Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The theme for this week includes Wedding, and I’m choosing White Wedding by Billy Idol.
William Broad became Billy Idol, helped by his Chemistry teacher who wrote on his school report that he was “idle”. He started his musical career as a guitarist in the punk rock band “Chelsea”, in 1976, soon moving to “Generation X”, and then going solo in 1982. He still tours extensively and, in 2014, published his autobiography “Dancing with Myself.”
The music video, featuring Idol attending a goth wedding, is one of his best-known. The bride is played by Perri Lister, Idol’s real-life girlfriend at the time. She is also one of the three dancers clad in black leather, who slap their buttocks in time with the clap track in the song as they shimmy downwards near the end. “That’s the kind of thing they love in England”, says Idol.
In one scene from the video, Idol forces the barbed-wire wedding ring onto the bride’s finger and cuts her knuckle. Lister insisted that her knuckle actually be cut in order for the scene to appear more realistic. MTV initially removed this scene from the video. Also controversial were the apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd toward the couple. Director David Mallet says he was merely “playing with the power of crowd imagery” when he had the extras reach toward the bride and did not realize how it looked until after it was filmed. (2 paragraphs courtesy of wikipedia)
I hope you enjoy the song: (There are 2 alternative versions at the bottom which I think are brilliant. You may wish to watch those!)
White Wedding
Hey little sister, what have you done?
Hey little sister, who’s the only one?
Hey little sister, who’s your superman?
Hey little sister, who’s the one you want?
Hey little sister, shotgun!
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again
Hey little sister, who is it you’re with?
Hey little sister, what’s your vice or wish?
Hey little sister, shotgun, oh yeah
Hey little sister, who’s your superman?
Hey little sister, shotgun!
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again
Pick it up!
Take me back home, yeah
Hey little sister, what have you done?
Hey little sister, who’s the only one?
I’ve been away for so long
I’ve been away for so long
I let you go for so long
It’s a nice day to start again
Come on it’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again
There is nothing fair in this world
There is nothing safe in this world
And there’s nothing sure in this world
And there’s nothing pure in this world
Look for something left in this world start again!
It’s a nice day for a white wedding
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day to start again
It’s a nice day to start again
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: BILLY IDOL
White Wedding lyrics © Chrysalis Music, Boneidol Music, Woolly Puddin’ Music, Scrapin’ Toast Music, Irving Berlin Music Company, ESSEX MUSIC INC, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP INC OBO BONEIDOL MUSIC
Acoustic version with revealing explanation of the writing of the song.
Rock music flash mob of 400 musicians in Hungary 2018
Absolutely awesome choice Peter! I thought this video was so cool back in the day and apparently I still do 😉 xx
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Thanks Lisa. I loved all the versions I included.
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This is a great song Peter, thanks for sharing it. Something about this song makes me think of evil, maybe it is the way Billy Idol sings “there’s nothing pure in this world” as everything in the kitchen scene is blowing up and then he screams “Start again!”
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I agree. So many songs in the categories this week were misogynistic, and quite dated by today’s standards. However, we should not attempt to rewrite history as some would have us do!
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I like the song, but definitely not the video. Never could take to angry boys and angry men.
The tune reminds me of ‘Come Little Children’ from the film Hocus Pocus, though Come Little Children is a slower gentle tune. Maybe it’s just the intro.
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I had to look that up, having never seen the film. I see what you mean Sue!
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