All The Pictures On The Wall

Album: Wild Wood (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • At the height of The Style Council's success, love blossomed between Paul Weller and Dee C. Lee, the band's backing vocalist. Their 1987 wedding marked a seemingly joyous chapter, but by 1998, the couple had divorced. Whispers of this unraveling might be heard in the melancholic echoes of "All The Pictures On The Wall."

    "I was not happy in my marriage, and I felt it was breaking down," Weller told Mojo magazine. "I thought we'd lost what ever it was."
  • While "All The Pictures On The Wall" resonates with the ennui and sadness of a romantic breakup, Weller himself seems to have been initially unaware of the song's full emotional weight.

    "I remember playing it to Dee on the guitar. Just saying, 'Oh, I've got this new tune.' And she was really sad," he told Mojo. "On reflection, I suppose it is personal because our marriage broke down a couple of years after that. Some of these things become more apparent with time."
  • Weller recorded "All The Pictures On The Wall" for his second solo album, Wild Wood. "Wings Of Speed" on his third album, Stanley Road, also deals with him feeling increasingly removed from Dee C. Lee.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.