Moms and Maids

Mother-Son Dance

So this is part funny (to me at least) story and part actual advice question. My fiancé is at a loss for a mother-son dance song- he knows it's important to her to have one but he is not a mushy guy and can't think what to choose.

Today we were talking to FMIL about it and she said the song that comes to mind for her is Carly Simmon's "Love of My Life". Having never heard that song before we listened to it after we left her house on the way home- OMG. I was cracking up and FI was HORRIFIED. I mean no offense if that is your style but we just thought the song was waaaaay over the top, mushy, creepy, and just not a good song in general. Not being parents ourselves we really don't get the sentiment that your child can be the "love of your life" and the song is just suuuuuper corny.

Anyway, it's a non-issue because FMIL decided she doesn't want that song because she would cry too much (she literally started crying mentioning the song in the context of this conversation sooooo...). But now we are back to having no song because FMIL didn't have any other ideas. And FI is kind of scarred to boot because he really thought the song she associates with him is super creepy... but he'll live.

The question is-
1) Does anyone else have fun horror stories about creepy mother-son dance selections (and am I the only one who thinks this particular song is kind of crazy)?

2) What are good mother-son dance songs for a guy who is not comfortable with much mush but a mom whose tastes obviously lean in that direction?

Re: Mother-Son Dance

  • You're My Best Friend by Queen
    You are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder
    Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
    In My Life by The Beatles
    What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong
    Your Momma Don't Dance by Loggins & Messina

    And I loved that story!  I agree that certain mother/son dance songs I see (even father/daughter) dance songs can easily turn into the creepy zone!
  • edited September 2014

    Eh, I don't think the Carly Simon song is that bad, nor do I think it's that great. But this is a song to honor the MOG and her relationship with her son. I think you should humor her. Since that's an old, obscure song, she's probably been thinking about that moment for a long time. KWIM?

    Guessing from her first suggestion that she's my age. Here goes:

    Shower the People - James Taylor

    Sweet Baby James - James Taylor

    Loves Me Like a Rock - Paul Simon

    Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel

    Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart

                       
  • I only hope that my son and I are on the floor together for about 30 seconds before others join in.  We are terrible dancers, will probably sway back and forth for a picture, then bore the mess out of all guests watching. Yup, those will be tears of boredom.
  • That story cracked me up!
    My FMIL loves being the center of attention and is obsessed with that choreographed mother-son dance on YouTube. My FI does NOT dance with any choreography and said "F**k no." (Thank goodness!!) So they are doing a nice slow dance. When I asked my Dad for input on father-daughter dance songs he recommended "Sometimes When We Touch." FI and I both were like "whaaaatttt....??" Haha. Needless to say we are not using that song.
  • Oh goodness. Lol. I would have the same reaction.

    I'm always weirded out by some of the songs people pick. All I can think of is Oedipus.
  • I don't have a creepy story - but my FI and I were just house/dog sitting for his mom and she had left a notepad out on the coffee table with two pages full of ideas for the Mother/Son dance. It was incredibly sweet!


    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • There was a song that was popular for mom/son dances called "Boy of Mine" , maybe that would be ok.

    For the bride/dad song, if they play Butterfly Kisses they better distribute barf bags.

    The very worst thing I ever heard about a bride/dad dance was for the wedding where I was MOH. Luckily it didn't happen, the groom's mom 86'ed it, thank God.

    My (former) friend the bride, her dad had died when she was 11. For the wedding, she wanted to have a spotlight dance of just her, and "Daddy's Little Girl" playing, and she would pantomime dancing with her dad. Her mother was actually on board with it.

    So that didn't happen, and she did a non-spotlight dance with her ex-boyfriend who doubled as a groomsman and who gave her away. The song was "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers, which was ok.




  • danamw - you can't make that stuff up, can you?


                       
  • No, no one would believe it. But the pantomime would have been a train wreck if it had happened.

    I listened to the "Boy Of Mine" song, and it is kind of sappy. But some might like it.

  • My dad has been totally selfless and put himself second to his family his whole life. I decided to let him pick our father/daughter song. I had a few ideas in mind that I sent him but he came back with another song. I thought it sucked, that it was stupid and just a bad song in general. 

