In 1969, Noel Paul Stookey wrote a song and first performed it at the wedding of his Peter, Paul and Mary folk bandmate, Peter Yarrow’s, marriage to the niece of Senator Eugene McCarthy, Mary McCarthy. In 1971, it was released as a single, later added to his solo album titled “Paul and,” and has become one of the most played songs at weddings. The song is titled, “The Wedding Song (This is Love).” It reportedly, came from divine inspiration in a time of Stookey’s religious awakening, from what he deeply felt was an answer to a prayer. The song references some of the words of Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and a woman leave her home, and they shall become one flesh.” Stookey’s lyrics are a little bit different than that quote from the Bible, but they both emphasize the sacred bond of marriage. Though numbers are not etched in stone, or even kept track of, some argue that Stookey’s Wedding Song might be second only to “Here Comes the Bride” in popularity of wedding songs. That ranking is unofficial, but I can remember hearing that song many times at many weddings I have attended. With other songs I have heard at nuptial ceremonies be they at the ceremony itself, or the reception, to which we’ve been invited (“Pachelbel’s Canon in D”, Whitney Houston’s, “I Will Always Love You,” Neil Diamond’s, “Sweet Caroline,” Bon Jovi’s, “Living on a Prayer,” Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” and many more, I always recall Noel Paul Stookey’s, “Wedding Song” to be right up there with many of these others.

Forty-six years ago tomorrow, on the day we pledged ourselves to each other, and began our wedded life together, Sally and I listened to Stookey’s prayer answered, inspiring “Wedding Song,” as we heard the lyrics of this popular song sung, and its melody played, at St. James Church in Jamestown, just before we made our solemn vows to Love, Honor, Protect, and Cherish each other, for better worse, richer, poorer, in good and bad times, in sickness and good health, until death do us part. It’s been an amazing journey, but not always trekked on freshly paved, well lit, always clear roads that we’ve traveled. There have been bumps, some struggles, unexpected occurrences, and good and bad surprises along the way, but following the words of the “Middle Name” Paul who wrote this song for his bandmate, this “Middle Name” Paul has used this song as part of our process to avoid the “potholes” (or at least deal with them), avoid the “traffic stoppages or delays (or at least deal with them), and keep our commitment to make our marriage work as amazingly well, as it has these 46 years together. So, what has been the reason for the success and strength of our time spent together, as it has worked so very well for nearly five decades? The answer my friends, is rooted in the last three words of each stanza of this beautiful song.

As much as we travel over real highway roads yearly, our radio is almost always on some station which provides us opportunities to “Sing with the Stars,” or “Car-aoke,” as I call it. The Captain and Tennille, we are not. (Actually, I think we’re a lot better, but that’s just my opinion). The often times it plays on some of the easy listening stations we listen to, Noel Paul Stookey’s popular “Wedding Song,” (like many other songs we fake audition to,) turns us into amateur performers, and we can’t help but song along.

The lyrics of Stookey’s song are:

Wedding Song (There Is Love)

Song by Paul Stookey

“The union of your spirits here has caused him to remain

For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name

There is love

There is love

Well, a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home

They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one

As it was in the beginning, is now until the end

Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again

And there is love

There is love

Well, then what’s to be the reason for becoming man and wife?

Is it love that brings you here, or love that gives you life?

For if loving is the answer, then who’s the giving for?

Do you believe in something that you’ve never seen before?

Oh, there’s love

There is love

The union of your spirits here has caused him to remain

For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name

Oh, there’s love

There is love”

Songwriter: Paul Stookey

May we all heed the words of The Wedding Song, and sing it to the hilts as it plays in our cars, through our earbuds, watching PBS Peter, Paul, and Mary concert replays, or just crooning it to the person we love. Always remember, “There is Love.” Happy 46th, Sally!