Hello everyone,
I was hoping I could tap into your creativity. My husband and I are putting together a slide show DVD of family pictures for my in-laws for Christmas. We're going to start with some pictures of the two of them when they were younger, then their (3) kids as they were growing up, and finally the (3) grandkids.
All of the ladies in the family are very sentimental and will probably cry no matter what, so we'd like to stay with upbeat songs if possible so it doesn't get too out of hand! I, however, being the sentimental one that I am, would like to keep my options open if the right song happens to be slower.
I'm open to any genre of music, but my husband insists it has words.
Thanks!
L.
Thanks again to everyone who helped with song suggestions. I thought I'd let you know how everything went. We made it like a 'real' movie, so during the opening credits we used the theme song to All in the Family (one of my FIL's favorite shows). Then we used a little bit of Bad to the Bone with some early pictures of my FIL with his motorcycles and classic cars. Then a little of Goody Two Shoes for my MIL's early day pictures. For early pics of the three kids, we used O bla di bla da, which I wouldn't have thought of using without the Mamasource suggestion (so thank you!). It was perfect. We had the grandkids' pictures set to Somewhere Over the Rainbow... Not a dry eye in the house. : ) Last but not least, since we wanted to end it on a positive, non-sentimental note, we used a BNL song with some funny pics of my husband being dressed up in girls' clothes by his sisters. The song was "I like my big sister... But I don't wanna wear her coat." It was hilarious.
And since we couldn't fit the hundreds upon hundreds of pics that we wanted to include into the slideshow itself, we simply randomly threw all of the pictures in at the end in a separate section, set to my FIL's favorite Christmas music.
It was a huge hit! We've been told by several people in the family that it was the best gift ever. One of his sisters even said, "How can we ever top that???"
"My Life" by the Beatles
"My Girl" by the Temptations
Think of any weddings you have been to in the past and the family dance songs they played, or ask around what songs people used for the bride/groom dance and father/daughter or mother son dances.
Cat's Cradle... can't remember who did it - several bands did versions of it. Maybe that's not even its title, but its pretty well known. The chorus goes
cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
little boy blue and the man in the moon
when you coming home son I don't know when
but we'll be together then.
Also Kenny Loggins' House on Pooh Corner
Both are pretty sentimental, so they'd be tear jerkers, but they'd be pretty appropriate too.
I love "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds and "Feels like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk. Both are pretty emotional songs, with words :)
I love picking music for slide shows! Here's some of my favorites:
For pictures of kids, I love Billie Holiday's "God Bless the child" or "Eanie Meany" by Jim Noir if doing pictures of kids horsing around.
Rod Stewart/The Faces "Ooh La La" (I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger)
Harry Connick Jr.'s version of "It Had to Be You"- has a very grand opening-good starter
Paul Simon "Kodachrome"
"The One Who Loves you the Most" by Brett Dennen
"To Have and to Hold" by Colin Hay (has sort of a tropical, standing on the beach feel)
"Sweetest Thing" by U2
"Heart of Mine" by Peter Salett (maybe a little too sentimental but great song)
Good Luck and have fun!
"I hope you dance" by lee ann womak
If you have girls then:
"In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride
I agree with Jess. We got a video for a wedding present with old pictures of both me and my husband. It was good fun, the person chose some songs that were popular at the time and songs that fit our personality (meaning what kind of music do they like). I think it helps bring back those memories to find songs that were around about the same time as the pictures were taken..
A really cool gift to give, kinda inspires me to do something similar.
I'm a music fanatic, so I'll give you some of my thoughts:
-"Time in a Bottle" (slow tear-jerker, however)
-"Teach Your Children Well" (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
-"We are Family" (Sly & the Family Stone?)
I always love "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong - it's timeless!!
What a great gift idea!
D.
I really like "All because two people fell in love" from Brad Paisley..GREAT family song
We did a similar display at our wedding... we picked songs that we really liked, fit the "era" of the photos and were upbeat (since it was a wedding).
