14 wedding readings from songs (from David Bowie to Metallica!)

When it comes to wedding readings, sometimes the best sentiments come from the hands of musical wordsmiths.

From David Bowie to Paul Simon and the Decemberists to Metallica, there are wedding readings from songs for every music fan from any generation.

We asked Offbeat Wed readers to share with us some of the music lyrics they’d used in their weddings. See if any of these combination of words strike your fancy.

Here are a few of our favorites that you might wanna try…

From “Different Kind Of Love Song” by Cher

What if the world was crazy and I was sane
Would it be so strange
I can’t believe that I am alone in saying
The things I’m saying
I am a part of you

These are universal truths
We’re all part of the light that flows through everything
This is a different kind of love song
Dedicated to everyone
Different kind of love song-oh, oh
What if the world calmed down and we could all breath
Together easily
Connecting the sky and the ground with you and me
And everything in between
I am part of you

We have living proof
There is some kind of light that flows through everything
This is a different kind of love song
Dedicated to everyone
Different kind of love song
This is a different kind of love song
A higher plane we can flow on
Different kind of love song

From “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields

From the album 69 Love Songs
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It’s full of charts and facts and figures
and instructions for dancing

But I, I love it when you read to me
And you, you can read me anything

The book of love has music in it
In fact that’s where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb

But I, I love it when you sing to me
And you you can sing me anything

The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we’re all too young to know

But I, I love it when you give me things
And you, you ought to give me wedding rings

I, I love it when you give me things
And you, you ought to give me wedding rings

From “Red Right Ankle” by The Decemberists

this is the story of your red right ankle
and how it came to meet your leg
and how the muscle bone and sinews tangled
and how the skin was softly shaped
and how it whispered ‘oh, adhere to me
for we are bound by symmetry
and whatever differences our lives have been
we together make a limb’
this is the story of your red right ankle

From “Take All the Sky You Need” by Ellis Paul

You turn a blue eye to me and you look right through me
You said define what you think freedom means… if you want freedom
We can wake up this lullaby town
Burn through every red light we found
Lift a dust cloud
Break the speed of sound…
you could break free

If you want to run I’ll pack my suitcase
If you want to stay I’ll make a front door key
And if you need space… to fly… free
Take all the sky you need

I stand on the rooftops; I look down on my story
And it swallows me
Beyond the horizon, the taillights, the glories,
Will you follow me?
I need to know who I am
I’m like a moth in your hand
do I fly or stand?
Or fall on my knees?

If you want to run I’ll pack my suitcase
If you want to stay I’ll make a front door key
And if you need space… to fly… free
Take all the sky you need

From “Kathy’s Song” by Paul Simon

I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls.

And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies.

My mind’s distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you’re asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.

And a song I was writing is left undone
I don’t know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can’t believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme.

And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.

And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I

From “Fool for You” by John Butler Trio

So I stepped up to the plate to a place I thought I’d never be
So I’m thanking you today because of you I am now me
Cold days them dark and blue when ran was our only friend
For all that we’ve been through and will go through again
For that I say,
I will come and I will stand
and I will live my life beside you
I’m a proud, a proud man, but all the same I’m
I’m just a fool, I’m a fool for you
I’m a fool, I’m a fool for you

From “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin

If the sun refused to shine
I would still be loving you
When mountains crumble to the sea
There would still be you and me

Kind woman, I give you my all
Kind woman, nothing more

Little drops of rain
Whisper of the pain
Tears of loves lost in the days gone by
Our love is strong
With you there is no wrong
Together we shall go until we die. My, my, my

Inspiration’s what you are to me
Inspiration, look and see

And so today, my world it smiles
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles
Thanks to you it will be done
For you to me are the only one

Happiness, no more be sad
Happiness…. I’m glad

From “Dance Me To The End Of Love” by Leonard Cohen

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We’re both of us beneath our love, we’re both of us above
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love

From “God Only Knows” The Beach Boys

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I’d be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me

God only knows what I’d be without you

From “Be My Wife” by David Bowie

Sometimes you get so lonely
Sometimes you get nowhere
I’ve lived all over the world
I’ve left every place

Please be mine
Share my life
Stay with me
Be my wife

From “Tangled Up in You” by Staind

You’re my world
The shelter from the rain
You’re the pills
That take away my pain
You’re the light
That helps me find my way
You’re the words
When I have nothing to say
And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I’m still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you

From “Better Together” by Jack Johnson

There’s no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams,
And they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs
With sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer.
At least for most of the questions in my heart.
Like: “Why are we here?”, “And where do we go?”,
“And how come it’s so hard?”.
It’s not always easy,
And sometimes life can be deceiving
I’ll tell you one thing:
It’s always better when we’re together

From “Strange and Beautiful” by Aqualung

When looking for song lyrics for wedding readings, Aqualung’s this song’s lyrics are moving and perfectly describe the first love smitten feelings you feel for someone. It’s a beautiful song if you have a hidden love for your spouse-to-be at first.

I’ve been watching your world from afar
I’ve been trying to be where you are
And I’ve been secretly falling apart
Unseen
To me, you’re strange and you’re beautiful
You’d be so perfect with me
But you just can’t see
You turn every head but you don’t see me
I’ll put a spell on you
You’ll fall asleep
When I put a spell on you
And when I wake you I’ll be the first thing you see
And you’ll realize that you love me

From “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica

So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don’t just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters