I have the notion that my life is a musical.
Kind of nice, right?
It is my experience that music makes almost any situation better. I listen a lot, and have a collection of playlists for varied moods and occasions. When something is happening, I am inclined to add tunes to the event. Though not the best at preparing food, I’ll happily contribute melodic ambiance at a moment’s notice.
Friday night charcuterie? Got it.
BBQ on the patio with friends? Done.
Summer solstice celebration? Why, certainly!
Jazz brunch on the front porch? Word.
Robbie Burns night mid-January? Say no more.
Awesome road trip? Of course!
Beach weekend? Dude.
Autumn Equinox assemblage? Not a problem.
Morning yoga at dawn? I’m there.
With all of these compilations, I notice that the tunes that catch my attention immediatley are the ones with a 3/4 tempo.
The waltzes.
Waltzes? Are you kidding me?
Well now, wait just a minute there!
Here are a few songs I am thinking about when I hear that 1,2,3, 1,2,3, 1,2,3, rhythm.
Do you recognize a few?
Open Arms – Journey
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis
Norwegian Wood – The Beatles
When Irish Eyes are Smiling – The Irish Tenors
Piano Man – Billy Joel
Can I Have This Dance? – Anne Murray
Look at Us – Vince Gill
That’s Amore – Dean Martin
Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
Annie’s Song – John Denver
Que Sera Sera – Doris Day
The Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog
Moon River – Andy Williams
Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen
and
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
There are tons more to add to this list including tunes by Metallica, Queen, Goo Goo Dolls, Seal, and Nickelback. So, you can see that waltzes come in all genres. Just listen for that 1,2,3, 1, 2, 3… beat and you’ll know you’ve got one.
I bet you didn’t know you love a good waltz, yourself!
Here is one of my favorites that you may not be as familiar with…
Just Sifting 
The waltz is definitely the foundation to a lotta great tuneage. If it’s good enough for Leonard Cohen, it’s good enough for me! Thanks
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Addendum:
One of my favorite Cohen songs is “Take this Waltz.”
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Oh, I love this! My husband and I are traveling today and listened to the song – I loved watching them do the Opry shows when the world was shut down with Covid. There they were on the stage, just the two of them, singing like the audience was full when there was no one there except the world.
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How wonderful, Deb! I will be listening for the old 1, 2, 3 in music now and thinking of you and this delightful post.
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Thank you- I know that music is a big part of who you are as well 🙂
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Andre Rieu claims the waltz has the time signature of a human heartbeat. That is powerfully symbolic. Thank you for this beautiful reflection and for the list of songs.
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I had no idea about the connection to the human heartbeat, but that is really cool. I often wonder whether other people respond the same way to that 3/4 beat, or not. Your comment leads me to believe that I am not the only one 🙂
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