By Diane Berkenfeld
Photography and music go together like peanut butter and jelly. Well, maybe not like PB&J, but there are a lot of songs out there about photography, which in a way is a blending of art forms. Google “songs about photography” and the results will include many compilation lists that have been put together through the years. I’ve been thinking about compiling a list of my favorite photography focused songs (yes that pun was intended) for years and finally got to working on it, only to find there are many, many more songs that I had been aware of. Seeing how an editor’s job is doing the grunt-work for your readers, I’ve compiled what I think is the ultimate list of songs about photography, complete with links to Wikipedia pages about the songs or musicians/albums and interesting tidbits from those Wikipedia pages.
In my research, I found that some lists included songs that have the word “picture” in the title even if the song doesn’t talk about a photographic picture. These didn’t make my cut. I’ve included only songs with lyrics that really focus on photographs, cameras or the like.
The list includes almost every genre of music, from Paul Simon’s Kodachrome (the quintessential photo-related song) to Outkast’s Hey Ya! with the line “Shake it like a Polaroid Picture”.
Interestingly, eight different songs on the list are titled “Photograph”.
The songs are in no particular order.
Song: Kodachrome
Album: There Goes Rymin’ Simon
Musician: Paul Simon
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome_(song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Paul Simon didn’t start out to write Kodachrome about the iconic film, but the lyrics he was working on weren’t as catchy as Kodachrome turned out to be.
Song: Girls on Film
Album: Duran Duran
Musician: Duran Duran
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_on_Film
Wikipedia Tidbits: According to the above mentioned Wikipedia page, a Canon camera’s motor drive was used to create the effects for the beginning of the song. Also, the uncensored full-length music video of the song was made before MTV launched in the U.S.
Song: Hey Ya!
Album: Speakerboxxx
Musician: OutKast
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Ya!
Wikipedia Tidbit: The lyrics “Shake it like a Polaroid picture” and the song’s success helped to revitalize the Polaroid Corporation.
Song: A Photograph of You
Album: A Broken Frame
Musician: Depeche Mode
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depeche_Mode
Song: Photographic
Album: Speak And Spell
Musician: Depeche Mode
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depeche_Mode
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song was originally recorded on the band’s debut album.
Song: Freeze-Frame
Album: Freeze-Frame
Musician: J. Giles Band
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_Frame_(The_J._Geils_Band_album)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Freeze-Frame has been released as a download for Guitar Hero.
Song: Centerfold
Album: Freeze-Frame
Musician: J. Giles Band
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centerfold_(song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song has been covered by Euro-Pop, Indie-Rock, Ska-Punk, and Fun-Metal bands.
Song: Kamera
Album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Musician: Wilco
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilco
Wikipedia Tidbit: After being recorded, Wilco’s label cut them loose, and gave them the album gratis. They began streaming it on their website, and were picked up by another label. (Incidentally, both labels were owned by the same conglomerate.) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot turned out to be Wilco’s most successful album.
Song: Picture Book
Album: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
Musician: The Kinks
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks
Wikipedia Tidbit: The Kinks are considered a British Invasion Band.
Song: People Take Pictures of Each Other
Album: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
Musician: The Kinks
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kinks_Are_the_Village_Green_Preservation_Society
Wikipedia Tidbit: The album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is #255 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time List.
Song: Photograph
Album: All The Right Reasons
Musician: Nickelback
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelback
Wikipedia Tidbit: In 2009, The Word magazine readers voted Nickelback “Worst Band In The World”.
Song: Photograph
Album: Pyromania
Musician: Def Leppard
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph_(Def_Leppard_song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song was written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
Song: Photograph
Album: Ringo
Musician: Ringo Starr
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringo_Starr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph_(Ringo_Starr_song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song was written by Ringo Starr and George Harrison
Song: The Camera Eye
Album: Moving Pictures
Musician: Rush
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_Pictures_(album)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Moving Pictures is one of two Rush albums listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Song: Camera
Album: Reckoning
Musician: R.E.M.
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.E.M.
Wikipedia Tidbit: Reckoning took somewhere from 11 to 25 days to record in the studio.
Song: Photograph
Album: Born to Choose
Musician: REM with Natalie Merchant
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_to_Choose
Wikipedia Tidbit: Born to Choose is a compilation album, released as a benefit album with proceeds supporting NARAL.
Song: Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
Album: Listen
Musician: Flock of Seagulls
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Flock_of_Seagulls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishing_(If_I_Had_a_Photograph_of_You)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song is performed almost entirely on the black keys of a keyboard.
Song: Pictures of You
Album: Disintegration
Musician: The Cure
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_of_You_(The_Cure_song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: There are multiple remixes of this song including the original album version, multiple 12” vinyl single versions, as well as 7” vinyl versions, CD singles and extended remixes of the original album.
Song: 3×5
Album: Room For Squares
Musician: John Mayer
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayer
Wikipedia Tidbit: 3×5 is not on the original album, but was added to the Columbia re-release of Room For Squares.
Song: Miniature Secret Camera
Album: Love Hysteria and Pump Up The Volume Soundtrack
Musician: Peter Murphy
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Murphy_(musician)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Murphy is known as the Godfather of Goth.
Song: All the Negatives Are Destroyed
Album: Telephono
Musician: Spoon
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_(band)
Song: I Turn My Camera On
Album: Gimme Fiction
Musician: Spoon
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_(band)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The song is a popular YouTube dance tune for the Japanese robot Keepon, which has over 2 million hits.
Song: Photograph
Album: Catching Tales
Musician: Jamie Cullum
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Cullum
Wikipedia Tidbit: Cullum likes to beatbox during his concerts.
Song: Picture Of You
Album: The Tennessee Fire
Musician: My Morning Jacket
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Morning_Jacket
Wikipedia Tidbit: The band’s moniker comes from the monogram MMJ, once seen on a discarded coat by guitarist Jim James.
Song: F-Stop Blues
Album: Bushfire Fairytales
Musician: Jack Johnson
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson_(musician)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The son of surfer Jeff Johnson, Jack had a very brief stint as a pro surfer till an accident at Pipeline, on Oahu’s North Shore resulted in 150 stitches and a few knocked out teeth.
Song: Paparazzi
Album: The Fame
Musician: Lady GaGa
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paparazzi_(Lady_Gaga_song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: There are over two dozen remixes and edits of the song that have been done around the world.
Song: This is Not a Photograph
Album: Signals Calls & Marches
Musician: Mission of Burma
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_of_Burma
Wikipedia Tidbit: Contemporary music critics point to Mission of Burma’s work as a pivotal turning point in North American Indie music. Some of the many bands that cite the group as inspiration include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Pixies, and Moby.
Song: Take A Picture
Album: Title of Record
Musician: Filter
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Camera_(song)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_(band)
Wikipedia Tidbit: The album is the band’s most popular hit, and a departure from their normal industrial rock sound.
Song: Please Just Take These Photos From My Hand
Album: A Hundred Million Suns
Musician: Snow Patrol
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Patrol
Wikipedia Tidbit: The band founded Polar Music, a publishing company run through Kobalt Music, which signs bands of all genres.
Song: Picture
Album(s): Cocky (Kid Rock)
The Best of Sheryl Crow (Sheryl Crow)
Musician: Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheryl_Crow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocky_(album)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid_Rock
Wikipedia Tidbit: Crow plays 12-string guitar, bass and sings vocals. Rock sings Vocals, and plays lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, Dobro, banjo, steel guitar, synthesizer, turntables, organ, piano, and bass.
Song: Photograph
Album: Weezer
Musician: Weezer
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph_(Weezer_song)
Wikipedia Tidbit: During live shows in 2005, the band would close out their first set by having Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson take lead vocals and guitar on “Photograph” while lead singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo played drums.
Song: Photograph
Album: Villains
Musician: The Verve Pipe
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Verve_Pipe
Wikipedia Tidbit: Photograph was the first single released by the band.
Song: Panorama
Album: Panorama
Musician: The Cars
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama_(The_Cars_album)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cars
Wikipedia Tidbit: The band emerged from the early new wave music scene in the late 1970s.
Song: Camera
Album: After the Storm
Musician: Crosby, Stills, Nash
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby,_Stills_%26_Nash
Wikipedia Tidbit: With Neil Young on board, the group’s second gig was at Woodstock.
Song: Photobooth
Album: The Forbidden Love
Musician: Death Cab for Cutie
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Cab_for_Cutie
Wikipedia Tidbit: In 2001, the band released the LP The Photo Album.
Song: Pictures of Lily
Album: Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Musician: The Who
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_of_Lily
Wikipedia Tidbit: David Bowie has covered this song.
Song: Camera Shy
Album: Naturaliste
Musician: Lucksmiths
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lucksmiths
Wikipedia Tidbit: Lyrics often feature wordplays or puns.
Song: Pictures of Me
Album: Either/Or
Musician: Elliott Smith
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Smith
Wikipedia Tidbit: All instruments were played by Smith on this song.
Song: Carry This Picture
Album: A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
Musician: Dashboard Confessional
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashboard_Confessional
Wikipedia Tidbit: The album peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard charts.
Song: Distant Camera
Album: Silver and Gold
Musician: Neil Young
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Young
Wikipedia Tidbit: The album was accompanied by a live concert film.
Song: Into The Lens
Album: Into The Lens
Musician: Yes
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_(band)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Yes is regarded as one of the archetypal bands and pioneers of the progressive rock genre.
Song: Photographs and Memories
Album: Photographs and Memories
Musician: Jim Croce
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Croce
Wikipedia Tidbit: Photographs and Memories is a greatest hits album released posthumously.
Song: Fades Like a Photograph (Dead Angel)
Album: The Trouble With Angels
Musician: Filter
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Angels_(album)
Wikipedia Tidbit: Release date: August 17, 2010
If I’ve missed any songs, please use the comment field to add it to the list—and happy listening!
A special treat for your listening pleasure (for scrolling this far)…