    But guess what? After all my dad has done for me, I smiled and said "that sounds great". What was most important to me was to see him happy and try to put him first as he has done for me for so many years.

    I'm not saying your FI should take the same approach, but I think it's pretty mean and immature to laugh and call it "creepy" behind your FMIL's back. She obviously spent time picking out one song that she wants for this milestone with her son. Even if the song isn't your style, you should be respectful at the very least. 
    *********************************************************************************

    image
  • I agree it is a little over the top for a M/S dance but at the end of the day if she was stuck on it would not have ruined the day.  I am surprised my MIL did not pick that one ;)

    H and MIL danced to "I Hope you Dance" from LeAnn Womack
    H also liked "Simple Man" from Shinedown (or Lynard Skynard), and "Mama" from Metallica
    MIL also liked "Raise Me Up" from Josh Groban.

    I have seen:
    "In My Life" from the Beatles (or Chantel Kreviazak has a nice cover)
    "Forever Young" Rod Stewart

    image

    Anniversary
  • Bubblegum5586Bubblegum5586 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    edited September 2014
    erinlin25 said:
    I agree it is a little over the top for a M/S dance but at the end of the day if she was stuck on it would not have ruined the day.  I am surprised my MIL did not pick that one ;)

    H and MIL danced to "I Hope you Dance" from LeAnn Womack
    H also liked "Simple Man" from Shinedown (or Lynard Skynard), and "Mama" from Metallica
    MIL also liked "Raise Me Up" from Josh Groban.

    I have seen:
    "In My Life" from the Beatles (or Chantel Kreviazak has a nice cover)
    "Forever Young" Rod Stewart

    My dad and I danced to Forever Young my Rod Stewart! I found a slower version online that we used, Here are the lyrics! Reading them almost got me teared up again!
    image


    Anniversary
  • This is so funny! I'm dealing with the same problem! My fiancé's dad died this past May, so it has been an understandably hard time for him and his family. His mom is insistent that they dance to her and his father's first dance song. I don't remember the song as it is much older, but I also feel it is WAY inappropriate for a mother/son dance. Her second suggestion was her and her first husband's first dance... again a song I had never heard of, but I looked it up and it is so over the top romantic in a very non mother/son way. My future MIL is having a very hard time with the idea that her son is getting married anyway, so I wasn't surprised at her ridiculousness. That seems to be the name of her game. My fiancé went ahead and picked a song that he likes for them to dance to. It is hilarious that these moms want to dance to romantic songs. Like what if I wanted to dance with my dad to "Let's Get It On" or something else overly inappropriate for a parent/child dance?
  • edited September 2014

    @bubblegum1309 You should listen to the Joan Baez and Norah Jones versions of 'Forever Young.'  OPs fmil would probably like any version of that song.

      My husband hadn't even thought about the father/daughter dance. DD surprised him with 'You Are So Beautiful to Me,' by Joe Cocker. We have a joke about him not being able to remember the lyrics to any song, but that one. He used to sing it to DD instead of lullabies. Lots of teary eyes for that dance.

                       
  • My husband and daughter danced to "I Loved Her First" yup more tears of boredom.  We are just not good dancers.  I like the tradition of it all, but honestly, the event spotlight belongs to the bride and groom.  Can we all just focus on them?
  • For a non-mushy bride/dad song, nothing better than "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. He wrote it for his own daughter.

    Only thing is, it is up-tempo, so the pair has to put a little pep into it.

  • My husband and daughter danced to "I Loved Her First" yup more tears of boredom.  We are just not good dancers.  I like the tradition of it all, but honestly, the event spotlight belongs to the bride and groom.  Can we all just focus on them?
    I like your idea of inviting other fathers/daughters and mothers/sons  to join in after the first minute or two. It's enough time for the photographer to get the pictures. TBH, if my husband knew, in advance, that he was going to get an entire spotlight dance, he would've been nervous about it.
                       
  • My H and MIL danced to Simple Man - it was almost impossible for them to pick, I don't know why. They settled on that.

    Several artists cover You Are My Sunshine, that's always cute.

    With my stepdad, I wound up dancing to a song I absolutely hated. Still hate it. But it was the one song that got real emotion from my stepdad, so what are you going to do?
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards