Junior Rasmussen
Billy Idol's White Wedding is a song about unrequited love and the rockstar lifestyle. The song, which was released in 1982, is known for its sarcastic take on the concept of a traditional white wedding, where the bride is a virgin. The lyrics address a little sister, which Idol confirmed was a reference to his girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister, who wanted to marry someone else. The music video for White Wedding, directed by David Mallet, features goth and nightmarish imagery, including a wedding ring made of barbed wire and apparent Nazi salutes by the crowd. The song has been featured in several films and TV shows, including The Wedding Singer and Blackpool, and has become one of Idol's most recognisable hits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Song Title | White Wedding |
| Singer | Billy Idol |
| Album | Billy Idol |
| Year of Release | 1982 |
| Song Genre | Punk |
| Song Meaning | Billy Idol's sister's wedding gave him the idea for the song. The song is about unrequited love and a wedding from hell. |
| Chart Performance | No. 10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100, No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart upon its re-release in 1985 |
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What You'll Learn
The song's anti-marriage sentiment
"White Wedding", written and performed by Billy Idol, is a song that gained popularity due to its intriguing and controversial music video. The song and video depict a wedding from hell, with barbed wire, gravediggers, stained glass, and matrimony.
The song is often interpreted as a critique of marriage and has been described as not granting much praise to the act of tying the knot. In the song, Idol addresses someone as "little sister", which has led to speculation that the song is about his real-life sister, who was pregnant and engaged when the song was released. Idol himself has stated that his sister's wedding gave him the idea for the song, but it is not entirely about her.
The song can be seen as a reflection of Idol's own experiences and perspective on marriage. In the song, Idol sings about his girlfriend who wants to marry someone else, which could indicate a sense of unrequited love and the desire to break free from societal expectations. The song's lyrics and imagery evoke a sense of darkness and unrest, which could symbolize the singer's feelings about marriage as a restrictive or confining institution.
Furthermore, the song's music video, featuring Idol attending a goth wedding, only adds to the anti-marriage sentiment. The video includes controversial scenes, such as Idol forcing a wedding ring made of barbed wire onto the actress's finger, cutting her knuckle, and apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd. These disturbing images only enhance the song's ominous and accusatory tone, suggesting a critique of traditional marriage as a potentially harmful or oppressive institution.
Overall, "White Wedding" by Billy Idol can be interpreted as a song that challenges traditional marriage and explores the darker aspects of relationships and societal norms. Through its lyrics, imagery, and controversial video, the song presents a complex and thought-provoking perspective on the subject of matrimony.
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The meaning of 'little sister'
"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that was released as the second single from his self-titled album in 1982. The song is known for its ominous and wildly endearing music video featuring Idol attending a goth wedding. It remains one of Idol's most recognizable hits.
The meaning of "little sister" in the song has been a subject of curiosity for many listeners. Some interpret it as a reference to Billy Idol's real-life sister, Jane, who was pregnant and engaged at the time of the song's release. In an episode of VH1 Storytellers, Idol clarified that his sister's wedding gave him the idea for the song. However, he also mentioned that the song is not entirely about his real sister.
In the song, Idol addresses unrequited love and a wedding from hell, which some interpret as a critique of his sister's decision to marry. On VH1 in 2002, Idol offered some insight into the narrative behind the song, describing a character:
> "...this incestuous kind of sick brother ... who's galavanting across the globe on some wild, who knows what he's looking for, leading a completely unconventional life, leaving behind all your friends and just going and going and all those things started to play into the song."
The song's lyrics and imagery, including barbed wire, gravediggers, stained glass, and matrimony, contribute to its enduring intrigue and popularity.
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The song's music video
The song "White Wedding" by Billy Idol is considered one of his most recognizable songs, and its music video is just as well-known. The video features Idol attending a goth wedding, including imagery of barbed wire, gravediggers, stained glass, and matrimony. In one scene, Idol forces a wedding ring made of barbed wire onto his co-star Lister's finger, cutting her knuckle—a detail Lister insisted on to make the scene more realistic. The video also features apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd, adding to the dark and controversial tone of the video.
The song and video were inspired by Idol's sister Jane's wedding, which he did not attend as he was in America at the time. The event, along with his sister being pregnant and engaged, sparked speculation that the song was about his sister. However, Idol has explained that the wedding merely gave him the idea for the song.
The music video for "White Wedding" helped launch Billy Idol into stardom, despite the song's lyrics and imagery not glorifying the act of marriage. The video's blend of endearing and ominous imagery, along with its symbolism, has made it one of the most memorable and talked-about music videos of its time.
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The song's creation
"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that was released as the second single from his self-titled debut solo album in 1982. The song was written and recorded shortly after Idol's departure from his former band, Generation X, and it became one of his most recognizable songs.
In his 2015 memoir, "Dancing With Myself," Idol revealed that the song was written under pressure to produce material quickly due to limited studio time. The song's lyrics address a "little sister" and explore themes of unrequited love and a wedding from hell. While Idol had a sister who was getting married and pregnant at the time, he clarified that the song was not entirely about her but rather drew inspiration from her situation.
Idol explained that the song depicted an incestuous and rebellious brother leading an unconventional life, which some listeners interpreted as a critique of his sister's decision to marry. The song's title, "White Wedding," has been associated with the colour's connotation with cocaine, suggesting the narrator's addiction.
The music video for "White Wedding" added to its popularity and intrigue. It featured Idol attending a goth wedding, including symbolic imagery such as barbed wire, gravediggers, and stained glass. One scene, where Idol forces a barbed wire ring onto his co-star's finger, cutting her knuckle, was initially removed by MTV due to its graphic nature. The video's blend of endearing and ominous elements contributed to the song's enduring fascination.
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The song's legacy
"White Wedding" is considered one of Billy Idol's most recognisable songs and remains one of his greatest hits. It was released in 1982 as the second single from his self-titled debut solo album, which was largely ignored in the UK but charted at No.45 in the US. The song reached No.10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 and No.36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song's music video, featuring Idol attending a goth wedding, is also one of his best-known. The video includes scenes of Idol forcing a wedding ring made of barbed wire onto his co-star's finger, cutting her knuckle in the process, and apparent Nazi salutes from the crowd. The video helped launch Billy Idol to stardom.
The song's meaning has been the subject of much speculation. It is often thought to be about Idol's sister, who was pregnant and engaged at the time of its release, and some listeners have interpreted it as a criticism of her decision to get married. However, Idol has stated that his sister's wedding simply gave him the idea for the song. In it, he addresses someone known as ""little sister", and the song is about unrequited love that turns into a wedding from hell. In 2002, Idol described the narrator of the song as an "incestuous kind of sick brother" who leads a completely unconventional life.
"White Wedding" has been covered by German heavy metal singer Doro Pesch on her 2000 album "Calling the Wild", and was featured in the 1985 Italian horror film "Demons".
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Frequently asked questions
Billy Idol's sister, Jane, was getting married, and this event inspired him to write the song.
The song is about unrequited love that turns into a wedding from hell. It addresses someone known only as "little sister".
The music video features Idol attending a goth wedding and contains many symbolic images, including barbed wire, gravediggers, stained glass, and matrimony.
The title "White Wedding" could refer to a traditional white wedding dress or to cocaine, a common "white" drug.
Billy Idol's sister was pregnant and engaged at the time of the song's release, leading listeners to speculate that the song was a criticism of her decision to marry.
