I’d like some help picking a song. (I’m the father of the bride.) My daughter has veto power. So I thought I’d petition the board for some help.
I’d like something non-stereotypical. I.e., a song probably not on the lists you get when you google “father daughter wedding dance”.
I’ve thought that something Tom Waits-like. E.g., Martha or Grapefruit Moon or All the World is Green. However, those don’t quite have the right sentiment for a father/daughter thing.
Thoughts?
Is there a song you both like. i’d pick that one. And who cares if it doesn’t have a correct feel? If it works for her and you, it works.
“Kooks” by David Bowie - written for his son when he was an infant - is one of my favorites.
We used “Dancing Lessons” by Sinead O’Connor, but that was with my stepdad - I liked the sentiment in the chorus:
Husband and his mother danced to Dylan’s Forever Young, as performed by Rod Stewart. I think that might be more “conventional”, though.
I like the Dylan suggestion. I’ve haven’t heard that Bowie song. I’ll look it up.
ETA: Could mix icons and do Pete Seeger’s cover: Pete Seeger - "Forever Young" - YouTube
My favorite choice would be Louis Armstrongs “Wonderful World” but that’s probably too stereotypical.
May I suggest Nick Lowe’s “I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll”?
If you want something that really swings, Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” is awesome. (Sorry, I can’t do youtube links at work)
There’s a song called Delilah Gets Married that I always thought would work for a father-daughter dance at a wedding reception, because it’s about a father-daughter dance at a wedding reception. It’s very sweet and the singer has a wonderful voice.
I can’t find a full rendition of it online, but lyrics are here and you can listen to a short sample on Amazon here.
It’s one of the Doug Songs written by Andrew Ratchin that have pretty much spanned his career as a solo performer and with different groups. This one is from his time with Mel Cooleys.
It may be mainstream, but I really haven’t heard this used at a wedding before (even though it does come up when you google it). My wife wanted to use it, but for reasons I won’t mention here, didn’t get the chance. Paul Simon’s “Father and Daughter” is a beautiful song.
I don’t know if it would work for a dance, but “Forever Young” is cool, speaking as it does of a kid growing up and leaving the nest.
Yeah. I love Louis, but too stereotypical. I’ll check out Nick Lowe though.
I’ll find it. Thanks.
ETA: Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoDPPgWbfXY
I’d love to do this, but quite frankly I can’t dance. 
OK. I listened to that. I’d say it’s a contender.
Cool. I’ll check it out.
I’ve seen it on Google. I’ve listened a bit. It seems a little sentimental, but I do like Paul Simon. So … I’ll listen again.
My daughter picked the first song we ever danced to together: The Hokey Pokey. We used the Brave Combo version.
OK. The Nick Lowe thing is wonderful. It suffers from the Chuck Berry problem (or rather mine)–I can’t dance. Might have to learn.
OK. I’ve added Paul Simon to the play list.
That satisfies my need to play it for a joke – particularly when you add the info that I can’t dance. I’ll see what my daughter thinks. I’d love to see the guests’ reaction to it.
Cool. I don’t think that would work for us since we don’t have a backstory for using it. I would love to see someone do that at a wedding though.
If you’re feeling mawkish, there’s “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler.
That song makes me cry (or almost). So, no. Love the movie. But I don’t think I could pull that off.
Pick a song that means something special to you and your daughter. If it doesn’t mean anything for the other guests, who cares? It’s for you two, not for them.
Butterfly Kisses?
OW! Who threw that?
If you’re going to learn to dance anyway, for heaven’s sake do the Batusi:
