I Do

The Story Behind ‘I Do’ Takes Longer to Tell Than It Took to Write It!

The best songs are written before they’re written, I always say. You just have to go through the motions of catching up to the vision you have. The vision takes an instant and the work involved sometimes takes an hour or two of time. In this case however, the vision and work took but 20 minutes. But that’s not the amazing part of the story…

‘I Do’, Written an Hour Before the I Do’s…

Back in 2002, I was asked, an hour before a wedding, to perform with my vocalist friend, playing what the bride expected to be some appropriate cover of our choice. I accepted on both of our behalves, went into a side room with my guitar and decided I would write a song I have been wanting to write for some time.

And, in just 20 minutes, “I Do” (the acoustic ballad) was conceived, evolved and ready to perform.

Just 20 minutes of rehearsal, teaching Will, the vocalist, the melody and lyrics, and we were performance-ready!

Not a Dry Eye In the House!

I can’t speak for the men in the house, but out of 100 guests attending the ceremony, I didn’t see one female dry eye in the house, confirmed by the number of people who commented to us after the ceremony.

Whatever I was going through, yearning for or pining after at the time gave me the inspiration. And JT and Tammy were the lucky recipients on their special day! Beyond a win-win!

Converting ‘I Do’ When I Started My Modern Punk Phase of Writing in 2013…

I had decided, toward the end of 2013, that I wanted to try my hand at writing in the Modern Punk genre, with an alternative feel, into my own special blend of music that turns me on.

This included wanting to experiment with “counterpoint” (a musical technique that involves combining two or more independent melodies into a harmony while still allowing each melody to maintain its own identity) as well as the effect of “Nah-Nah-Nah’s” and “Sha-la-lah’s” I always loved in songs with a good hook!

So I made an uptempo version of “I Do” added a bridge and felt the song had achieved its original purpose!

2021: A Few Changes and a Guy Named Steve…

In 2021, after the passing of my mother, I reevaluated my priorities in life and wondered what I was waiting for to get my music recorded and released. So I opted to start a modern punk project. I called my friend Steve (whom I knew from back in the day of the impromptu wedding performance request that inspired the composition) and sent him some samples of my work, including songs I had written in 2013-14 in this new genre as well as other tunes of mine I wished to update to this style. Steve is a very talented guitar player and overall musician that I had played with back in the day.

He was all in, even wanting to make a run for being the frontman/lead vocalist too, and we started with the 3 songs that would be primary releases. This song is one of the 3.

In putting it together and rehearsing it, Steve expressed a concern about the chorus. Though it was catchy and hooky, he felt there was something more we could do with it. I agreed that it worked in the ballad, but this new, high-octane version needed something exceptional, and I KNEW I had better in me.

So, I went home that night and contrived a better chorus. Playing it for Steve, he fell in love with it, and we were in business. The final element was the guitar solo I envisioned for it. Not versed in lead guitar, playing rhythm only at the time, I sang to Steve what I could hear in my head that I wanted the solo to sound like and the popular wedding melody and hook I felt it should have. First attempt, he duplicated what I envisioned and nailed the solo perfectly!!!! Here is that version…

I Do (Steve Version)

franksardella · I Do 2022

Whining and Pining…

This turned out to be the planned first release off the then-entitled “Ooh’s Ahh’s and Nah-Nah-Nah’s” EP I had planned, with the name of the project being “Punkly” which has more recently become “Go Ahead Punk.”

Though Steve is not with the project any longer, the demo I did with him lives on, ready to be rerecorded by the personnel I have put together for a 2024-5 studio project and will be the first release off the forthcoming first of five albums already written, “Whining and Pining”, a collection, half of “whining” songs and half “pining”!

And so, with great pride, I present the demo, with lyrics, of “I Do”, one of three demos of mine!

I Do (2026)

My latest demo version featuring Steve Cheribino on solo guitar…

franksardella · I Do

Now that we’re here in this place and time
and we know we belong and it’s right
And, when this world sees everlasting peace,
don’t wonder who wants to be there with you
‘cause I will say

I do
oh, can’t you see, I do,
in everything I do?
You, know if you’d just
ask me if I sit and pine for you,
I’ll say I do

I’ve accepted a life that I know is right
and you’ve done the same, which is why
that now here we stand and I have your hand
and you’ll ask me do I promise this to you?
And, I will say

I do
I did, I will, I do,
in all the things I do
You, know if you’d just
ask me if I want to be with you
I’ll say I do

Ending the dream and starting this life
Taking a stand, stand side-by-side
Just these two words make it come alive

I do
I do
I do

‘cause I will say

I do
oh, can’t you see, I do,
in everything I do?
You, know if you’d just
ask me if I sit and pine for you…

I’ll say I do
I did, I will, I do
in all the things I do
You, know if you’d just
ask me if I want to be with you…

I really do
yeah, can’t you feel it too?
Can I make it land with you,
if I could appeal to
get you to see from my point of view
and know I do?
I really do
I’ll make you feel it too
and show you that I do!