Fathers and Daughters Revisited

Well I lied when I said I wasn’t going to choose a sappy, sentimental Father-Daughter dance song. I had dinner with my dad, and we talked about a lot of things. At some point, the conversation got very deep, and I realized that, although he wasn’t the greatest father when I was young, he really has made an effort to be better lately. A part of me wants to say he’s 18 years too late. But the other part of me is touched by the fact that he really is trying.

I started getting a little teary, so I tried to lighten things up.

“Well we need to pick a father-daughter song. And given your skills on the dance floor, maybe we should invest in some lessons.” It was meant to be a funny, offhand comment, but the moment I said it, things got serious again.

“What about our song?” My dad asked.

I knew exactly what song he was talking about, and for a moment, I was twelve again, reeling from the news that my dad had moved out and my parents were getting divorced. I felt betrayed, angry, confused. My straight A’s plummeted to D’s. My dad was never the greatest communicator, a factor that probably played a role in the failure of his marriage to my mother. So when he told 12-year-old me that there was a song he wanted me to listen to, I knew it was more than just a catchy tune he’d heard on the radio that he thought I’d enjoy.

Lullaby by Billy Joel

Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
Then you should always know
Wherever you may go, no matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die
That's how you and I will be

It made me cry at 12, and it made me cry again at 22. But my dad is right. This is our song. And even if turns me into a sobbing mess of melting mascara on my wedding day, it’s the perfect father-daughter song for us.

How about you? What are some songs that have special meaning to you? Will you play them at any point in your wedding?