Wedding Playlists Part 7: The Love Stories Mix

These are the liner notes for our wedding favor CD titled “Love Stories”. We did four specialty mixes as favors for the wedding, and grouped them into two 2-Disc sets. This set belonged to the Love themed set; whereas the other set was a rock ‘n’ love set, this set is quieter and contains songs with important lyrics. “Love Stories” is the ballads CD, with lyrics to listen to carefully, as some of the greatest musical love stories are told. We, for the most part, gave the female guests the Love themed cd set, and the male guests the rock’n’love themed set, which meant that couples got all four cd’s which was great because that meant that almost every single guest got access to all four playlists, four cd’s, two box sets, lol.

1. Heaven/Where True Love Goes by Yusuf (4:50) – This is a truly great ode to love by the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.
2. All I Want Is You by Barry Lousi Polisar (2:40) – A great story song from the Juno soundtrack.
3. When You’re Next To Me by Mitch and Mickey (2:59) – We take this song seriously as a love song even though its from the comedy A Mighty Wind.
4. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine by Jimmie Rogers (2:20) – Ah! Such a great story song, honestly one of the best!
5. Be Gentle With Me by The Boy Least Likely To (3:52) – This is really a cute little song, with an addictive glockenspiel melody!
6. Lovely Rita by The Beatles (2:42) – This track would also be a fine selection for the sing-a-long CD but it has such a funny little narrative!
7. It’s Oh So Quiet by Bjork (3:41) – An Austrian song from 1948 became the shrill 1951 song Blow A Fuse by Betty Hutton and then again transformed to become this song by Bjork in 1995. We first discovered it through its music video by Spike Jonz (which y’ou all need to youtube because it is incredible). This song equals love at such an exciting level that its scream-worthy!
8. Life Is Unbelievable by John Southworth (1:57) – Great song, right? Pure Canadian genius discovered when Joan lived on the border in Detroit.
9. Something In The Way She Moves by James Taylor (3:14) – The ultimate slow love song, almost so personal its surprising he ever let it out.
10. In Your Eyes (Stripped) by Sara Bareilles (5:29) – One of Todds favorite movies in the world is Say Anything, and, yes, he ha’s been under Joans window a number of times. This version is so raw!
11. Forever by Ben Harper (3:24) – Ooh, ooh, Joan loves her some Ben Harper. This is another delicate love song that we truly believe anyone who knows love will appreciate hearing.
12. The Origin Of Love by John Cameron Mitchell (5:27) – The love song from one of our favorite musicals, Hedwig And The Angry Inch.
13. You Turn Me On (I’m A Radio) by Joni Mitchell (2:40) – One of our early love songs from the Canisius days when Joan was still considering changing her name to Joni.
14. My Sweet Lady by John Denver (4:28) – J.D. wrote such tender love songs, and this one makes Joan cry every time. It’s as if there’s only the two of them, no studio recording people, no accompanying musicians, no CD spinning, no timespan.
15. She Is Staggering by Polaris (3:08) – The love song from Nickelodeon 90’s show Pete and Pete (Pedro Y Pedro, for the Spanish-speaking community).
16. The Story by Brandi Carlile (3:58) – This is kind of the ultimate raw love story song. There’s just so much emotion in this song!
17. All I Want by Herbie Hancock Feat. Sonya Kitchell (4:15) – The best track by far from Hancock’s Joni Mitchell tribute album, River: The Joni Letters. Our favorite line: I wanna knit you a sweater.
18. This Guy’s in Love with You by Herb Alpert (3:58) – What we love about this song is that it is pretty tender and vulnerable for it being a song from a guy to a girl. Also, Burt Bacharach wrote it! Yay, Burtie!
19. Did I Remember? by Billie Holiday (2:53) –  Did I remember to tell you I adore you, and pray forevermore more that you’ll be mine?
20. I Could Write A Book by Harry Connick, Jr. (2:30) – A Rodgers and Hart hit from 1940 recorded for the When Harry Met Sally soundtrack. One of the best love songs ever written, in our o.p.
21. ‘Til Tomorrow by Citizen Helene (1:52) – A pure 1960s West Coast psych-folk sound from a great new-ish underground London MySpace artist.
22. The Luckiest by Ben Folds (4:45) – What a precious piano ballad. Best lyrics = I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you.