Wedding Blog
Okay, so we had our first dance allll picked out. It was to be Allison Krauss’ When you Say Nothing at All. Nice song, but not really our song. Our song is another Allison Krauss song called Now That I Found You, but it’s kinda depressing when you see the lyrics have something about leaving. So, moving on. The other day I saw a video on Youtube:
This is by Death Cab for Cutie, and while normally not a fave band of mine, the song just struck a chord with me. No pun intended. 
When I read the lyrics, I was a little sad. Despite the title, “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” I honestly didn’t realize it was about death. After reading the lyrics more thoroughly, I feel the lyrics are, while a bit morbid, beautiful.
I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Love of mine some day you will die
But I’ll be close behind
I’ll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the nos on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
“Son fear is the heart of love”
So I never went back
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the nos on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It’s nothing to cry about
Cause we’ll hold each other soon
The blackest of rooms
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the nos on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
Then I’ll follow you into the dark
Yeah, kinda morbid. I love it, though. LOVE it. As in, listened to it 4 times in a row while writing checks at work.
As a first dance song, too morbid? What about the last slow dance of the night? Should I just let it go, and do as a friend said- “Enjoy it privately, but not as a wedding song.” Advice?
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I love this song and the message behind it and it’s really unexpected for a first dance, which I think is great. I definitly don’t think it’s too morbid. I think it’s romantic.
I was worried about our song, “The Luckiest” because it talks about an old woman who dies a few days after her husband, but everyone liked it!
I like both songs, but I’d rather do a song about leaving than death! What song do you want to look back on as “your song” though?
I think you should use it if you and Mr. Kiwi are into it.
I don’t think people are going to be listening super closely to the words - they are going to be looking at you, listening to the melody, chatting quietly with other people.
I was thinking of one of the new Dixie Chicks songs “Easy Silence” for our first dance, and have the same concerns. The message of it is basically that the world is pretty effed up right now (politics, the environment, etc), but there’s an easy silence that this special person makes, keeping the world at bay, even when there’s nothing more to say, etc. The melody is beautiful, so we might end up using it, even though it’s not a traditional “love song”.
I think you should do what makes you happy!
It’s an amazing song…I have to say that I don’t feel the death in the song as strongly as I feel the message of love and loyalty.
That’s actually our first dance.
Ben Gibbard is a genius.
My hubby loves that song! He found it right before our wedding and he thought the words were so sweet Only later did he realize it was about death He wanted to use it at our wedding but I didnt like the death connotation so instead he learned to play it on his guitar and serenaded me with it one day! It was so sweet so if you both love it and dont care about the conotation use it Its a sweet song
It may be a good song, but I would go with what your friend says. It may be too morbid for a first dance song…you could probably work it into your playlist somehow if you really want it played.
Yeeeah I may have to agree with JTL. I LOVE the song and it is sooo sweet, but I feel like the first dance should be more about your life together or beginnings…or at least something other than death! I dunno, I’m generally not a supersticious person, but it just seems like asking for trouble to me!! But I do looove it and agree that playing it at another point during the night, or even an acoustic version (with no lyrics!) as your first dance, would be great if you want to include it!
I love the song. I love the band. DH just went to see them Wed night, I had school. Sigh.
We used it in our ceremony, DH walked out to it. It was so perfect.
If you love it, if it holds meaning and feels right - you should use it.
I really love this song, both the lyrics and the music, but I have to admit that I hear it more as a song about death. I will admit to probably being biased by the fact that the first time that I heard it was at the end of our local Shakespeare festival’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” a few months ago.
Thanks for all the opinions, I’m constantly weighing the pros and cons on this. One one hand, the words, the actual devotion you hesr in his voice, and the line about having done everything… it’s so beautiful. On the other hand, we’re LITERALLY just starting our lives together, and this song is about the end of someone else’s life. 
It’s so sweet, to think about someone loving you so much they want to follow you into death. Gah. I dunno guys, I’m still undecided. I appreciate all the thoughts regarding this, though!!
I think your first dance song should be whatever you and your fiance want it to be.
Who cares what anyone else thinks? It’s supposed to be special to both of you.
Oh, and I love Death Cab. My favorite song is “Soul Meets Body,” which has a very pretty chorus. Too fast for a traditional first dance song, but a nice one just the same. I’m sure we’ll play it at some point during our wedding.
I’ve loved this song for months! On the other hand, when I first heard it, I thought it sounded like a stalker song. Then I warmed up to how sweet it actually is…but I do think it’s a little morbid. On the other hand, you ARE vowing “’til death,” and this song is along the lines of “beyond death” which I think is sweet. However, the first line might get the guests questioning if they heard it right. 
I think it’s a great song, and you should do whatever you want!
I love the song–and it’s very sweet. But a wedding is about beginnings, not endings.
I absolutely adore this song. It never fails to make me tear up. For your first dance, though, I would say maybe not… the sentiment is perfect, but the fact that you can very clearly hear him sing the word “die” in the very first line is the only thing that concerns me.
What about “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds? Sort of the same message, but less morbid?
Just an idea.
Allison Kraus also does a great version of the Beatles “I Will,” another sweet song.
Well, Mr. Kiwi has vetoed Death Cab. He is now in favor of an accoustic version of “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters. I will fight that one, we can play it, but NOT as our first dance. Why? Because I’m petty like that. So, the search is on. BUT, is it sad to engrave the wedding band with “I will follow you into the dark”?
But, for those of you who love Death Cab’s song, THIS video is heartbreakingly good. SOO sad, I cry every time. Which is one of the reasons Mr. Kiwi won’t let me do this song. He doesn’t want me bawling. But yeah, THIS one below is the best version of all time.
There’s 2 versions of music videos for this song! I saw the “bunnies” video first and it made me cry. I think it captures the sweetness of the song better than the live-person video.
oh. ha ha. in the time it took me to write the above comment, you had already updated. oops!
Mackenzie, I think you may have given us our first dance song. I’m listening to it now, and reading the lyrics. It’s lovely. Miss Bluebell put it perfectly “that is minorly morbid but still totally appropriate and sweet!”. Thank you.
I am also welcoming MORE sad yet appropriate first dance songs (Colleen, that one was in the running, too).
THANKS Everyone!!!!!
My favorite song from them. i listen to it everyday…its really sweet and always triggers emotions
That song is so beautiful! I just watched both videos and cried! I’m such a sap.
I really like the song, and I think it would have great meaning as a first song. I don’t really see it as a loved dying as much as you being by there side, through thick and thin, no matter what happens or where you have to go. Thanks posting about this gorgeous song!
The Luckiest is also an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING song! I really like it, too.
My all-time, most favoritest in the entire world song about my other half is Everlong by the Foo Fighters. However, I’m walking down the aisle to the acoustic version, so it can’t be our first dance. Oh, but if you only knew how that song is instilled in my veins…
By the way, I think it would be adorable to get “I will follow you into the dark” inside your ring! Right now, the other half and I have simple bands (we’re not engaged yet) that just have our anni inside. but I’d really like to get something engraved inside our wedding bands someday.
Sorry, I talk a lot! Good luck, and let us know what you chose!
their* dangit. I should proofread for grammatical errors.
Kiley, no biggies about grammar errors. I ain’t no teacher. That is SOOOO funny about the Foo. That’s what Mr. Kiwi wants as HIS fave song. He wants to play the accoustic version at our wedding, for me. Which I think is sweet. AND, I totally cry every time I see the Death Cab song. I am just loving it. I have another post coming up about the wedding bands and the songs and all that. I really appreciate your also liking the songs, though! If IO sound rambly, it’s because I am suffering because of this major migraine right now and I’m not sure I’m making sense in my own head, so luckily it’ll clear soon.
i love that song too, but i think it would be hard to dance to, no? it’s not slow enough for a slow dance…
i think maybe it would be better as the last dance song rather than the first. still special, but then you don’t start off the night with a song about death. but the emotion in the song makes it great for an ending. death also being an ending. (plus, some people might not catch the death connotation and instead just hear the title line in the chorus and think he’s following you into the “wedding night” dark, LoL.)
A little late, maybe you’ll see this or maybe not, but I’d also listen to “Naked as We Came” by Iron & Wine. Same theme, but mostly instrumental and you’d have to listen really close to get all the words. The title sounds dirty at the first go, but no one needs to know it.
She says wake up it’s no use pretending
I’ll keep stealing breathing her
Birds are leaving over Autumn’s ending
One of us will die inside these arms
Eyes wide open
Naked as we came
One will spread our
Ashes round the yard
She says if I leave before you darling
Don’t you waste me in the ground
I lay smiling like our sleeping children
One of us will die inside these arms
Eyes wide open
Naked as we came
One will spread our
Ashes round the yard
This is the song I want to dance to. I honestly don’t feel it’s about death so much as an endless love. Nothing can separate them, not even death. They will be together for all eternity, and that is a good message to have to start your life together.
[...] my first dance song post, I wrote about the song that’s too sad to dance to at our wedding. Mr Kiwi has since [...]
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Mrs. Kiwi, Los Angeles
Age and Occupation in 06: 27, Bookkeeper
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, P.E. Teach/Coach @ private schools in LA
Engagement Date: March 31, 2006
Wedding Date: November 3, 2007
Venue: Radisson Hotel
About Me: I'm a bookkeeper who failed high school algebra. I'm currently living in Los Angeles, literally a street over from where I grew up with Mr. Kiwi, my honey of three years. We have a jumbo mini-dachshund (seriously, he's huuuuge), and we're planning an autumn themed wedding on a shoestring, paid for by ourselves. The wedding date is my late grandma's birthday, I needed her there somehow, and that seemed like the best way for us. I can't believe I'm a Bee! I couldn't be more proud!
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