The Way I Always Knew It Would Be (1988)

Sung to “That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be” (Carly Simon and Jacob Bracklin, 1971)

I wrote this for the wedding of my sister, Diane Stregevsky, to Howard Yasgur, on 1988-07-31, in Cincinnati. I performed it with Diane’s friend Mollie Bernstein (later Mollie Kallen). Mollie and I practiced just one time, the day of the wedding.

First, Carly Simon singing “That’s the Way I Always Heard It Should Be,” performed live at Grand Central, New York, in 1995:

The Way I Always Knew It Would Be (1988)

He: Her ways bewitched me at the workout club;

She stood so small yet spoke so fast;

I knew that if she’d nag,

One blink—It would pass.

She: His knowing heart lays open mine, and then,

It speaks in soothing melodies;

He’s ev’ry woman’s wish:

Slow to vex, quick to please.

He: While friends were wond’ring when I would ask her,

She: Our moms were mapping out the rest of our lives;

He: Now Miss Stregevsky has become Mrs. Yasgur and will always be—

She: My Howie’s wife.

She: My friends from high school, they’re all married now,

It’s time I gave their vows a try:

He’ll be my Jew-ish prince,

I his—Lady Di.

He: What good’s my condo or my Macintosh?

Life, to be lived is, to be shared;

She’ll mend my floppy drive;

I’ll tend her software.

Both: Well ya say it’s time we hitched up our wagons,

Time to merge and plant a new fam’ly tree;

Our CPO says that’s the way it should be,

He says the year grows late:

He: Amalgamate.

He: Oh, tell me how she knows the things she knows,

How one so short can keep me on my toes;

With Di there’s never ay

Dull day—Heaven knows.

She: You say that two can live as cheap as one;

Well, Honey—nothin’ is for free:

It’s time to play the game,

Or to—sa-a-ay-la-vee.

She: ’Cause my daddy says your free lunch is over,

He: We’ll be as happy as your mom is relieved;

She: It’s time you made an honest girl out of me,

It’s time to marry me—

Both: We’ll ma-a-a-uree-ee-ee-ee-ee.