The Story Behind White Wedding: Billy Idol's Anthem For The Disaffected

Billy Idol's White Wedding is a song about unrequited love, inspired by the singer's girlfriend marrying someone else. The song is also about his sister, Jane, who was getting married and pregnant at the time of writing. The song is a cynical take on the changing moral norms of the 80s, with the white wedding serving as a metaphor for the conflicting moral norms of the era. The song's upbeat synths, drum pattern, and sarcastic tone helped it appeal to a wide audience, becoming one of Idol's most recognisable hits.

Billy Idol's sister, Jane, was pregnant and getting married

Billy Idol's sister, Jane, was getting married and pregnant around the time he wrote "White Wedding". While the song was inspired by his sister's situation, it wasn't entirely about her. In the song, Idol sings about a woman/girl he loves, who is getting married to someone else.

In an interview in 2002, Idol explained that his sister's wedding gave him the idea for the song. He thought about the taboo nature of pregnancy outside of marriage and how it could lead to a shotgun wedding. He also reflected on his rock star life and leaving his former life behind, which influenced the song's lyrics.

Idol's sister, Jane, was born when the family moved to the USA and settled in Patchogue, New York. They returned to England four years later, and Jane would have been around four years old at the time.

The song is about unrequited love

Billy Idol's "White Wedding" is a song about unrequited love. It was released in 1982 as the second single from his self-titled studio album. Although not Idol's highest-charting hit, it is considered one of his most recognisable songs.

The song was inspired by Idol's sister, Jane, who was getting married and pregnant at the time. This sparked the idea for the song, but it wasn't entirely about her. The term “sister” is used as slang for "girlfriend" in England.

In the song, Idol addresses his girlfriend, who wants to marry someone else. He explores the theme of leaving behind his former life and embracing a new one as a rock star. Idol adds a twist to the song, portraying a crazed brother returning to murder the man who defiled his sister, giving the song a dramatic edge.

The song's lyrics and music video combine elements of debauchery, irony, and conflicting imagery, reflecting the changing moral norms of the 1980s. The upbeat synths and drum patterns blend pop, rock, and goth influences, appealing to a diverse audience.

"White Wedding" is a cynical and creatively bold take on the changing social landscape of the time, marking a turning point in Idol's life and serving as a metaphor for the death of innocence and the contrasting moral norms of the era.

The video features a nightmare wedding

The video for "White Wedding" features a nightmare wedding, with a Goth groom (Idol) marrying a "normal" bride (played by his then-girlfriend Perri Lister). The video was directed by David Mallet, who had previously worked with Queen and David Bowie.

The video includes some of the most memorable images ever seen on MTV, including a barbed-wire wedding ring, a motorcycle crashing through a church window, and dancers slapping their buttocks in time with the song's clap track.

In one scene, Idol forces a barbed-wire ring onto Lister's finger, cutting her knuckle. Lister insisted on the cut to make the scene more realistic. This scene was initially removed by MTV. Another controversial moment in the video involves apparent Nazi salutes made by the crowd towards the couple. Director Mallet stated that he was "playing with the power of crowd imagery" and did not realise how it would appear until after filming.

The video's imagery combines debauchery, rock and roll, and irony, suggesting that the wedding may not be as "white" as it seems. The song's upbeat synths and drum patterns blend pop, rock, and the darker side of goth, appealing to fans of all three genres.

The song is about the rock star life

"White Wedding" is a song by Billy Idol that was released in 1982 as the second single from his self-titled studio album. It is considered one of his most recognisable songs.

The song is about unrequited love and a wedding from hell. Idol sings about his girlfriend who wants to marry someone else. Although the song is not entirely about his real sister, Jane Broad, his sister's wedding and pregnancy inspired the song. In the song, Idol alludes to his rock star life and leaving his former life behind.

In an interview in 2002, Idol said:

> "A lot of people ask did you really write this about your sister. I've got to say it's not really completely true. I think everybody when you're writing a song, you're always looking for new situations, new circumstances, something that does come from your own life, but it's never complete. My sister was pregnant. She was getting married and there was no argument or anything, but I thought about all the different people and all the times past when that was such a taboo thing. I thought about that, the taboo nature and the convention and the wedding being such a celebration but then it turns into something like a shotgun wedding. Then it went on from there."

Idol also added that he thought about:

> "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 is not pro-marriage

"White Wedding" is not a pro-marriage song. In fact, it has been described as "very anti-marriage". Billy Idol himself has said that the song is not very pro-marriage.

The song is about unrequited love, addressing a girlfriend who wants to marry someone else. The song's lyrics include the lines "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". These lines reflect Idol's feelings about leaving his home in England and starting a new life in America, as well as his feelings about the rock star life and leaving his former life behind.

The song's title and video also contribute to its anti-marriage message. "White wedding" is a term for a wedding in which the bride is still a virgin, but in the song, Idol is being sarcastic because his girlfriend is "far from innocent". The video for "White Wedding" features imagery of a nightmare wedding, with a Goth groom (Idol) marrying a normal bride, and includes vampire imagery and a barbed-wire wedding ring.

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