I dedicate this song to...

[Centerfield]

Was talking about this the other day. Has there ever been a song that a performer wrote for his wife that held up over time? Every time I hear one of these I can't help but think about how poorly things ended for the couple.

The lyrics of "Just the Way You Are" are hilarious when you consider Billy Joel then ditched her for Christie Brinkley. Jonathan Cain of Journey wrote "Faithfully" for his wife, and then divorced her (and then married twice after that). There's a bunch of songs written for Pattie Boyd, none of which ended well.

Is there any love song that held up well? It doesn't even have to be forever. Like one where the artist wrote it, then they lived happily together for a decade or two. I almost think these guys write these songs to convince themselves that they're going to say faithful when they know full well they're not.

[MFS62]

I thought an answer might be Paul McCartney, who wrote five songs to Linda.
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainmen ... inda.html/

Only Maybe I'm Amazed held up over time.

Later

[Edgy MD]

John Denver married Annie Martell in 1967, then took "Annie's Song" to the top in 1974, but apparently found his senses no longer adequately filled by 1982.

[whippoorwill]

I think Bono wrote a few for his wife and they are still together as far as I know.

I can think of some very famous ones that the marriages did not hold up. Layla is probably the best example.


Bono: yes indeed, and as I recall he wrote the very beautiful All I Want Is You for her.

[Edgy MD]

Bono is definitely a winner in this regard.

[Benjamin Grimm]

John and Yoko went the distance, although the distance wasn't very far.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Dennis DeYoung wrote "Babe" as a birthday present for his wife and was not intended to be a Styx song. The version on Cornerstone is essentially the demo, with Tommy Shaw overdubbing the guitar solo. Not my favorite Styx song, but the band's only No. 1.

DeYoung married Suzanne in 1970 and they are still together.

He seems like a rather challenging personality.

[Frayed Knot]

Bono is definitely a winner in this regard.

Still with his first wife and with his high school band!!
What are the odds?



Bobby and Sara Dylan were still married but already on the skids when he wrote and recorded Sara, possibly his most personal song ever. They reconciled for a time afterward (not sure if her hearing the song for the first time while in the studio as he was recording it had anything to do with that) but officially divorced a few years later.
So this one's definitely not a candidate.

[TransMonk]

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Springsteen wrote a love song about his wife's vadge and they're still together

[Edgy MD]

David Gates of Bread has to be a first-ballot guy in the Monogamy Hall of Fame, marrying his high-school sweetheart Jo Rita in 1959, and they are still slicing it together 66 years later.

But, you may ask, did he wrote "Make it with You" for her? Oh, Hell yeah.

[metirish]

I think Bono wrote a few for his wife and they are still together as far as I know.

I can think of some very famous ones that the marriages did not hold up. Layla is probably the best example.


Bono: yes indeed, and as I recall he wrote the very beautiful All I Want Is You for her.

Sweetest Thing , video shot around Dublin

[metirish]

All of Me , John Legend for his wife, Chrissy Teigen.

[whippoorwill]

I think Bono wrote a few for his wife and they are still together as far as I know.

I can think of some very famous ones that the marriages did not hold up. Layla is probably the best example.


Bono: yes indeed, and as I recall he wrote the very beautiful All I Want Is You for her.

Sweetest Thing , video shot around Dublin

I thought of this one too!