Music Review: Billy Idol "White Wedding"
Billy Idol
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White Wedding
Album: Billy Idol
Year: 1982
Billy Idol disapproves of his little sister's husband the wry "White Wedding."
A surly guitar and a dramatic choir starts the single, setting a strained tone. Idol grills his sister: is she aware that marriage is a binding contract, is she truly in love with him, is he the one she can turn to and is she willing to spend every day with him from now on? He thinks her boyfriend has impregnanted her and she's rushing into the marriage to save face.
In the chorus, he grumbles that the wedding is a beautiful and a wonderful new beginning for his sister.
He once again asks her if she thinks she's making the right decision. He regrets moving out of the house and not keeping a closer eye on her. Now, she's marrying a loser, someone he could've warned her about. He can't do anything about it.
After the chorus, he "ow's!" and the moody guitar has a solo.
In the bridge, he tells the guitarist to play harder and faster. He wishes they could be young again. His sister was the one person he could count on in the family. He feels like he's losing her. He reminds himself that life doesn't turn out like it was planned. Nothing lasts forever. His bond with his sister used to be strong. Now, he will have to be something to fill that void.
The chorus is sung twice to end the single.
"White Wedding" is an atypical, brutually honest view of weddings. Idol's cynicism is realistic. He's the overprotective older brother who believes his little sister could find someone better. Whether or not better exists is another question it raises. Given Idol's snarls, no one could be good enough for her. The single is smashing long after its release and worth rediscovering.
Album: Billy Idol
Year: 1982
Billy Idol disapproves of his little sister's husband the wry "White Wedding."
A surly guitar and a dramatic choir starts the single, setting a strained tone. Idol grills his sister: is she aware that marriage is a binding contract, is she truly in love with him, is he the one she can turn to and is she willing to spend every day with him from now on? He thinks her boyfriend has impregnanted her and she's rushing into the marriage to save face.
"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 shot gun!"
In the chorus, he grumbles that the wedding is a beautiful and a wonderful new beginning for his sister.
"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."
He once again asks her if she thinks she's making the right decision. He regrets moving out of the house and not keeping a closer eye on her. Now, she's marrying a loser, someone he could've warned her about. He can't do anything about it.
"Hey little sister what have you done/Hey little sister who's the 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."
After the chorus, he "ow's!" and the moody guitar has a solo.
In the bridge, he tells the guitarist to play harder and faster. He wishes they could be young again. His sister was the one person he could count on in the family. He feels like he's losing her. He reminds himself that life doesn't turn out like it was planned. Nothing lasts forever. His bond with his sister used to be strong. Now, he will have to be something to fill that void.
"Pick it up/Take me back home/There is nothin' fair in this world/There is nothin' safe in this world/And there's nothin' sure in this world/And there's nothin' pure in this world/Look for something left in this world/Start again."
The chorus is sung twice to end the single.
"White Wedding" is an atypical, brutually honest view of weddings. Idol's cynicism is realistic. He's the overprotective older brother who believes his little sister could find someone better. Whether or not better exists is another question it raises. Given Idol's snarls, no one could be good enough for her. The single is smashing long after its release and worth rediscovering.
