Born Maria Garzia Rosa Domenica d'Amato on 12th September 1943 in Greenwich Village, New York, she performed in the early 1960s in Greenwich Village with Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Stefan Grossman. Later in the 1960s her distinctive vocals were heard in many of the tracks recorded by Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band.
She began her solo career in 1972 when her marriage to fellow Jug Band member Geoff Muldaur ended, retaining her married name. Her first solo album "Maria Muldaur", released in 1973, contained her hit single "Midnight at the Oasis", which reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. It also peaked at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Later that year, she released her second album Waitress In A Donut Shop. This included a re-recording of "I'm a Woman", the Leiber and Stoller number first associated with Peggy Lee and a standout feature from her Jug Band days. The title of this album is taken from a line in another song on the album, "Sweetheart" by Ken Burgan.
Around this time, Muldaur established a relationship with the Grateful Dead. Opening for some Grateful Dead shows in the summer of 1974, with John Kahn, bassist of the Jerry Garcia Band, would eventually earn her a seat in that group in the late 1970s, as a backing vocalist.
Later in her career, as her voice deepened, the blues were featured in more of her recordings. Her 2005 release Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul was nominated for both a W.C. Handy Award and a Grammy award in the Traditional Blues Category.
In 2011 she released the album "Steady Love".
Wedding Song
Maria Muldaur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you more than ever, more than time and more than love
I love you more than money and more than the stars above
I love you more than madness, more than waves upon the sea
I love you more than life itself, you mean that much to me.
Ever since you walked right in the circle's been complete
In the courtyard of the jester which is hidden from the sun
I love you more than ever and I haven't yet begun.
You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live
When I was deep in powerty you taught me how to give
Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole
I love you more than ever and it binds me to this all.
You gave me babies, one, two, three, what is more, you saved my life
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, your love cuts like a knife
My thoughts of you don't ever rest, they'd kill me if I lie
But I'd sacrifice the world for you and watch my senses die.
The tune that is yours and mine to play upon this earth
We'll play it out the best we know, whatever it is worth
What's lost is lost, we can't regain what went down in the flood
But happiness to me is you and I love you more than blood.
It's never been my duty to remake the world at large
Nor is it my intention to sound a battle charge
'Cause I love you more than all of that with a love that doesn't bend
And if there is eternity I'd love you there again.
Oh, can't you see that you were born to stand by my side
And I was born to be with you, you were born to be my bride
You're the other half of what I am, you're the missing piece
And I love you more than ever with that love that doesn't cease.
You turn the tide on me each day and teach my eyes to see
Just being next to you is a natural thing for me
And I could never let you go, no matter what goes on
'Cause I love you more than ever now that the past is gone.
The Wedding Song by Maria Muldaur is a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan's original track, which appears on his album Planet Waves. The song is a beautiful love letter from a person deeply in love with their partner. The first verse sets the tone of the song, stating that the love they have for their partner is more than everything else in their life, including time, money, stars, and life itself. The second verse is about how their partner completed their life, freeing them from haunted rooms and faces in the street. The third verse is about how the partner has made their life richer, having taught them how to give when they were struggling in poverty. The fourth verse is about how the partner gave them children and saved their life, even though their love can hurt like a knife.
The chorus repeats the line, "I love you more than ever," and amplifies the bond between the two lovers. The fifth verse is about how the tune they play upon this earth is theirs, and they will play it as best they know how, no matter the worth. The sixth verse is about how what's lost is lost, but their love is what brings happiness. The seventh verse is a personal declaration of love, stating that their love is stronger than any desire to remake the world or engage in battles. The instant Dylan wrote the song, he reportedly knew it would be one of his most famous works. In an interview with French magazine L'Express in 1979, Dylan said regarding the song: "That one wrote itself. It was like it came from nowhere."
Line by Line Meaning
I love you more than ever, more than time and more than love
The singer's love has grown beyond the constraints of time and romantic love.
I love you more than money and more than the stars above
The singer values their love for the person more than material and grandiose things in life.
I love you more than madness, more than waves upon the sea
The singer's love is so deep that it transcends even the wildest and most turbulent things in life.
I love you more than life itself, you mean that much to me.
The artist's love is so intense that it surpasses his own life.
Ever since you walked right in the circle's been complete
The person's love is what completed the artist's life and brought everything into full circle.
I've said goodbye to haunted rooms and faces in the street
The love of the person has helped the singer overcome his previous struggles and gave him a sense of completeness.
In the courtyard of the jester which is hidden from the sun
The singer is describing his heart or his inner world as a hidden place where his love is kept.
I love you more than ever and I haven't yet begun.
The artist has a deep love for the person that has not yet reached its full potential.
You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live
The person's presence in the artist's life has enriched his life in a meaningful way.
When I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give
The person has not only helped the artist emotionally, but also taught him valuable lessons such as giving.
Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole
The person has helped the singer overcome difficult times in life and provided him with a sense of hope.
I love you more than ever and it binds me to this all.
The depth of the artist's love for the person is what keeps him bonded to everything in life.
You gave me babies, one, two, three, what is more, you saved my life
The person has given him the gift of life through children and has played a fundamental role in saving his life.
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, your love cuts like a knife
Although his love is deep, he also acknowledges that the person's love can hurt him like a knife at times.
My thoughts of you don't ever rest, they'd kill me if I lie
The love the singer has for the person is so consuming that he would never lie about it or become unfaithful.
But I'd sacrifice the world for you and watch my senses die.
The artist's love for the person is so intense that he would do anything for them and die for them if need be.
The tune that is yours and mine to play upon this earth
The artist is referring to their love as a tune that he and the person created together and are playing on this earth.
We'll play it out the best we know, whatever it is worth
Whatever life brings their way, the singer and the person will make the best out of it together with their deep love.
What's lost is lost, we can't regain what went down in the flood
The singer acknowledges that what was lost in life cannot be regained and thus values the present moment and his love for the person.
But happiness to me is you and I love you more than blood.
To the artist, genuine happiness comes from loving the person and he values that love more than his own life.
It's never been my duty to remake the world at large
The artist is not interested in changing the world or making significant changes in society.
Nor is it my intention to sound a battle charge
The artist does not wish to engage in conflicts or fights in life.
'Cause I love you more than all of that with a love that doesn't bend
The strength of the singer's love is so powerful that it overshadows all other things in life.
And if there is eternity I'd love you there again.
The artist's love can withstand the test of time and he would love the person again in the afterlife if there was such a thing.
Oh, can't you see that you were born to stand by my side
The singer truly believes that the person was born to be with him and support him throughout life.
And I was born to be with you, you were born to be my bride
The singer sees himself as destined to be with the person and has a strong connection with them.
You're the other half of what I am, you're the missing piece
The singer feels incomplete without the person and that they complete him.
And I love you more than ever with that love that doesn't cease.
The artist's love for the person is unwavering and they continue to love them more and more each day.
You turn the tide on me each day and teach my eyes to see
The person helps the artist understand the world and helps them grow as a person.
Just being next to you is a natural thing for me
Being next to the person feels effortless and comfortable for the singer as they truly love being around them.
And I could never let you go, no matter what goes on
The singer would never let go of the person no matter the circumstances and values their love more than anything else in life.
'Cause I love you more than ever now that the past is gone.
The artist's love for the person has blossomed now that he has left his past behind and has found true love and companionship with the person.
Contributed by Sydney W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.