Deborah Chan
Paul Stookey's Wedding Song (There Is Love) is a popular choice for marriage ceremonies across America. The song was written for his ex-bandmate Peter Yarrow's wedding to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of senator and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey wrote the song in the key of Eb, played at 136bpm in cut time, and the original recording is played by a 12-string guitar that is tuned two full steps down. The song has been covered by many artists, including Petula Clark, Captain & Tennille, and Harry Belafonte, and has charted in several countries. Stookey himself attributes the song's creation to divine inspiration, and as a result, the song contains multiple references to God.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the song | Wedding Song (There Is Love) |
| Artist | Paul Stookey |
| Key | E Major |
| BPM | 136 |
| Year of release | 1971 |
| Record Label | Warner Records |
| Songwriter | Paul Stookey |
| Producer | Ed Mottau and Jim Mason |
| Guitar used | 12-string guitar |
| Guitar tuning | Two full steps down |
| Inspiration | Divine inspiration |
| Occasion | Peter Yarrow's wedding |
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What You'll Learn
- Paul Stookey wrote Wedding Song for his ex-bandmate's wedding
- Stookey's Wedding Song was inspired by a prayer
- The song was originally written and performed at Peter Yarrow's wedding in 1969
- Wedding Song was released in 1971 as part of Stookey's first solo album
- The sheet music for Wedding Song is in the key of E Major
Paul Stookey wrote Wedding Song for his ex-bandmate's wedding
Paul Stookey wrote the "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" for his ex-bandmate Peter Yarrow's wedding. The song was written as a gift to Yarrow and his soon-to-be wife, Mary Beth McCarthy, who was the daughter of 1968 presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey was the best man at the wedding and first performed the song on October 18, 1969, just after the breakup of his band, Peter, Paul and Mary.
Stookey has said that the song's compositional origins came from divine inspiration. He prayed to God for inspiration and claimed that he received the melody and lyrics as a gift from God. The lyrics of the song reference God directly and hint at a religious influence. Stookey has also stated that the song is a celebration of the love of a newlywed couple and their union with God.
"Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was featured on Stookey's first solo album, "Paul and," which he recorded after the disbandment of Peter, Paul and Mary in 1971. The song was produced by Ed Mottau and Jim Mason, and released by Warner Records. It is in the key of Eb, played at 136bpm in cut time, and the original recording featured Stookey playing a 12-string guitar that was tuned two full steps down.
The song has become one of the most popular wedding songs of all time, with numerous covers and renditions by various artists, including Petula Clark, Captain & Tennille, Harry Belafonte, Bradley Joseph, and Nana Mouskouri. Clark's version, released in 1972, became a top 10 hit on the charts. The song's popularity and influence extended across borders, with Clark recording a French rendering titled "Il est temps" in 1972.
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Stookey's Wedding Song was inspired by a prayer
Paul Stookey's "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was inspired by a prayer. Stookey wrote the song as a wedding gift to his bandmate Peter Yarrow, who was marrying Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of senator and one-time presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey prayed to God for inspiration, asking, "How would You manifest yourself at Peter's wedding?" He then wrote the song, which he says was a gift from God. The opening lyrics of the song are: "He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts". Stookey originally wrote "I am now to be among you", but changed it to "He" to avoid any misunderstanding. The song was released in 1971 and has been a popular choice for weddings ever since. It has been recorded by various artists, including Petula Clark, who had a hit with her version in 1972. Stookey donated the royalties from the song to a trust fund called Public Domain, which distributes the money to individuals and organizations worldwide.
The song is a celebration of the love of a newlywed couple and their union with God. It is in the key of Eb, played at 136bpm in cut time, and the original recording is played by a 12-string guitar tuned two full steps down. The compositional origins of the song are said by Stookey himself to be divinely inspired. The lyrics reference God directly and hint at a religious influence, but do not strictly adhere to any one religion. Stookey has stated that the song came from a source beyond his personal experience.
"Wedding Song (There Is Love)" is featured on Stookey's first solo album, "Paul and", released after the disbandment of his band Peter, Paul & Mary in 1971. The song reached No. 31 in Canada, No. 55 in Australia, and No. 3 on the Irish hit parade. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Captain & Tennille, Harry Belafonte, and Nana Mouskouri. Instrumental versions have also been recorded, including by the O'Neill Brothers and Bradley Joseph.
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The song was originally written and performed at Peter Yarrow's wedding in 1969
"The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was written by Paul Stookey in 1969 as a wedding gift to his longtime bandmate Peter Yarrow, who was marrying Mary Beth McCarthy, the niece of senator and one-time presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey was the best man at the wedding, which took place on October 18, 1969, at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Willmar, Minnesota.
Stookey has said that the song was divinely inspired and that he received the melody and lyrics from God. He prayed, "How would You manifest yourself at Peter's wedding?" and the answer is reflected in the opening lyrics: "He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts". Stookey originally wrote the line as "I am now to be among you," but changed it to "He" to avoid any misunderstanding. The song's lyrics reference God directly and hint at a religious influence, but do not strictly adhere to any one religion.
"The Wedding Song" was first recorded for Stookey's solo album, "Paul and", and was released on July 23, 1971. It was issued as a single on June 28, 1971, and reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 3 on the Easy Listening chart. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Petula Clark, Captain & Tennille, Harry Belafonte, and Nana Mouskouri. It is one of the most popular wedding songs of all time and has been played and sung at countless weddings since its release.
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Wedding Song was released in 1971 as part of Stookey's first solo album
Paul Stookey's "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was released on June 28, 1971, as part of his first solo album, "Paul and". The song was written for his ex-bandmate Peter Yarrow's wedding to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of senator and one-time presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey has said that the song was divinely inspired, and he wrote and arranged it himself.
"Wedding Song" has since become one of the most popular wedding songs of all time, covered at countless weddings and by many artists. It is said to be one of the most popular love songs from the 1970s. The song has been released in many different keys, but the original recording is in the key of Eb, played at 136bpm in cut time. The sheet music is available in E Major, and the song is played on a 12-string guitar that is tuned two full steps down.
The song has an interesting backstory, with Stookey revealing that he originally wrote the lyrics as "I am now to be among you", but changed them to "He is now to be among you" after his wife, Betty, pointed out that people might misunderstand and think he was claiming to be God. Stookey also chose not to receive any royalties from the song, instead directing them to a trust fund called Public Domain, which distributes the money to individuals and organisations around the world.
"Wedding Song" has been covered by many artists, including Petula Clark, whose version was released in 1972 and charted in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Other notable covers include those by Captain & Tennille, Harry Belafonte, and Red Hurley and the Nevada. Instrumental versions have also been recorded by the O'Neill Brothers and Bradley Joseph.
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The sheet music for Wedding Song is in the key of E Major
The sheet music for Paul Stookey's "Wedding Song (There is Love)" is in the key of E Major. The song was written by Stookey for his ex-bandmate Peter Yarrow's marriage to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of senator and one-time presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Stookey has said that the song was divinely inspired, and that he wrote it after praying to God for inspiration. He maintains that the song was \"given\" to him, and that he was simply required to write it down.
"Wedding Song" was first performed at Yarrow's wedding in October 1969 and was later recorded for Stookey's first solo album, 'Paul and', released in 1971. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Petula Clark, Captain & Tennille, Harry Belafonte, and Nana Mouskouri. It has also been recorded as an instrumental by the O'Neill Brothers and Bradley Joseph.
The sheet music for "Wedding Song (There is Love)" is available for piano, vocal, and guitar in the key of E Major, and can be transposed into other keys. The song is played at 136bpm in cut time, and the original recording featured a 12-string guitar tuned two full steps down.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the wedding song written by Paul Stookey is "Wedding Song (There Is Love)".
Paul Stookey's "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" is in the key of E Major.
Paul Stookey was inspired to write "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" for his ex-bandmate Peter Yarrow's wedding to Marybeth McCarthy.
Paul Stookey wrote "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" in 1969.
The lyrics to Paul Stookey's "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" include: "He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts", "The union of your spirits here has caused Him to remain", and "For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name, there is love".
