Why Did You Marry?

Album: How I Knew Her (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Nataly Dawn was raised by Christian missionaries in a culture where women were expected to get married and raise children, putting any career ambitions on hold. In this song, she asks one of these hypothetical women the question, Why did you marry?

    "Part of growing up in a religious family is seeing everyone get married when they're babies," she told NPR. "It's always been very scary to me. Even as a young girl, I was never the type to fall in love with someone and think, oh, we're going to get married. I've always been very resistant to the whole idea just because I've seen so many people in the church get married really, really young. And I wish that there were more strong voices in the church and in the world who told girls that they didn't have to get married."
  • Nataly Dawn was single when she released this song, but had been dating Jack Conte, her Pomplamoose bandmate, for about six years. They got married in 2016.
  • Most of Nataly Dawn's music is with Pomplamoose, but her more personal songs she puts on solo albums. "Why Did You Marry?" appears on her album How I Knew Her and features Dawn on piano accompanied by a string section, which Jack Conte orchestrated. Conte also produced the track.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.