10 Most Inappropriate Wedding Songs

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There are some songs that just don’t belong to weddings. No matter how much you may like a tune, you need to be discerning when you make your wedding playlist so that you don’t end up with an embarrassing, awkward failure. Here are ten of the most inappropriate wedding songs you could never choose to play on your special day.

10 Most Inappropriate Wedding Songs

All My Ex’s Live in Texas – George Strait

No matter how much you like country music, this song is a bad idea for a wedding playlist. Nobody likes to hear about their partner’s past lovers, and playing a song that blatantly talks about the singer’s ex-girlfriends is just an uncomfortable reminder that the bride and groom probably were not one another’s first venture into the world of love and romance.

White Wedding by Billy Idol

The title sounds pretty innocuous, right? Think again. This violent song by Billy Idol is the opposite of ideal for a wedding dance. Grandma will not be impressed by the inclusion of this tune, and while it might resonate with some of the tipsier guests, it really doesn’t suit the atmosphere.

Gold Digger by Kanye West

This is an especially bad choice if there’s a significant economic or age gap between you and your future spouse. Gold Digger is about a woman who marries a richer, older man to gain access to his wealth. It even makes some pretty vulgar references to meeting a potential hookup at a wedding. How awkward would that be for the guests?! Unquestionably one of the most inappropriate wedding songs you could choose.

The Rains of Castamere from HBO’s Games of Thrones

Play this song at a wedding, and anyone who’s seen the third season of HBO’s fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones will start to get queasy. This is the tune that plays during the Red Wedding, an extremely violent and gory massacre in which six characters are killed, as well as the unborn child of one of the victims who was pregnant at the time. Definitely not an image you want to bring to mind on your wedding day!

Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul

If you’re marrying a Mr. Jones, this song is definitely a no-no. Even though it’s certainly a sensual and romantic ballad, the story tells of a narrator who meets in secret with a married woman (the titular Mrs. Jones) to conduct a love affair. Not a great way to start your life as a newly pronounced Mrs. Jones! Stick to songs that aren’t celebrating infidelity on your wedding day.

I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco

Speaking of infidelity, this hit from 2006 is another great song that is a terrible choice for a wedding celebration. Within the first verse, the tone is set: “What a beautiful wedding,” says a bridesmaid to a waiter. “Oh yes, but what a shame the poor groom’s bride is a whore.” Oops. Although the magnificent and carnivalesque music video takes place in a church during a wedding, it’s definitely not a song that you would want to play at yours.

Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks

Another song that deals with marriage, this one is on our list of inappropriate wedding songs because the song is about a marriage that goes awry. The title character, Earl, is a physically abusive husband who continues to hurt his (ex-) wife, Wanda, even after a divorce and a restraining order. After landing in intensive care, Wanda’s best friend Mary Ann comes and helps her plot to kill Earl and hide his body, and the two of them celebrate the death of Wanda’s abuser. Although it’s a brilliant, energetic, and powerfully poignant song, it definitely doesn’t belong on a wedding dance playlist.

Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meat Loaf

On a less violent note, this is another song that mentions a marriage not going well. It’s about a teenage boy who sleeps with a girl after promising to marry her, but ends up in an awful marriage because of it. It’s a hilarious track on its own, but talks about a bummer at a wedding! If you’re going for something lighthearted and whimsical, stick to a song that doesn’t hate marriage.

Love Song by Sara Bareilles

It’s catchy, upbeat, and has a title that could make you think it would be perfect for a wedding. So, what’s the problem? The problem with Love Song is that, contrary to its title, it’s the opposite of a love song – it’s all about refusing to write a love song for someone. Love Song is an empowering tune for anyone who feels fed up with being pushed around, but definitely not one that you’d want to use when celebrating two people’s mutual love for one another.

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division

You wonder why this is on our list of inappropriate wedding songs? Come on, does this one really need to be explained? Keep Joy Division out of it.