-necked Hamms beer, but there was one hell of a polka band at our particular VFW hall. Regardless of the setting and the weather, as far as I was concerned mine was a summertime wedding . . . because at some level, "they all are."

Song Description

This Wedding Song raises the magic and serendipity of falling in love and getting married and it incorporates many well-known wedding traditions and phrases. For example, in a religious ritual the minister will say "what God has put together let no man put asunder." Each of the two poles of that incantation is alluded to at the beginning of the first and second verses. In addition, there is a line which rifs the old call to "speak up now or forever hold your peace," with regard to known reasons that the man and woman shojldn't marry. That language is borrowed to give some boisterousness to the fact that the wedding itself will be followed by some "hell raising": "[Your friends] will forever hold their peace until the wine flows and the band begins to play . . . ." The chorus alludes not only to the magic of the day (the sunshine will even "steal away the showers" ) but also to the timelessness of weddings. After all, we all tend to raise our glasses to those who can't make it because they are either old or gone, and we tend to "roast" those who did make it. Lastly there is a wide-eyed optimism which propels this song . . . . "and then we danced the dark away and said goodbye to yesterdays alone." As I mentioned above, there is a magic which seems to visit even the plainest of weddings, and most of us fall under its spell even if it's just for the day. Dennis Wanebo 3/7/04

Lyrics

First Verse
When you pull it all asunder
It?s a wonder that you chanced
To come this way.
Some ships pass unknown at night
til a lonely light is cast
Into the Bay.

Now your friends like flowers gather
For these hours there?s no place
They?d rather stay.
They?ll forever hold their peace until
The wine flows and the band
Begins to play.

Chorus
The sunshine?s like a prowler
(In the morning?s early hours)
Sweetens roses in the bowers
(In the morning?s early hours)
And it steals away the showers
(From the morning?s early hours)
Then the bell up in the tower tells you
That it?s now or never . . .
Ever? now and then you?ll say
Remember on our wedding day
We toasted all those gone and gray
And roasted all those there that day
And then we danced the dark away
And said goodbye to yesterdays alone

(INSTRUMENTAL VERSE)
(REPEAT CHORUS)

Second Verse
When you put it all together
You never thought this day
Would ever come.
With fortunes tied forever
You sever all the ways
Of one and one
From the miner to the scholar
The holler? all?re here
And havin? fun
They salute you with their laughter
Which you?ll have forever after
They?re all gone . . .
They salute you with their laughter
Which you?ll have forever after
They?re all gone.