New Video: Tristan Prettyman, “I Was Gonna Marry You”

When it comes to truth in advertising, the name Tristan Prettyman basically sums up exactly what you get. She’s gorgeous. She writes lovely ballads. She can slay a song without an ounce of studio magic. She’s pretty much all you need in a singer/songwriter. Turns out, Jason Mraz needed something else when it comes to “wife material.”

His loss is our gain. Prettyman sings through the pain with the absolutely beautiful new single, “I Was Gonna Marry You,” from her new album Cedar + Gold. While the song is built square in the middle of Adele territory, Prettyman is merely returning the favor. Years before Adele cleverly named her albums 19 and 21 after her age at the time of recording, Prettyman debuted with her birthday toast album, Twentythree, in 2005.

That said, there are two ways to truly experience this track. First up, is her “official” video. Here we get to gaze longingly at the ravishing Prettyman as she strolls through her emotions. Intercut, we see two actors gamely portraying how the horrific events in Prettyman’s life likely played out. A fetching blonde plays brunette Prettyman to add a tone of universality to the proceedings. Mraz is played by a scruffy Ryan Gosling type to draw in The Notebook crowd.

Our lovebirds go camping in a Pottery Barn catalog. After a long walk on the beach (the epitome of eHarmony “must haves”), he dumps her by handing her a hand-written note. Clearly this is a metaphor. Mraz likely sent the real Prettyman a text message. As if things could not get worse, by the campfire that night (hell, the tent was set-up, might as well use it), he rips off her ring and throws it in the ocean. When you’re a chart-topping coffee bean crooner, this is a luxury you can afford. Silly as it is, the blonde actress sells it and I found myself misting up as she wept.

Now am I the only one who noticed that as the blonde Prettyman walks away, WHO is there by the tent ready to pounce on the newly-single man as he sleeps? The real Tristan Prettyman! By this time, the Matrix is twisted so far inside out, all I can do is watch it again (and again).

While trying to find the video again on YouTube, I stumbled across this new “One Mic, One Take” version of the song. Lest we forget that Prettyman is a phenomenal singer, she nails it here. And the tear in her eye at the end sent me over the edge into full blown weepies. If my wife asks why I am crying, I’ll ask her for an Allegra to mask the horrible truth that I have feelings.

Bottom line, lovely track by a lovely woman. Tristan, let me tell ya girlfriend, it’s better you found out that Mraz not “the one” NOW than after a 72 day marriage. Plus, if you got hitched, your name would be Tristan Mraz. That would be like pouring cement, bland white cement, over the world’s sweetest flower.

Tristan Prettyman’s new album, Cedar + Gold, featuring “I Was Gonna Marry You,” is on sale this week at Amazon.