Hoobastank, The Reason
People seem to think that this is a romantic song, maybe just for the lyric “and the reason is you.” But at its heart, this isn’t a song about a healthy relationship. It’s more a half-assed apology than a love letter. The singer is sorry that he hurt his lover, but seems more concerned with his own suffering. Hurting her is “something he must live with every day.” Poor guy. Hasn’t she considered how hard it is on him, having hurt her like that?Anything Mentioning Romeo and Juliet
There’s a meme making the rounds on the Internet, which goes something like, “stop saying Romeo and Juliet are romantic. Their relationship lasted 3 days and caused 6 deaths.” We’ll add to that, “including their own.” Romeo and Juliet were a pair of teenaged twits who end up dead at the end of the story. So skip the Taylor Swift.Dave Matthews Band, Crash
If you take even a cursory listen to the lyrics, this song is just kind of...well, gross. It just makes you feel grimy, once you get past the sugary violins. “you’ve got your ball, you’ve got your chain / tied to me tight, tie me up again,” Dave sings. He’s all about being “tied up and twisted,” and later describes how great it is to peek through his crush’s window to watch her undress. Ick. For a less gross DMB tune, try “You & Me.”Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven
We’ve been to several weddings where this ends up on the playlist, and we’re still not sure what would possess anyone to play it. Is it just that it’s a slow song? That the guitar is kind of pretty? They were trying for “Wonderful Tonight” and hit the wrong track? Whatever the reason happens to be, this song is about the death of a three-year-old child. Not romantic at all.Billy Idol, White Wedding
Sure, it’s a wedding, and people are wearing white, so why not play White Wedding? Well, for starters it’s not a great song for dancing to, either slow or fast, so it’s likely to clear the dance floor. And more importantly, it was written as an anti-wedding song, with Idol sarcastically making fun of his sister for marrying too young.Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You
Sure, the chorus says, “I will always love you,” over and over again ad nauseum, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a romantic celebration of eternal love. Simply put, it’s a break-up song. It’s about letting someone go and walking away because you know it’s best for them, and you’ll never see them again no matter how much you love them. So it’s pretty much the opposite of the sentiment you want for a wedding.In the end, of course, what you choose for your wedding music should reflect you and your partner’s musical tastes. But if it’s at all possible, avoid these six tunes. Your wedding guests will thank you.
