But that's not my sappy song memory today.
It's actually the song my Dad and I danced to. It's not really a Daddy-Daughter dance kind of song and I've always felt a little like I had to explain it. But then again it was my wedding (I mean "our", sorry Jeremiah, our wedding) and I didn't have to explain nothing to no one! We danced to Billy Joel's "Always A Woman." It's no "Butterfly Kisses" or "Sunshine of my Life," but it's the first one that popped into my mind.
There's a reason for that.
For as long as I've lived (seriously, 31 years with a few skipped here or there) my parents and I drove to Omaha, Nebraska to visit my paternal Grandma, and then on to Iowa to visit my Mom's parents. I can remember making the trip, first in a baby blue 1978 Buick station wagon, then in a 1985 Civic hatchback. (Talk about going from a mansion to a cottage!) Now, I'm an only child, so family trips were nothing short of wonderful for me, no one to share the backseat with, no one to fight with. My mom would line the back seat with blankets and pillows, toys and snacks and it was like having a tour bus minus the bathroom. We would leave late in the day and my Dad would drive thru the night while my Mom and I slept. I can remember the smell of the coffee from my Dad's green Stanley Thermos when he would pour it into his little travel mug. And his music. So as not to wake my Mom or me, my Dad would put on headphones and listen to his music while he drove. Softly coming from the headphones I heard The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, and The Best of Billy Joel, Albums 1 and 2, among others. For some reason, Billy Joel sticks out in my mind. Always has, always will. When I got older and he bought the Best of Album on CD I would swipe it from him and listen to it in my room.
So when it came time to pick a song for us to dance too I already knew which one I wanted. True, if you listen to the words, it's not a Daddy-Daughter dance song, but I liked the tune, and it has a special place in my heart.
So I feel a little conflicted about this next part.
The other day I turned on the TV early in the morning and stumbled upon this:
This is Fyfe Dangerfield's version of "Always A Woman to Me." The TV was still on BBCA from Jeremiah having watched Top Gear the night before and so it happened to be that I was watching The Graham Norton Show. I was fumbling with the remote, about to change the channel when I realized what the song was the guy was playing. I don't know who this guy is, I don't watch The Graham Norton Show ever, but I stopped, and I watched. I felt a little guilty, like I was cheating on my Billy Joel version, but I really like this song. I found it on YouTube, and I've watched it a half dozen times. It's not better than the original, it's not worse. It's what a cover tune should be. Honest to the original, but with a little bit of the musician's own personality thrown in. Not to improve it, but to make it their own. So it's okay if I like them both. The song will always remind me of my Dad, no matter who sings it.
I don't really remember much from my wedding day. I have little snippets here and there, but I can remember the opening chords as they started to ring thru the room, and I remember that when I was dancing with my Dad that I didn't care what people thought about my song choice. It was just us, dancing to one of my favorite songs, and I was his little girl in the back seat.
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