Take a Picture
Encyclopedia
"Take a Picture" was the second single off Filter's
Title of Record
. The song became a major hit during the start of 2000. It was the band's first departure from the industrial rock
that they usually played, instead being soft and melodic.
The song's lush synthesized wall of sound
and its lyrics, revolving around the chorus: "Could you take my picture? / 'Cause I won't remember", lends it a surreal
and dreamlike aura. Filter's
frontman, and founding member Richard Patrick
has said that the song is about him getting drunk
on an airplane, taking off all of his clothes, and fighting with the flight attendant
s who tried to stop him. This would account for the introductory, and later-repeated, lyrics: "Awake on my airplane, awake on my airplane...my skin is bare, my skin is theirs."
"Take a Picture" also features Patrick's petulant taunt: Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now? Patrick's father was offended by this line, but Patrick explained to his father that each time he sings the line it has a different meaning because Patrick changes the tone in which he delivers the line each time it's sung.
A music video, directed by David Meyers
, featured the band in a dreamlike sequence taking place in four different areas; a room being flooded by water, under the ocean with no scuba
gear on, on a tiny rowboat
in the middle of the ocean, and on the roof of a tiny cottage
.
Filter played two years in a row at popular Washington, D.C./Baltimore radio station 99.1 HFStival in which their first year's performance in September 1999 they left out this song, but due to its popularity and mass requests as stated all day during the second year's performance in May 2000 they played the song as the closer.
Former Smashing Pumpkins
bassist D'arcy Wretzky
provided backing vocals on this track.
on January 25, 2000, after reaching the Top 40 on December 14, 1999).
In addition, the song hit #1 on Billboard' s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on January 25. Remixes were provided by Club 69.
The song peaked at #8 on the New Zealand
RIANZ
Singles Chart on February 28, 2000.
The song has been featured in numerous motion pictures, including The Girl Next Door, Saving Grace
, and Little Nicky
and Pay It Forward
. It is also a playable track in the music video game Band Hero
.
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
Title of Record
Title of Record
Title of Record is the second album by American industrial rock band Filter. It was released on August 24, 1999 and included the popular single "Take a Picture", a noted departure from the dark sound of the band's 1995 hit "Hey Man, Nice Shot". The album has sold more than 1 million copies...
. The song became a major hit during the start of 2000. It was the band's first departure from the industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
that they usually played, instead being soft and melodic.
The song's lush synthesized wall of sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
and its lyrics, revolving around the chorus: "Could you take my picture? / 'Cause I won't remember", lends it a surreal
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and dreamlike aura. Filter's
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
frontman, and founding member Richard Patrick
Richard Patrick
Richard Patrick is an American rock musician. He is the frontman for the band Filter, a founding member of the supergroup Army of Anyone, and has served as a touring guitarist for Nine Inch Nails....
has said that the song is about him getting drunk
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
on an airplane, taking off all of his clothes, and fighting with the flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
s who tried to stop him. This would account for the introductory, and later-repeated, lyrics: "Awake on my airplane, awake on my airplane...my skin is bare, my skin is theirs."
"Take a Picture" also features Patrick's petulant taunt: Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now? Patrick's father was offended by this line, but Patrick explained to his father that each time he sings the line it has a different meaning because Patrick changes the tone in which he delivers the line each time it's sung.
A music video, directed by David Meyers
Dave Meyers (director)
David "Dave" Meyers is an American music video director.-Career:Meyers has directed over 200 music videos including: P!nk's "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get The Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Feel Good Time", "Stupid Girls", "U + Ur Hand", "So What", "Please Don't...
, featured the band in a dreamlike sequence taking place in four different areas; a room being flooded by water, under the ocean with no scuba
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
gear on, on a tiny rowboat
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
in the middle of the ocean, and on the roof of a tiny cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
.
Filter played two years in a row at popular Washington, D.C./Baltimore radio station 99.1 HFStival in which their first year's performance in September 1999 they left out this song, but due to its popularity and mass requests as stated all day during the second year's performance in May 2000 they played the song as the closer.
Former Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
bassist D'arcy Wretzky
D'arcy Wretzky
D'arcy Elizabeth Wretzky is an American musician. She is best known for her work as the original bass player of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins...
provided backing vocals on this track.
Charts
The song crossed over to Top 40 radio (it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on January 25, 2000, after reaching the Top 40 on December 14, 1999).
In addition, the song hit #1 on Billboard
The song peaked at #8 on the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
Singles Chart on February 28, 2000.
The song has been featured in numerous motion pictures, including The Girl Next Door, Saving Grace
Saving Grace (2000 film)
Track Listing# "Introduction" – 1:02# "Grace's Theme" – 2:42# "Take a Picture" – 5:55# "Make Me Smile " – 4:07# "Spirit in the Sky" – 3:56...
, and Little Nicky
Little Nicky
Little Nicky is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill. It stars Adam Sandler as Nicky, one of Satan's three sons.-Plot:The story revolves around a struggle to determine which of Satan's three sons will succeed their father as ruler of Hell...
and Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward
Pay It Forward is a 2000 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It was directed by Mimi Leder and written by Leslie Dixon...
. It is also a playable track in the music video game Band Hero
Band Hero
Band Hero is a spinoff video game as part of the Guitar Hero series of music video games, released by Activision on November 3, 2009, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles...
.
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 58 |