Your first marriage didn’t work out the way you wanted it to. After everything fell apart you were left broken hearted and in massive debt, but after a messy couple years you’ve finally found someone who sees you for who you truly are. The time you’ve spent with Janet is the happiest 4 years of your life and you’re ready to tie the knot and become the best step dad in the world to her three boys: Gavin, Brandon, and Theodore. After the ceremony you head to the ball room and slow dance to your (second) favorite love song… what is it?

This Week: First Dance at Your Second Wedding

I'd Have You Anytime

George Harrison

song

artist

contributer

Alica

Disko Crew's Picks

Be Mine

Alabama Shakes

Svefn-g-englar

Sigur Rós

Stickwitu

Papa Was a Rodeo

The Pussycat Dolls

The Magnetic Fields

Wild Horses

The Rolling Stones

Andrew

Kay

Mandi

Spencer

Tallon

Let's Dance

@ruthiejo8

Community Highlight

Donna Summer

I'D HAVE YOU ANYTIME - GEORGE HARRISON

Alicia's Pick:

Andrew's THOUGHTS:

George Harrison is such a little sweetie. All Things Must Pass is, for my money, easily the best solo project from a former Beatle, and this song is the foundation for the entire album. The only problem I have with this pick is, knowing you Alicia, I’m not convinced this isn’t going to be played at your first wedding.

Listening to George Harrison and specifically All Things Must Pass gives me the same warm, easy-loving feeling as sitting close to someone drinking coffee; embracing the simple things with one another. Researching this song, I learned that it was written in collaboration with Bob Dylan during difficult times in both Dylan and Harrison’s lives. The pair retreated to Dylan’s home in upstate New York where they were in the company of their families during the Thanksgiving season and took the time to “loosen up” and create with one another.

“I’d Have You Anytime” was born out of a season of nurturing hearts and connection. The song kick-starts Harrison’s solo sound away from The Beatles and serves as a departure from Dylan’s more well known eccentric songwriting style. There’s a kismet quality in the song as well as the creative pairing, similar to what I imagine the nature of a second wedding might be like. The warmth of connection and the beauty of love are felt deeply but with a quiet, comforting ease, much like a second chance at love. The lyrics,

“Let me know you

Let me show you

All I have is yours

All you see is mine

And I'm glad to hold you in my arms

I'd have you anytime"

embolden the idea of a powerful bond that forms when two people come together, bringing with them a sense of understanding and gratitude.

But frankly, this song is so good, I’d listen any time—first wedding, second, third, or if someone just wants to slow dance.

BE MINE - ALABAMA SHAKES

Andrew's Pick:

Alicia's THOUGHTS:

This song made me really happy! Brittany Howard’s voice has this electric quality to it that amplifies the most tender feelings and writes them in bold! I admire that this love song is so sure of itself, which is exactly how I imagine a second time down the aisle to be. This is the kind of first dance that would get people out of their seats but still has everyone in awe of how stinking cool and in love the couple is.

My initial thought was to pick something “classy” I would want to dance to- Aretha Franklin or maybe something from the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack. But that’s first marriage material, and this is not my first marriage.

Instead, I opted for a song from a longtime favorite of mine, Alabama Shakes. I think for my second wedding I would be looking for something that, while still romantic, has at least a little edge to it. This song is about sticking with your honey and how anyone who might try and get between your love will find that they are “fucking with the wrong heart” and I think that’s beautiful.

You get to have it all with this song: a nice, methodical start to sway and dip to and then an incredible, natural build that I could only hope my spouse and I are headbanging to.

SVEGN-G-ENGLAR - SIGUR RÓS

Kay's Pick:

Spencer's THOUGHTS:

Kay, you actually can’t directly translate this song because they’re singing in a made-up language called Hopelandic that the band invented. I love this song and think Sigur Ros is such a great band that I haven’t thought of in forever. I saw them in Dallas maybe 7 years ago and they played guitar with a bow, which was super badass. I’ve never thought to dive into any interpretation of it and have only surface-level vibed with them, but that’s really interesting and made me see it in a different light. I enjoyed the last paragraph about the song functioning as an amplifier to your existing emotions. Even though my song pick this week has a clear reading I do think the best art often works as a mirror or at the very least allows multiple interpretations. It reminded me of this comic by Lynda Barry which I found very moving.

This is a bit of a left-field pick, but I ended up down a rabbit hole because of it so I’m sticking to my guns ;)

This is yet another song I believe was brought to me through the invisible hand of The Algorithm. I put it on very rarely but intentionally, when I really want to be in my feelings. The slow brush of the drums and the hushed, distant piano wrap you in this lovely, tender warmth. I had never bothered to translate the lyrics, but I’ve always chosen to hear the chorus phrase as “It’s you…” which often washed me in a sentimental or romantic mood. How lovely it would be to melt in your [second] lover’s arms, swaying gently in the waves of this song.

Apparently, the Icelandic translation of that line is “Tjú,” which is a traditional sound used by parents to comfort their babies. Combined with the album imagery of an alien-looking baby in-utero, I did some further research. The title translates to a pun for “Sleep angels” or “Sleepwalkers” and the official music video features people with Down’s syndrome dressed in white wings frolicking around a field. With the context that almost all diagnosed Down’s syndrome pregnancies in Iceland are aborted, this song could instead be interpreted as a kind of lullaby or memorial for those children.

I was surprised to discover this context, and this expansion beyond my personal interpretation of the song made me think of a passage from a book Andrew linked a few weeks ago from They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib. It was actually a blurb at the beginning from Dan Campbell, praising Abdurraqib’s ability to ‘hear’ the resonance of artwork beyond its intended meaning. The direct quote:

“There are a lot of people who hear an artist screaming into the canyon and correctly diagnose what they were trying to get at, but it takes someone special to hear the echoes. It takes someone special to hear the life a song takes on beyond intent, the way that it reacts with people, not the thing it meant but the things it’ll come to mean to different people from different walks of life, all who will glean something unique, something personal but always something equally valuable from it.”

I have frankly gotten something different out of this song every time I listen to it. It tends to function as an amplifier, reflecting whatever emotional state I’m in at the time. (Why I put it on when I want to be in my feels) Sometimes the chord progression feels wistful, melancholy. Other times it feels hopeful and promising. Right now, it sounds like a lovely ballad to slow dance at my [second] wedding, with the person that makes me feel like I’m finally home.

Also P.S. sorry not sorry for picking a long one again, guess I’m really good at that lol

STICKWITU - THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS

Mandi's Pick:

TALLONS'S THOUGHTS:

You might have the best pick because you have accomplished what the rest of us have forgotten- you picked something the wedding guests will also bop to. It's actually kind of crazy how fun and danceable this song is while still feeling so romantic. I think the strings in the back of the mix help a lot with this. Swaying with your wife is cool and all, but maybe I’d much rather want to show how we get the fuck down!

On my second marriage go-around, I would assume that I’ve learned some lessons about love, myself, forgiveness, and wedding planning. I can be a bit of a control freak when it comes to events, so I can assume my fictitious first wedding was very painstakingly crafted. With that in mind, I’d like to think that the lesson I learned from it would be to stop taking things so seriously.

Stickwitu, the 2005 hit from the female pop group The Pussycat Dolls, has everything that a girl learning to chill the fuck out could need in a love song. It’s light, it’s bright, it’s sentimental, and it’s the perfect slow-dance swaying tempo. Stickwitu is a perfect second wedding first dance song; the lyrics are doting and tender, The Pussycat Dolls have that early 2000’s sultry, romantic R&B essence, and the association of the track being played primarily on the radio during car rides or trips to department stores in the 2010’s makes the song comfortably familiar to most.

Many people wouldn’t consider a grammatically incorrect, early 2000s pop song to be “serious” enough to be a first dance song—but that's exactly what makes it so perfect. The low barrier of entry to recognize and enjoy this song makes such a serious, meticulously planned moment something much more inviting to everyone in the room. Truthfully, nobody else gives a damn about what first song you danced to besides you. The beauty of the moment is pronounced by the audacious act of love you are sharing, not in the message you are hoping that the perfect song conveys. By the second go-around, you don’t need to find the perfect bellowing love ballad to proclaim your devotion to your significant other. You can let yourself dance to Nicole Scherzinger’s voice with your second love and echo her words: "I’ma stick wit u."

PAPA WAS A RODEO - THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

Spencer's Pick:

Mandi's THOUGHTS:

I’ve heard the hook of this song several times before, but I’ve never heard it in full. His incredibly deep voice threw me off at first, but once I sank into it and got comfortable I understood how comforting and gorgeously sad this song is. I love your perspective on it as a gay man; I picked up on the queer themes in the verses but hearing your analysis of it was really moving. Queer stories in media about boomer-age men in particular are not typically ones that end on a fond note (thinking of Nate Jacob’s dad in Euphoria here), and it's touching to hear one conveyed through a beautiful song like this. Going to cry about this on my car ride home!

Every time I hear this song, I get goosebumps almost immediately. The simple drums and twinkly guitar are enough to get me emotional before the vocals even come in. Stephin Merrit's deep, monotone voice and the slow, lumbering quality of the song make it the perfect backdrop for holding your lover in your arms and staring into their eyes while you slowly dance.

In doing research for this I’ve found some debate over whether or not this is indeed a queer song, and I’m shocked that there’s any reading that’s not explicitly gay. Stephin Merrit wrote this song after playing pool with a marine biologist at the now-closed gay bar Rainbow Cattle Co. in Austin, and the story it tells is incredibly clear to me and unmistakably queer.

In the first verse, our unnamed protagonist meets a man named Mike at a run-down dive bar. Mike wants to take him home, but the protagonist rejects his advances, saying, “I see that kiss-me pucker forming, but maybe you should plug it with a beer." He warns Mike in the chorus that he’s emotionally unavailable because of his rough past and bad childhood. “Home was anywhere with diesel gas, love was a trucker's hand” paints a picture of a loner drifting around and only finding companionship in truck stop cruising.

Our protagonist looks around the depressing bar and decides to give Mike a chance. The night is ending and he feels sorrow and kinship with him. “What are we doing in this dive bar? How can you live in a place like this? Why don’t you just get into my car? And I’ll take you away, I’ll take that kiss now.”

The next part of the song is when my heart really swoons. Merrit jumps ahead decades with the lines “and now it’s 55 years later, we’ve had the romance of the century. After all these years wrestling gators. I still feel like crying when I think of what you said to me” and the chorus repeats but now with Mike singing it revealing that his papa was also a rodeo. I think this song is so moving to me because queer romances are pretty rare and in fiction, they’re usually a short love affair or end tragically. This song was written in the 90’s so it was at a point when Gay marriage was still illegal and online dating wasn’t a thing. The only place where gay men could meet one another is at gay bars and nightclubs. The thought of two troubled people meeting late at night at a seedy bar and warning each other they’re not capable of love, and that turning into a half-century-spanning love affair moves me deeply. It’s a witty but incredibly earnest song about imperfect people finding one another and opening themselves up to love. For my money, it’s maybe the greatest love song of all time, and much more fitting for a second wedding than a first because of the messiness and reluctance of the characters.

WILD HORSES - THE ROLLING STONES

Tallon's Pick:

SPENCER'S THOUGHTS:

The Rolling Stones are obviously one of the greats, but if I’m being honest, I’m really only a casual fan and have never dived too deep into them. That said, Wild Horses is easily my favorite song of theirs. Reserved is a great word for it; they really hold off by not having the drums come in until the first chorus and then having them go away again for a bit. It’s a very heart-wrenching and emotional track that could be so powerful as a first dance. I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up its use in the documentary Gimme Shelter which is probably the greatest music documentary ever made. The film covers the events leading up to and following The Rolling Stones disastrous Altamont concert in 1969 which resulted in four deaths. All of the songs in the movie are shown as live performances, except for Wild Horses. Instead of seeing it performed in front of a crowd of adoring fans, we see the band members listening to this song in the studio and reacting silently. It’s a very interesting filmmaking choice to have us sit with them and try and interpret their facial expressions. Sitting in the stillness of this is a really bold choice, and in this moment the Maysles brothers basically invented the concept of the “reaction video” 45 years before it became a thing, and I think that's neat!

This one took a lot of thinking for me. I tried to conjure up the sweetest love songs I could think of. Be My Baby, If Not for You, In My Life, Rock Your Baby. But that naive, ooey-gooey, “everything is flowers and butterflies” shit is for a first wedding. I’m a grown god-damned man now (second wedding I see myself probably 50-55 range). And this is a mature love.

Felt a little silly picking such a massive song that we’ve all heard, but the more I think about it, why would I pick some obscure bullshit for the first dance? I want a certified HEATER that I will sway and bawl my eyes out to. Wild Horses is easily one of the emotionally potent songs I’ve ever heard. Weirdly I think what makes it such a strong love song is how much pain is in it. Much less “first date” vibes and much more “making up after a fight” vibes. It feels humblingly honest and human about the mistakes, regrets, and sadness that can come with even the strongest relationship. But the pain is BECAUSE of how strong the love is. The song does such a good job of playing with that push-and-pull of achy sadness in the verse and beautiful, everlasting, I-will-die-for-you love in the chorus. Mick Jagger is baring his fucking soul on this in a way he actually very hardly does on most of their discography. His voice, his heartrending, and the lyrics bring me to my knees every time.

This verse in specific is one of my absolute faves.

“I know I've dreamed you

A sin and a lie

I have my freedom

But I don't have much time

Faith has been broken

Tears must be cried

Let's do some living

After we die”

I would be remiss not to mention that The guitars on this are so beautiful. It’s a really genius decision to keep them so reserved (other than the main acoustic of course) and only let them chime in as little accents here and there. Little twinkles of notes in the background like the tears in your eyes, and big rushes of emotions at the starts and ends of phrases. Such a fucking killer job of playing with the silence of the song. I can count 4 maybe even 5 all chiming in at different times and it really only feels like two. AND THE SOLOS? Get out of here. Why can’t my fucking guitar sing like that?

LAST DANCE - DONNA SUMMER

Community Highlight:

FROM RUTH:

Donna Summer is the quintessential disco Queen. "Last Dance" is one of my favs—it starts slowly and sadly about having the last dance of the night with her someone special. It then picks up energy and rejoices in enjoying the last dance and all the fun and romance with her partner. Ends on an upbeat note true to the disco music era.

THANKS FOR LISTENING WITH US! STAY TUNED TO OUR INSTAGRAM TO FIND OUT THE THEME FOR THE NEXT MUSIC BOOK CLUB ☻

SUBMITTED BY @RUTHIEJO8

WHAT WE LOVED ABOUT IT:

You weren’t expecting to meet Janet at the local dive bar that fateful Tuesday evening, but you quickly bonded over your shared taste in cheap beer and disco. The jukebox was stuck on a relentless loop of ‘70s hits, and the bartender poured generously. Before you knew it, hours flew by the records stopped spinning—but your heart definitely didn’t.

We think this might be the perfect first dance song at your second wedding. The intro has all the hallmarks of a classic, dreamy, romantic slow dance with your beloved. You get to share a beautiful moment in each other’s arms, savoring the love and life you’ve created. But this is your second time down the aisle, and you’d like to have a little more fun this go around. So let’s dance.

As the chorus swings in, you and Janet erupt from each other’s embrace into a masterful, choreographed routine that makes even your TikTok-addicted nieces jealous. The energy is contagious, and as the final instrumental break kicks in you’re pulling your guests onto the floor with you, turning your first dance into a party for everyone. Because a second chance at love deserves an unforgettable celebration.

Check out the playlist: