Can't Help Falling in Love

Not Your Father's Recommendation (But Close)

Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley

Recommended by my mother

When I first asked what her favorite song was, she quickly rattled off a list of current songs that sounded like the last hour's playlist from Sirius Satellite Radio's Today's Pop Hits. Like mother like daughter.

But when I asked why, she switched her answer to Can't Help Falling in Love.

I asked what the significance was, even though I already knew: it was her and my father's first dance at their wedding.

Apparently her brother - my uncle - actually sang it during the first dance. I didn't know that part.

They chose the song for no other the reason than they both kind of liked it. I tried to press her for a "deeper" answer, but she didn't have one. And I get that. Music speaks to people in a really special way, and sometimes you can't really put it into words.

She says she grew up listening to Elvis because her parents liked him (almost as much as Tom Jones), and her brother always picked it for karaoke growing up.

I can relate. I think we all can.

I was already familiar with this song because my parents played it all the time...didn't endear me to the song all that much, but what are you gonna do. Maybe they overdid it.

Real talk: I think this song is boring. It crawls along at like eleven beats per minute, and it has about three lines of lyrics that are repeated over and over again.

I had a chorus teacher in high school whose catch phrase (well one of her many catch phrases) was, "If you're going to say the same thing twice, you have to change the way you say it."

Elvis does not seem to subscribe to this theory. Fight me.

That said, I still think it's the epitome of a classic love song. To the point that it's a cliche. I mean, the lyrics are impossibly sweet, Elvis has a voice like melted heart-shaped chocolates, and the music is perfectly suited for slow dancing. Not winterfest slow dancing, but like...no-space-for-jesus, we-are-breathing-the-same-air, this-is-grinding-in-slow-motion slow dancing. The kind of slow dancing where the couple feel like they're the only two in the room, and they're not really dancing, just kind of holding each other while they shift their weight from foot to foot. And there's candles, probably.

Like, say, the first dance at a wedding.

But even though you'd never catch me listening to this song on the daily, I can't deny that my parents have a really awesome relationship (#goals) that all started with this song. So when I do actually give this song a listen...it kind of sounds like magic.

Overview

Genre:
Pop...apparently. I had to look it up because I'm terrible at this. It's a pop ballad.

Favorite Lyrics:
Take my hand. Take my whole life, too.

Verdict:
Would it be a sin if I can help falling in love with this song?



P.S. The hypocrisy of the fact that I'm dragging Elvis for being repetitive when I openly admit to liking Top 40 pop does not escape my notice. Sue me.