White Wedding – Billy Idol  

Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. He first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X. He then embarked on a successful solo career, aided by a series of stylish music videos, making him one of the first MTV stars. Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens and has a worldwide fan base.

Idol was born in Stanmore, Middlesex, the son of a salesman. He attended Tideway School in Newhaven, Sussex. The name Billy Idol was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of Broad as “idle”. His family emigrated to the United States in 1958, but returned to the U.K. in 1962,settling in Bromley, Kent. In October 1975, Idol went to Sussex University to do an English degree and lived on campus (East Slope) but left after year one (1976). He then went on to join the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. Idol first joined the punk rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (before the band had decided on that name) in 1976, but soon quit and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. However, he and Chelsea bandmate Tony James soon quit that group and co-founded Generation X, with Idol switching from guitarist to lead singer.

White Wedding

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 fiance (who impregnated her before marrying her), this has turned out not to be the case. On an episode of VH1 Storytellers, Idol claims that there was never any family resentment towards his sister, and that the song simply heightened fantasy and nothing more.  Years after the video, Idol’s sister is still married with three children.

The song is actually in two parts, the first part appearing his 1982 album, Billy Idol and the one that typically gets played on the radio.  Part II came out in 1987 on the Vital Idol album.

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!

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 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

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.

(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
Come on

It’s a nice day for a white wedding
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

• Audio from the 1987 album, Vital Idol:

What Was It You Wanted – Bob Dylan  

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, poet, and disc jockey who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of Dylan’s most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of American unrest. A number of his songs, such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements.

Dylan’s early lyrics incorporated politics, social commentary, philosophy and literary influences, defying existing pop music conventions and appealing widely to the counterculture. While expanding and personalizing musical styles, he has shown steadfast devotion to many traditions of American song, from folk and country/blues to gospel, rock and roll and rockabilly, to English, Scottish and Irish folk music, and even jazz and swing.

What Was It You Wanted

Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan get together to do this song.

What was it you wanted?
Tell me again so I’ll know.
What’s happening in there,
What’s going on in your show.
What was it you wanted,
Could you say it again?
I’ll be back in a minute
You can get it together by then.

What was it you wanted
You can tell me, I’m back,
We can start it all over
Get it back on the track,
You got my attention,
Go ahead, speak.
What was it you wanted
When you were kissing my cheek?

Was there somebody looking
When you give me that kiss
Someone there in the shadows
Someone that I might have missed?
Is there something you needed,
Something I don’t understand.
What was it you wanted,
Do I have it here in my hand?

Whatever you wanted
Slipped out of my mind,
Would you remind me again
If you’d be so kind.
Has the record been breaking,
Did the needle just skip,
Is there somebody waiting,
Was there a slip of the lip?

What was it you wanted
I ain’t keeping score
Are you the same person
That was here before?
Is it something important?
Maybe not.
What was it you wanted?
Tell me again I forgot.

Whatever you wanted
What could it be
Did somebody tell you
That you could get it from me
Is it something that comes natural
Is it easy to say,
Why do you want it,
Who are you anyway?

Is the scenery changing,
Am I getting it wrong,
Is the whole thing going backwards,
Are they playing our song?
Where were you when it started
Do you want it for free
What was it you wanted
Are you talking to me?

Audio from the 1989 album, Oh Mercy:

Punk Rock Girl – The Dead Milkmen  

The Dead Milkmen were a satirical punk band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Joe Genaro (“Joe Jack Talcum”; guitar, vocals), Dave Schulthise (“Dave Blood”; bass), Dean Sabatino (“Dean Clean”; drums), and Rodney Linderman (“Rodney Anonymous”; vocals, synth).

The band has claimed that the name comes from a character in Toni Morrison’s book Song of Solomon (“Milkman Dead”), as well as from one of Genaro’s high school projects.

The band’s musical style could be described as jangly, driving punk rock with a steady supply of irreverent humor as evident from the song titles “My Many Smells”, “Taking Retards to the Zoo” and “If You Love Someone, Set Them On Fire.” Anonymous and Talcum both sang with heavy Philadelphia accents often sounding exaggeratedly snotty.

Punk Rock Girl

One Saturday I took a walk to Zipperhead
I met a girl there and she almost knocked me dead

Punk rock girl
Please look at me
Punk rock girl
What do you see?
Let’s travel round the world
Just you and me punk rock girl

I tapped her on the shoulder
And said do you have a beau?
She looked at me and smiled and said she did not know

Punk rock girl
Give me a chance
Punk rock girl
Let’s go slam dance
We’ll dress like Minnie Pearl
Just you and me punk rock girl

We went to the Philly Pizza Company
And ordered some hot tea
The waitress said well no, we only have it iced
So we jumped up on the table and shouted anarchy
And someone played a Beach Boys song on the jukebox
It it was “California Dreamin”
So we started screamin
On such a winter’s day

She took me to her parents for a Sunday meal
Her father took one look at me and he began to squeal

Punk rock girl
It makes no sense
Punk rock girl
Your dad is vice president
Just like the Duke of Earl
Yeah you’re for me punk rock girl

We went to a shopping mall
And laughed at all the shoppers
And security guards trailed us to a record shop
We asked for Mojo Nixon
They said he don’t work here
We said if you don’t got Mojo Nixon then your store could use some fixin

We got into her car away we started rollin
I said how much you pay for this
Said nothin man it’s stolen

Punk rock girl
You look so wild
Punk rock girl
Let’s have a child
We’ll name her Minnie Pearl
Just you and me
Eat fudge banana swirl
Just you and me
We’ll travel round the world
Just you and me
Punk rock girl

• Audio from the 1988 album, Beelzebubba: