A Gay Marriage Song
for Eros and Kin

"Lavender Blue"
traditional tune
new lyrics by Clayton Bess

Recently two of my friends got married — well, a lot more than two actually; lots of gay marriages happening this year, finally — but these two men asked me if I could think of a good poem for their wedding, something suitable not only for friends, but for family, and most of all for themselves.

I was at a loss for that moment, and indeed for about a week afterwards. And then I came up with an old favorite of mine, but with words only slightly adjusted for this particular occasion — the wedding of two members of the same sex, this time men. For two women, you could simply change the one word below "king" to "queen".

Such a pretty tune, and I love these new words. Sigh, so romantic.

"Lavender Blue"

Lavender blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender green
If I am king, dilly dilly,
You're king with me.

How do I know? Dilly dilly.
Who told me so?
It was my heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so.

When your dilly dilly heart feels a dilly dilly way,
And you answer yes,
Then in a dilly dilly place on a dilly dilly day,
We'll be wed and both be dressed ...

... in ...

Lavender green, dilly dilly,
Lavender blue.
As I love you, dilly dilly,
You love me true.