White Wedding (song)

"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that appeared on his album Billy Idol (1982). Although "The Big 80's: Episode I" of VH1's Pop-Up Video trivia show claims Idol wrote the song to voice his displeasure with his sister's fiancé (who impregnated her before marrying her), on an episode of VH1 Storytellers, Idol claimed that there was never any family resentment towards his sister, and that the song was simply heightened fantasy and nothing more.

It is often considered one of his most recognisable songs, although other Idol songs charted higher. It reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release, and reached #6 in the UK upon its re-release there in 1985, when it was reissued to promote the Vital Idol remix album.

 

Billy Idol

William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), known professionally as Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X. He then embarked on a successful solo career, and was a member of the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. A series of music videos for songs such as "Dancing With Myself", "White Wedding", "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face" made him one of the first MTV stars. Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens.

Music video

The music video, featuring Idol attending a gothic wedding, is one of his best-known videos. The bride in the music video 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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAZQaYKZMTI

In a memorable 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 had to 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 later.

The video was filmed in a real church outside of London. The MTV-edited version of the video is included on the DVD portion of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself CD/DVD package.

White Wedding lyrics

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 welsse 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 (only one)

 I've been away for so long (so long)

 I've been away for so long (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, wow

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 come one

It's a nice day for a white wedding

 Wow, it's a nice day to start again

 It's a nice day to start again