Every Picture Tells a Story (song)
Encyclopedia
"Every Picture Tells a Story" is a song written by Rod Stewart
and Ron Wood
and initially released as the title track of Stewart's 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story
. It has since been released on numerous Stewart compilation and live albums, including The Best of Rod Stewart
, Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990 and Unplugged...and Seated
. It has also been covered by The Georgia Satellites on their 1986 album Georgia Satellites
and by Robin McAuley
on Forever Mod: A Tribute to Rod Stewart. In the Rolling Stone Album Guide
, critic Paul Evans described "Every Picture Tells a Story" and "Maggie May
," another song off the Every Picture Tells a Story album, as Rod Stewart's and Ron Wood's "finest hour—happy lads wearing their hearts on their sleeves." Music critic Greil Marcus
regards the song as "Rod Stewart's greatest performance."
The lyrics of "Every Picture Tells a Story" tell a first person narrative of the singer finding adventures with women all over the world but eventually returning home after having learned some moral lessons. Locations of his adventures include Paris, Rome and Peking. Allmusic critic Denise Sullivan commented that lyrics are racist and sexist, and that the song "is a real nugget from a brief period in time when rock singers didn't worry about what it meant to be rude -- in fact, the ruder and cruder, the better." Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine
praised the song as "devilishly witty." The lyrics begin with a reference to the theme of self-discovery:
The song's music incorporates many elements. Toby Creswell
describes the opening guitar theme as reflective and melancholy. As the guitar opening fades, the drums played by Micky Waller
crash primitively before Stewart begins to sing. In his review of the album in Rolling Stone Magazine, John Mendelsohn noted that this song "does rock with ferocity via a simple but effective seven-note ascension/five-note descension riff that Waller cleverly punctuates with a halved-time bass-drum-against-snare lick." The rhythm is loose throughout most of the song, although it tightens in the coda
. Stewart biographers Tim Ewbank and Stafford Hildred describe the music as "as mess - unbalanced and shoddily thrown together," although the "vocals pull the song out of trouble." Despite being a hard rock song, the song primarily uses acoustic instruments, although guitarist Ron Wood does use an electric guitar
occasionally. Greil Marcus also praises the acoustic guitar
parts that are played after each verse and the drum roll after the first verse. According to Stewart, he found the mandolin
and violin
players for this song and for "Maggie May" in a restaurant in London. Maggie Bell
and Long John Baldry
provide energetic harmony vocals, including the line "She claimed that it just ain't natural" in response to Stewart's line "Shanghai Lil never used the pill." Allmusic's Sullivan describes the song as "just plain visceral -- so much so that [it is] better heard than described" and that it represents six minutes of "defining rock & roll."
"Every Picture Tells a Story" was used in the Cameron Crowe
movie Almost Famous
in a scene where the band listens to the song as they ride away in a bus. It was also included on the soundtrack
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
. The song was also referenced in Jayne Anne Phillips' short story "What It Takes to Keep a Young Girl Alive." While the story's character Sue is lying in bed in the dark "Rod Stewart, scratchy and loud, combed his hair in a thousand different ways and came out looking just the same." Greil Marcus uses the reference to the song in "What It Takes to Keep a Young Girl Alive" to muse on what makes a good record and why "Every Picture Tells a Story" is a good record, i.e., a good record is one that "entering a person's life, can enable that person to live more intensely—as, whatever else it does, 'Every Picture Tells a Story' does for Jayne Anne Phillips' Sue."
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and Ron Wood
Ron Wood
Ronald David "Ronnie" Wood is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a former member of The Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and current member of The Rolling Stones. He also plays lap and pedal steel guitar....
and initially released as the title track of Stewart's 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story
Every Picture Tells a Story
Every Picture Tells a Story is the third album by Rod Stewart, released in the middle of 1971. It went to number one on both the UK and U.S. charts and finished third in the Pazz & Jop critics' poll for best album of 1971...
. It has since been released on numerous Stewart compilation and live albums, including The Best of Rod Stewart
The Best of Rod Stewart (1976 album)
The Best of Rod Stewart is a compilation album released by Rod Stewart in 1976 . It was released by Mercury Records to complete Rod’s contract before switching labels to Warner Bros. and moving to The United States...
, Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990 and Unplugged...and Seated
Unplugged...and Seated
Unplugged...and Seated is a live album released by Rod Stewart on May 24, 1993 . It is Stewart’s second live album and his first appearance on MTV Unplugged. The album was released by Warner Bros. Records...