We ended up with Paul Simon's "KodaChrome", "Me and Julio" and Sunshine Daydream by the Grateful Dead. These songs fit our childhood and since we were both Grateful Dead fans in college, worked well for the later photos.
I'd say try to think about a song for each generation, and go from there.
Jessica
Time of Your Life by Green Day
Taking You Home by Don Henley is a nice song, but slow. This Shirt by Mary Chapin Carpenter is also great, but can be a little sappy too.
this is one of my favorite songs. it's sappy and upbeat. super simple.
happiness runs by donovan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cGWTAe3M6U
What about A WHOLE NEW WORLD for pictures of the kids when they are babies. And YOU CAN LET GO NOW DADDY if there are any daughters and you include any pictures from say homecoming, prom's or weddings. I would see if you can find out what music they had in their wedding for their pictures. I did one for my family last year at Christmas and it was a gift everyone will always treasure - Since I used mainly Christmas Pictures I used Elvis Presley, Mamma loves roses (or something like that) and I'll be home for Christmas and those were both songs that everyone loved with the pictures. ENJOY - it'll be a fabulous gift!
"Two People Fell In Love" by Brad Paisley is a great song, especially for what you are doing. Also, "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis. I don't know if they like country music or not, but these songs are great...although a little on the slower side.
Ok We did the same thing for my in-laws 70th birthday. The songs that we used were,
Come together
December, 1963 (Oh what a night)
Dancing Queen
My Eyes Adored you
I want Candy (the halloween pictures were great)
Have fun!
"I can tell that we are gonna be friends" and "Forever Young" come to mind...
"Thanks for the Memories" by Bob Hope would be another idea.
Good Luck -- what a great gift!
My family is big on doing slide shows for each other's big events. Like others have suggested, it's hard to beat "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. Another that is more up beat yet sentimental is "You're My Best Friend" by Queen. I also like "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi, "Your Song" by Elton John, and if the family is "small town", then the song "Small Town" by John Cougar Mellencamp is great.
Paul Anka wrote a song back in the '60's for a Kodak camera commercial called 'These are the times of our lives' (or something close to that is the title) also Sonny Bono wrote 'Turn Around' for his daughter Chasity when she was a baby. You could also use the song from Fiddler on the Roof called 'Sunrise Sunset'
You should be able to put either composer in your search engine and find the lyrics and sheet music, sometimes you can download the song.
I know it doesn't fit with the time but..Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" would be great, though slow. I think we might have to copy you. Thanks for the great idea. Do you know their wedding song?
"Remember When" by Alan Jackson is a great song, especially for photos of them dating, wedding, family growing up. It's sentimental, but beautiful lyrics.
Also, there is one by (I believe) Crosby, Stills, Nash & YOung--can't remember the title for sure, but the words include "Teach your children well, ..." Would be a cool one for photos of kids of any age growing up and is a little more up beat. Have fun! I didn't check your other responses, but I bet you get a ton!....
Another couple songs I thought of from our Wedding video slide show: Circle of Life by Elton John (from Lion King Sound track)--got lots of compliments from our guests on that choice! and "Good Things" by the Bodeens and "We Go Together" from the Grease sound track--definitely up beat on that one.
I have now read some of your other responses and agree that using a song from their era and/or wedding dance would be great.
For pictures of the kids and grandkids you could use the song "A You're Adorable". I'm not sure who sings it but it is from the 40s I think. My dad and I sing it to my daughter and she loves it!
Hi I did a cool dvd for my parents 50th wedding anniversary and put first the two of them, then their kids and then their grandkids...I did it to the song "Have I told you lately that I love you". I believe it is done by Rod Stewart or the original was by Scotty Wiseman. I'm not sure which one I used. Anyways,it was perfect...the beat made it so I could change pictures every so often and the length was perfect also..Only used the one song.. Hope I helped. : O ) Update: I used the one by Van Morrison
I too have been wondering how to do a powerpoint. I'm SOOOO computer illiterate!!!!
Beautiful Day by Sting. Best song for slide shows!!!!
