I wrote this song to celebrate the marriage of my dear friends Barbara and Jill. They’ve been together, raising children and building a life for many years. Last summer they decided to take the plunge, a right which would have been completely denied to them a few years ago, and which is still not available in Wisconsin. We gathered to celebrate in the backyard with musicians and poets and food and drink. Congratulations to them, with a song that may have wider use than just a marriage or commitment. Shouldn’t we all sit at love’s table?
I’ve included all the verses I wrote, but the recording has only three of them. You may want to add your own for your friends and family.
A ceremony set upon the sand, sand, sand.
Waves crashing down on the land, land, land
Reaching out for each other’s hand, hand, hand.
We will reach and celebrate.
We will meet at love’s table
Meet at the table of love.
There is room around it now for all, all all.
Whether you are big or you are small, small, small.
No matter who your date is at the ball, ball, ball.
We will meet and celebrate
We will meet at love’s table
Meet at the table of love.
Got to live a life where joy is piled, piled, piled.
On the inner and the outer child, child, child.
And sometimes you’ve got to get a little wild, wild, wild.
Getting wild to celebrate.
We will dance on love’s table
Dance on the table of love.
Everybody here has got a thrill, thrill, thrill
For Natie, Dessa, Barbara, and Jill, Jill, Jill
We will eat and drink and sing our fill, fill, fill
Sing our fill and celebrate
This family so wonderful and smart smart smart
Full of music, food, plants and heart heart heart
It’s a bit just like a new start start start
We will meet, and celebrate.
You can feel the old world going down, down down
As every day we all are turning round round round.
When love comes looking and when it is found, found, found
Finding love to celebrate.
© Stuart Stotts 2013