It was Vanessa Carlton’s new song “I Don’t Want to Be a Bride” that inspired this mix idea. I like Carlton’s song because it expresses the increasingly common decision many couples are making to be life partners without ever getting married. I’m referring to straight couples as well as gay couples who don’t have the rights yet. I don’t know whether or not I would get married if I met the right person (so don’t freak out, Mom), but I know I’ve never sat around dreaming about my wedding. If anything, the idea of planning a huge party stresses me out. This is anathema to everything the bridal industry tries to sell you about your wedding day and how it will be the most magical, perfect day of your life, and how you’d better spend lots of cash to make it that way. (I am glad some people buy into that idea though because my mom is a bridal seamstress and she needs to pay the rent. But please, please bring your bra, slip and shoes to your fitting, ok?) I think a marriage is much more than a wedding, and a marriage might not be the best partnership arrangement for every couple.
Uh, anyway, what was I saying? Right. After I listened to the Vanessa Carlton song I thought of a Nellie McKay song that expresses the completely opposite idea, “I Wanna’ Get Married.” I like this song too and I think it’s feminist in its own way for being unashamed about what the singer wants, even if being “just” a housewife is less culturally acceptable these days than seeking a high-powered career.
Anyway, the real point of this post is that there must be more sets of songs that are opposites. I think that’s a great idea for a mix, so I started brainstorming and here’s what I have so far:
Vanessa Carlton – I Don’t Want to Be a Bride
Nellie McKay – I Wanna’ Get Married
REM – I Am Superman
Lazlo Bane – I’m No Superman
Partridge Family – I Think I Love You
10 CC – I’m Not in Love (Granted, the singer says s/he is not in love when obviously s/he is totally in love. But I’ll take the surface meaning of this song instead of the deeper one.)
Chess (The Musical) – I Know Him So Well
Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor – You Don’t Know Me
(There seem to be several other songs with the title “You Don’t Know Me” too
Dan Wilson and Bic Runga – Good Morning Baby
Counting Crows – Goodnight Elisabeth
Got any others? Let me know in the comments!
Erin says
August 29, 2011 at 9:10 amHello – Lionel Ritchie
Bye Bye Bye – N*Sync
Beautiful – Christina Aguilera
Unpretty – TLC
This one is a LOT easier for me than the call and answer mix. I bet if I thought about this more I’d be able to come up with a bunch more 🙂
Danielle says
August 29, 2011 at 10:35 amNeed you now – Lady Atebellum
Miss Independent – Kelly Clarkson
(Okay, so the titles don’t match, but the sentiment is pretty opposite)
***
Love Song – The Cure
Love Song – Sara Bareilles (Great tune!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi7Yh16dA0w&ob=av3e
(Yep, they’re opposite)
*****
Lady – Lenny Kravitz
She’s No Lady – Lyle Lovett
***
Dangerous – Akon feat. Kardinal Offishall (sic)
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
***
Don’t Break My Heart – UB40
Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
*****
You Make Me Sick – Pink
You Make Me Feel Brand New – Simply Red
****
No Love – Eminem
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
****
Walking Away – Craig David
Walk This Way – Aerosmith with Run D.M.C.
*****
I’m Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage
Good Day Sunshine – Beatles
*****
One Man Army – Our Lady Peace
Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
*****
That was fun. Maybe I should do some work now.
Barbara Raab says
August 29, 2011 at 2:18 pmI’m afraid I have no musical things to say, but I did want to note that I think it’s cool that your Mom is a bridal seamstress! Never heard of such a thing, but suddenly it seems like a brilliant idea. I bet there’s not a bride in the world who doesn’t need one.
liz outthere says
August 29, 2011 at 2:52 pmBeautiful Rain – Ladysmith Black Mbazo
Here Comes the Sun – the Beatles
what do you get if you cross them?
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland :))
Mom says
August 29, 2011 at 8:17 pmYes, I am a seamstress at a bridal shop. Yes, ladies, please, please, please, bring the EXACT bra, slip, and shoes that you will be wearing with your dress on your wedding day. And, yes, the dress will be ready before your wedding day. Every dress has a story.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
August 29, 2011 at 10:02 pmI went to Vegas to get married and honeymooned right there of course. The wedding was as tacky as can be, cost about $200, included a beat up 70’s limo to the courthouse and back, the whole ceremony took about 4 1/2 minutes. Both Hubs and I wore black jeans and white pirate type shirts, it was awesome and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. No party to throw or plan, nothing. Sorry Mom, if more people were like me, you’d be out of a job!
Uh, how about Straight Up – Paula Abdul and Round and Round – Ratt
Danielle says
August 30, 2011 at 8:06 amLOL – I made my own wedding dress, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you have a lot of experience sewing. And even then, there was a lot of cursing and wondering why the hell I didn’t just buy a dress. At one point I also got to explain to my husband’s coworkers why I was making a “fake dress.” — A better term would be mockup (to get the fit right first).
Tamara says
August 30, 2011 at 8:51 amI don’t have any song suggestions but I just had to comment and say that I adore 10CC: I’m Not In Love. I heard it on Sirius XM last night AND Mark Paul Gosselaar played/sang it in an episode of Franklin & Bash… between those two things and it making your list, I’m just thrilled to discover that it’s not gone from the pop culture consciousness just yet!
Serena Chase says
August 30, 2011 at 1:10 pmI love how Wilson Phillips followed up their early 1990s hit HOLD ON with a song called RELEASE ME.
Rachael says
August 31, 2011 at 11:26 amI love Vanessa Carlton!!! So glad I’m not the only one listening to her lastest CD!
JenFul says
August 31, 2011 at 1:36 pmI guess this mix challenge is harder than some of my others. I thought of a couple others:
The Crew-Cuts – Earth Angel
Elvis – Devil in Disguise
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a Place on Earth OR Bryan Adams – Heaven OR The Cure – Just Like Heaven
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Hell
Kyle says
September 4, 2011 at 1:20 pmPeople forget that a marriage is about well, the marriage…and not just the wedding.
SunshineDay says
September 16, 2011 at 9:13 am@Tamara – Funny, now that i think about it, there is an opposite song to ‘Not in Love’, called ‘Still in Love’, by the Stills…..
SunshineDay says
September 16, 2011 at 10:22 amEagles: Peaceful Easy Feeling
Veronica Falls: Bad Feeling
Johnny Nash: I Can See Clearly Now
Bee Gees: I Can’t see Nobody
David Bowie: Modern Love
Three Dog Night: Old Fashioned Love Song
Cheap Trick: Surrender
Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush: Don’t Give Up
T Rex: Hot Love
Donna Summer: Cold Love
Beatles: This Boy
Stevie Wonder: That Girl
??? : Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
John Denver: Sunshine on my Shoulder
JenFul says
September 16, 2011 at 12:40 pmI thought of another one too:
Plumb – Real
The Frames – Fake