Beautiful song

These are the lyrics to a Peter Gabriel song that was used on the Shall We Dance? soundtrack, my newest, much-loved Jennifer Lopez movie.

Like many Peter Gabriel songs, the lyrics are romantic and quirky and even a little bit funny. But if you could hear these sweet words coupled with the dreamy waltz tempo, you'd know why I listened to it once and blotted my tears with a tissue, and listened to it again and ended up drying my face on a tea towel. I thought he'd done all he could do when he wrote: In your eyes/the light, the heat/In your eyes/ I am complete/In your eyes/I see the doorways to a thousand churches, but it turns out that was only his penultimate love song.

This song makes me think of my husband, who wanted to give me a wedding ring.


The Book of Love

The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the whole damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures
and instructions for dancing

But I --
I love it when you read to me

And you --
You can read me anything

The book of love has music in it
In fact, that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb

But I --
I love it when you sing to me

And you --
You can sing me anything

The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know

But I --
I love it when you give me things

And you --
You ought to give me wedding rings

And I --
I love it when you give me things

And you --
You ought to give me wedding rings

And I --
I love it when you give me things

And you --
You want to give me wedding rings

You want to give me wedding rings