A tune for two: Love songs popular with older generations
FAIRFIELD — Perhaps the idea that couples have a song they call “ours” is something reserved for a different generation.
While Taylor Swift even has a tune titled “Our Song,” it didn’t make the list of “our songs” sent in by Daily Republic readers. The tune was released in 2006.
The newest tune submitted to us was on the charts 15 years ago.
The song of one couple, Walt and Alene Dean, goes back more than six decades.
Karen and Dan Douglas were the most recently married, tying the knot in 2004 and renewing their vows Oct. 10, 2010.
With Valentine’s Day coming Tuesday, here is what readers shared with the Daily Republic about songs near and dear to their hearts.
Rose and Vince Consentino, Fairfield
“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface
“We met at work in late 1996 and quickly formed what turned out to be a lifetime friendship.
“I was an Air Force officer and divorced and single mom to three girls. He was a divorced guy with no children.
“I was being medically retired due to disabilities suffered during my service. He became my best friend, there by my side through it all, forging a deep relationship with my girls and holding my hand.
“One day we were talking and I said, ‘I love you.’ When he said he felt the same way, our friendship turned into a partnership for life.
“The words to ‘Every Time I Close My Eyes’ have true meaning for us.
“Fifteen years later, I still thank the Lord that I’ve got him.”
Dennis and Donna Murphy, Fairfield
“Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
“It may not be the most romantic of songs, but ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ is our song.
“My husband and I are both huge baseball fans. Our first date was to a baseball game.
“After two years of more games, he proposed to me at one. One year later at our wedding, as everybody was expecting a mushy song for our first dance, we made everyone laugh as we danced to our song.
“This will be our 20th Valentine’s Day.”
Karen and Dan Douglas, Suisun City
“Ebb Tide”
“We meet in 1989 in Napa. We became friends.
“We both like the beach and on one trip to the beach he sang ‘Ebb Tide’ to me. It is a beautiful song.
“Later he bought me a music box with a lighthouse on it. The song it played was ‘Ebb Tide.’
“We moved to Suisun City in 2002 and bought a house. I retired in 2004 and we decided to get married. We were married at Martha’s Vineyard.
“No one knew we were planning to get married. The rest of the family wished we had married locally so we renewed our vows at the lighthouse in Suisun City on Oct. 10, 2010.
“We both like soft old music. So ‘Ebb Tide’ was a good song for us. The words are beautiful.”
Bob and Rose Stow, Fairfield
“Look at Us” by Vince Gill
“My Valentine, Rosie and I have been married for 57 years. We have lived in Fairfield the entire time. We have three married sons who also live here.
(The song was released in 1991, several years after they married.)
“I don’t know if we had one (song) when we got married,” Stow said, adding that the couple probably heard the song for the first time on the radio and then purchased the recording.
The lyrics include the lines: “When they want to see, how true love should be, they’ll just look at us.”
Alene and Walt Dean, Fairfield
“Forever and Ever” by Perry Como
“We met in October 1948. Soon after the new year, that song was being played on the radio.
“On March 15, 1949, I asked her to marry me. We were married Aug. 14, 1949.
“On Valentine’s Day, we will celebrate 62.5 years of marriage together.
“So it has been, almost forever and ever.”
Mike and Terry Losado, Vallejo
“You’re My Best Friend” by Don Williams
“We were married in December 1971. The song ‘You’re My Best Friend,’ by Don Williams, came out in 1975, I believe.
“When we hear it, we’ll hold hands, give each other a little wink, and kiss, because we truly are best friends and enjoy each other’s company. Forty years strong and we are still going.
A couple of widows even shared the songs that meant so much to them and their late spouse.
Anita Lonstron, Fairfield
“You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” by Lou Rawls
“My Valentine, Allen Lonstron passed away four years ago. Our song was ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’ by Lou Rawls.
“We would often dance to this great song when it would come on the radio.
“Allen would call me at work to listen. I loved when I didn’t pick up the phone and I would have it on my messages.
“It would just make my day. Every time I hear this song, I smile and think of my Valentine.”
Aida Gibson, Fairfield
“Three Times A Lady” by the Commodores
“My late husband, Frank, always played and hummed this song to me. I was married to him for 24 years. The love of my life passed away in May 2011.
“We devoted our married life to each other and our child.
“He got ill. I took care of him from the beginning to end. I always got a tender squeeze on my hand each time he asked to play the song over and over, while he was bed-ridden.
“I have not gotten over the sadness.
“This song is always in my heart, but I can’t play it anymore. My Valentine took the ‘melody’ with him.”
Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net.
Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=134812
Posted by Amy Maginnis-Honey
on Feb 12 2012.
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Perry Como used to cut my dad’s hair and sing..this was the late 40′s early 50′s Perry was a barber in my hometown of Canonsburg Pa..My mother knew his mother..her funeral in the early 60′s or so was the last Perry ever came back to Canonsburg..To this day I have his mother’s holy card framed in our living room..the two angel..one crying on the other’s shoulder..knew Bobby Vinton too.he lived next door to my cousin..small world..
I January 1953, I traveled to New York for two weeks to go to the CBS TV Factory to see how to service their TV sets, in Brooklyn.
One night I went to a live Perry Como’s TV Broadcast Show. During the warm up before the broadcast, he said that he sometimes had trouble remembering all the lyrics to the songs that he sang. He had cue cards. During one show, he had trouble seeing the words. He motioned to the person to move over a little, and the guy just left. Perry had to fake the rest of the song.
We still like his music, at least we can understand the words to the song. He didn’t have to scream and swallow the mike.
Goodness, I would love to hear more about who you are and the things you did.
I am so embarrassed, (the things you have done). Sounds intriguing.
In Canonsburg Pa. there’s a life size statue of Perry Como. In front of the munincipal building.and a recording of his music plays constantly..I hear people come from some distance to see it.His barber shop was a walk down under a building that’s now a bank..unfortunately it’s been filled in with concrete and the steps and the barber shop they led to no longer exists.
As well, I was born in 53.