City Hall

This song is clearly about the mayor of San Francisco (a hilly seaside town) performing marriages for homosexual couples. I think that this is the best song off of her newest CD. I gave it to one of my best friends and her girlfriend, who happens to be from San Francisco, to listen to and told them they have to use it at there wedding. One of the things that has always impressed me about Vienna is her ability to write songs from the point of view of other people and still have them seem genuine. As a Heterosexual Female it is impressive for her to write songs from the points of view of people ranging from a homosexual who is finally being able to marry the person they love after being together for ten years, (just as a side note the average lifespan of a heterosexual marriage in America today is less then 10 years) to a male truck driver finding insight into life from a chance meeting with someone from where he grew up, to a pregnant woman who is contemplating an abortion. All of these are situations she has never been in and I think it’s her empathy that makes her such a fantastic songwriter and musician.

That gave me goosbumbs big, big, BIG time!

i think vienna teng is not only an amazing singer and a sweet person, but she is a wonderful poet. she puts meaning into her songs through subtle messages and light wording that you almost miss. love this song!

She sings "February" without the first "r." I have a slight problem with that in the same way that I have a slight problem with "nucular," but then, I can be a pedantic asshole. Son of an English teacher and all.

Such a wonderful artist, and the spirit and hope (which I must believe will be fulfilled in the end) that drive this song deserve massive appreciation.

Thanks for the background, merrydrought. While this song is clearly about our city by the bay, I would not have guessed the link to "Unwritten Letter no. 1," and it's pretty cool.

I absolutely adore Vienna Teng, and it pains me that she's not a hugely popular artist. This song is absolutely genius, catchy, and uplifting. I often put all 3 of her CDs on shuffle, and the first couple times I heard this one I only really remembered the "Oh-oh-ohhh" bits, but once I got to listen to it properly I was blown away by both the message and the exectution. She's amazing, nuff said.

I saw Vienna perform, and before playing this she said she wanted to write a song about gay marriage that wasn't too political or preechy, so she wrote about the happiness that someone feels when they find someone they want to spend the rest of their life with- something that everyone can relate to. And she made clear references to San Fransisco, of course.

It's kinda funny - I always heard "the love that's gonna shine" as "the law that's gonna shine" haha. I guess love is a whole lot more poetic.

Anyway, I also love the folksy-country lilt to this - it's cheerful, and really open-minded, in the sense that one commonly associates that style with regions of America that reject homosexuality and all that. So it's ironic, but in a positive way, which is lovely for a change (considering how nasty arguments around this subject can turn). <3

Vienna has a friend (who is, interestingly enough, the subject of "Unwritten Letter no. 1") who was married to his partner at San Francisco City Hall.

Is "Learned to kiss the sky" in this song a reference to the famous mondegreen? ("Scuse me while I kiss the sky" in a Jimi Hendrix song is sometimes misheard as "Scuse me while I kiss this guy".)

My Baby and I still cannot get married in my home state.