I Have Been Blessed by Martina McBride
How fun! I think for music you can't go wrong with a mix of Frank Sinatra, Colby Callait, Etta James, Louis Armstrong, Diana Krall.....there is so much you can do! Throw a little Hawaiiana just for fun! Check out IZ singing "Over the Rainbow". But it might make them (and you) cry :)
HAVE FUN!
What a GREAT IDEA! I may have to steal it if that's ok!! How about "We are Family" by Sister Sledge? Trace Adkins has a beautiful song about family (growing up) called "And They Do". It is slow and has a beautiful melody, but the words might be what you are looking for.
Let us know how it turns out!
A.
For our wedding video (similar pictures), we used all Frank Sinatra (and one Harry Connick Jr.). "World on a String", "Young at Heart", "It Had to be You" and one more that I can't think of right now. Turned out awesome! Had a cool theme - they all kind of went along together.
Hi L., you got alot of good requests, i do alot of slide shows. We just did one for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary and we used some Frank Sinatra songs since he was their favorite but the last song I used, it was just random pictures of all the families, they have 6 kids and 14 grandkids and i forget how many great grandkids, anyway i used Josh Groban U raised me up and that is when the waterworks really came on. It was great!
Hi L.,
The Elton John song "Blessed" is a perfect song for this type of project. It is extremely sentimental so there will definitely be some crying but it's such a pefect song. I saw it used in a baptism video once and it was so touching. Check it out and good luck with your project!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcirDSqSU0s
M.
We made a slide show for all of us with grandparents, brothers/sisters and cousins. Then ending song was Simple Things by Jim Brickman. It was wonderful for all those pictures of "everyday life."
Here are the lyrics...
SIMPLE THINGS (Jim Brickman)
Hey, time won't wait
Life goes by
Every day's a brand new sky
Every tear
Comes to dry
All that really matters in this crazy world
Is you and I together, baby
Just remember
The first leaves off the tree
The way you look at me
A thousand chiming church bells ring
The simple things are free
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things
The simple things just are
So here we go
Let's just dance
Teach my soul to take this chance
Put my heart
In your hands
Out of all the moments that we leave behind
Turn around and tell me baby
We'll remember
The thunder and the rain
The way you say my name
After all the clouds go by
The simple things remain
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
How I love the simple things
The simple things just are
Oh, the ocean and the sky
The way we feel tonight
I know that it's the love that brings
The simple things to life
The sun, the moon, the stars
The beating of two hearts
I love the way the simple things
The simple things just are
I love the way the simple things
The simple things just are
The simple things just are
The simple things
Just are
We made our video 4 years ago, and we all still like to watch it and remember all the things we've done together as a family. And... I still get sentimental and a bit teary-eyed when the last song plays.
good luck
Memories sung by Elvis
Hi L.!
What a wonderful idea!!! I read all the responses and talk about excellent songs! All I can add is "Tell me bout the good ol' days". Don't know who sings it, but it would be appropriate for the grandkids pics in the video. Would you mind if I used your idea and all the songs listed here for a DVD for my family?? This is just sooooooooooooo awesome!! Thanks for the idea!! Let us know how it comes out!! :)
Just Me!
S.
I know you've already gotten a lot of suggestions, but just had to throw a couple more out there. We did a video of pictures and used "When you say nothing at all" by Allison Kraus, "I Knew I loved you" by Savage Garden and "Everything I do, I do it for you" from by Bryan Adams, and it turned out great. A couple others that I think would work well would be "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery, "Gotta Be" by Des'ree, "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield, "Whenever you Remember" by Carrie Underwood, "Ready, Set, Don't Go" by Billy Ray Cyrus w/ his daughter, or "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau.
Good luck!
How about these: Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da (Beatles); Three Little Birds(dont' worry)- (Bob Dylan); Sweetest Thing (U2); So Happy together (the Turtles); Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole)
I did the same things for my parents anniversary. from what I remember, I first put songs from their era in the beginning and then some great songs from Ally McBeal soundtrack and Marc Cohen True Companion.
What a wonderful world. Nat KIng Cole