. It has also been covered by The Georgia Satellites on their 1986 album Georgia Satellites
Georgia Satellites (album)
Georgia Satellites is the first album released by The Georgia Satellites. It contains their biggest hit, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," and another minor hit, "Battleship Chains," written by Terry Anderson. It also contains a cover of "Every Picture Tells a Story," written by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood...
and by Robin McAuley
Robin McAuley
Robin McAuley is an Irish rock vocalist known mostly for his work in McAuley Schenker Group and before that Grand Prix recording 2 albums...
on Forever Mod: A Tribute to Rod Stewart. In the Rolling Stone Album Guide
Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that, along with its sister publication Rolling Stone magazine, contains professional reviews of popular music...
, critic Paul Evans described "Every Picture Tells a Story" and "Maggie May
Maggie May
"Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story....
," another song off the Every Picture Tells a Story album, as Rod Stewart's and Ron Wood's "finest hour—happy lads wearing their hearts on their sleeves." Music critic Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...
regards the song as "Rod Stewart's greatest performance."
The lyrics of "Every Picture Tells a Story" tell a first person narrative of the singer finding adventures with women all over the world but eventually returning home after having learned some moral lessons. Locations of his adventures include Paris, Rome and Peking. Allmusic critic Denise Sullivan commented that lyrics are racist and sexist, and that the song "is a real nugget from a brief period in time when rock singers didn't worry about what it meant to be rude -- in fact, the ruder and cruder, the better." Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
praised the song as "devilishly witty." The lyrics begin with a reference to the theme of self-discovery:
- Spent some time feeling inferior
- Standing in front of my mirror
- Combed my hair in a thousand ways
- Came out looking just the same
The song's music incorporates many elements. Toby Creswell
Toby Creswell
Toby Creswell is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of Rolling Stone and a founding editor of Juice. In 1986 he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book Too Much Ain't Enough a biography of pub rocker and former Cold Chisel vocalist Jimmy Barnes...
describes the opening guitar theme as reflective and melancholy. As the guitar opening fades, the drums played by Micky Waller
Micky Waller
Micky Waller was an English drummer, who played with many of the biggest names on the UK rock and blues scene, after he became a professional musician in 1960...
crash primitively before Stewart begins to sing. In his review of the album in Rolling Stone Magazine, John Mendelsohn noted that this song "does rock with ferocity via a simple but effective seven-note ascension/five-note descension riff that Waller cleverly punctuates with a halved-time bass-drum-against-snare lick." The rhythm is loose throughout most of the song, although it tightens in the coda
Coda
Coda can denote any concluding event, summation, or section.Coda may also refer to:-Acronyms:* Calgary Olympic Development Association, the former name of the Canadian Winter Sport Institute, a non profit organization...
. Stewart biographers Tim Ewbank and Stafford Hildred describe the music as "as mess - unbalanced and shoddily thrown together," although the "vocals pull the song out of trouble." Despite being a hard rock song, the song primarily uses acoustic instruments, although guitarist Ron Wood does use an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
occasionally. Greil Marcus also praises the acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
parts that are played after each verse and the drum roll after the first verse. According to Stewart, he found the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
players for this song and for "Maggie May" in a restaurant in London. Maggie Bell
Maggie Bell
Maggie Bell is a Scottish rock and blues-rock singer, regarded by some as Britain's answer to Janis Joplin.-Career:...
and Long John Baldry
Long John Baldry
John William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
provide energetic harmony vocals, including the line "She claimed that it just ain't natural" in response to Stewart's line "Shanghai Lil never used the pill." Allmusic's Sullivan describes the song as "just plain visceral -- so much so that [it is] better heard than described" and that it represents six minutes of "defining rock & roll."
"Every Picture Tells a Story" was used in the Cameron Crowe
Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
movie Almost Famous
Almost Famous
Almost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published...
in a scene where the band listens to the song as they ride away in a bus. It was also included on the soundtrack
Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack
The soundtrack to the game Grand Theft Auto IV, like the previous games in the series, is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu...
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is the first of two episodic expansion packs developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, developed by Rockstar North. It was first released for the Xbox 360 on 17 February 2009 and on PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows...
. The song was also referenced in Jayne Anne Phillips' short story "What It Takes to Keep a Young Girl Alive." While the story's character Sue is lying in bed in the dark "Rod Stewart, scratchy and loud, combed his hair in a thousand different ways and came out looking just the same." Greil Marcus uses the reference to the song in "What It Takes to Keep a Young Girl Alive" to muse on what makes a good record and why "Every Picture Tells a Story" is a good record, i.e., a good record is one that "entering a person's life, can enable that person to live more intensely—as, whatever else it does, 'Every Picture Tells a Story' does for Jayne Anne Phillips' Sue."