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Despite rumors to the contrary, this song is not about Idol's actual little sister. "Little sister" is slang for girlfriend. He is singing about a woman/girl he loves marrying someone else while he still loves her.
Idol does have a sister who was getting married, but on an episode of VH1 Storytellers, he explained that his sister's wedding simply gave him the idea for the song. (thanks, Jon - Atlanta, GA)

This was used in the movie The Wedding Singer. After getting dumped at the alter, Adam Sandler tells his friends to "turn this crap off" after the video comes on. Idol later appears in the movie as himself. He helps get Sandler together with Drew Barrymore.

In the UK, this did not become a hit until 1985, when it was released there for the third time.

This song is very anti-marriage, and yet many people have it played at their weddings. (thanks, Sara - Madison, WI)

Herman's Hermits recorded this for the 2002 album When Pigs Fly: Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear. Cevin Soling, who put the album together, explains why he chose this song for Herman's Hermits: "They have that very sweet, innocent persona. And you think of Herman's Hermits, you think that the cute, adorable Peter Noone fronting this very sweet, innocent thing. And then you've got Billy Idol who's kind of the antithesis of that. A friend of mine got to play the song for Billy Idol on the air, and she was interviewing him, so she played the Herman's Hermit's 'White Wedding' for Billy Idol. I think he just said the word, 'Frightening.'" (Thanks to Cevin for speaking with us. His full interview is available in the Songfacts Interviews. His website is cevinsoling.com.)

Comments:

This is for the guy who said Billy Idol did not have a drummer named Steve Missal. What crap! Steve and I ran a recording studio on 48th and 8th in New York, Shelter Studios. When Steve joined Billy's band the White Wedding album was rehearsed in our studio. A lot of it was written, or developed there. I do not know if Steve wrote the song, he never claimed he did to me, but when musicians are rehersing, creative things happen. I can tell you a lot of creative stuff happend in that room. Jerry Roberts
- Jerry, New York, NY

I saw the video,too.The bride's finger bleeds when the ring comes on.
- Jennifer Harris, Grand Blanc, MI

Great song, it reminds me of my ex messing up haha, and overall cheating me, her loss.. Good song though
- Anthony, Cape May, NJ

this song rocks! drugs or weddings who cares? billy idol is the man!!
- cynthia, scranton, PA

I wrote a term paper on this song, and it is definitely about crack cocaine. Crack is often referred to as cocaine's "little sister" since it is much cheaper. The "white wedding" is when a cocaine or crack addict quits and then starts again (also supported by "I've been away for so long" and "It's a nice day to start again"). As for the "There is nothin' fair/safe/sure/pure in this world," those terms refer to the danger involved with drugs and drug deals. The "shotgun" is referring to the practice where smoked drugs are exhaled by one user into the mouth of another user. The "superman" refers to the invulnerability experience by users. It's not a real wedding!
- Joe, Denver, CO

Billy Idol said on an MTV special about the Doors that WHITE WEDDING was heavily inspired by the Doors song L.A. WOMAN.
- Susan, Toronto, Canada

I don't know where the person saying this is about his girlfriend got this, but Billy Idol himself says he wrote this song for his sister. He's against marriage, and when he became rich and famous he kind of ditched his sister and then when he heard she was having a shotgun wedding he wrote this song for her.
- Maria Isabel, New London, CT

I too also belive this song is about drugs.. Quote.."I've been away for so long, I've been away for so long, I let you go for so long.. It's a nice day to start again" Sounds like dope to me.
- Tara, Wittenberg, WI

billy idol is awesome!!! This song has definetly got to be about drugs. If you watch the video you can see different ingrediants to make them. Plus the girl in the video, the bride, seems to be shaking violently.(a seizure) and you get those when you go through drug withdrawal. In any event this is a great song
- sarah, gloversville, NY

yah, Steve Missal is my neighbor here in NJ now, he has a recording studio in is basement, i can hear him play every now and than
- Matt, Somerset, NJ

Get your facts straight people!! Go to ASCAP.COM and you'll find that Willaim Broad wrote White Wedding, if you don't know that's Billy Idol's real name!! Steve Missal while he was at one time Billy's drummer, did not write the song. Idol claims it was written to show his displeasure with his sister's fiancé. So it seems it is about his "little sister."
- Rob, Long Beach, NY

Very cool song. Probably my favourite by Billy Idol.
- Randell, Sydney, Australia

Is it possible that "White Wedding" is a tribute song to Scareface the movie? How Tony tried to control his sister? -Sher,Saskatoon,CAN
- Sherry, Saskatoon, Canada

BIlly claims its about his sister Joan getting married and he personally is against marriage. White Wedding is a slang term for stopping cocaine and than starting it back up again hince the repeat of the line "it's a nice day to start again" also if you watch the video on the table there are many different object used to do crack. but it IS an anti-marriage song.
- Meg, New Mat, OH

I've always thought of this song as a punk-rock type mockery of traditional values and just a morbid take on both weddings and the mindset behind the decision to marry. The common conceptions of weddings being "white" and being a chance to "start again" are being derided in this song, as the idea of "your only one" reverberates with connotations of submission and imprisonment- the nail in the coffin. "Nothing is pure/safe in this world" suggests that people are wrong when they think that life after marriage will solve all their problems, which is an increasingly true fact with the divorce rate in this country.
- Kate, Falls Church, VA

I agree with EB and Liquid Len, the song is about starting using cocaine again. "White" is a slang word for cocaine as "snow" and "white wedding" symbolizes starting using cocaine again.
- Laura, Suonenjoki, Finland

I seen that music video a bunch of times. People are telling that Billy Idol is crazy. It sounds like punk rock. I was thinking about trying to play the guitar the same way from that song.
- Rusty, Raleigh, NC

You have to watch the video to get this. The song is about FREEBASE (1882 term for CRACK) smoking. 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 . . . . The "WHITE WEDDING" is what happens when addiction sets in. And likely death (start again)from overdose . . . Take me back home, yeah 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 "Watch the video and you see the bride having a gran mal seisure on the table. Look at the kitchen counter and you will see the items spread around for making up a batch of crack (remember this was in 1982).
- EB, RICHMOND HILL, GA

CORRECTION > > > > The song is about FREEBASE (1982 term for CRACK) smoking.
- EB, RICHMOND HILL, GA

THIS SONG IS ABOUT BILLY IDOLS SISTER JANE. SHE WAS PREGNANT, AND THE REFERENCE TO THE 'SHOTGUN WEDDING' CLEARLY STATES THIS. JANE HAD A BEAUTIFUL SON. THE SONG WAS WRITTEN BY BILLY ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE SONG HAS NOTHING WHAT SO EVER TO DO WITH DRUGS. BILLY HAS NEVER BEEN MARRIED, HE WAS WITH PERRI LISTER FOR NINE YEARS. THEY ALSO HAD A SON, WILLEM. WILLEM HAS HIS OWN BAND NOW CALLED LMNOP. ANNIE
- ANNIE, Norman, OK

This is one of the coolest song ever.
- Mike, Easton, PA

This is a song about his ex-wife, Cherie.
- Sara, Savannah, GA

Idol did write the song. He never had a drummer named Steve Missell(?).

Scottie, Sydney, Australia. Are you SERIOUS? Cash's version of "hurt" is one of the most heartfelt songs ever. Don't get me wrong, The Police did a good job to but THIS IS CASH.
- Jon, Oakridge, OR

Jeff, for me this song is always after Some Kind Of Wonderful on K-DST, I dont know about you though. I LOVE Grand Theft Auto San Andreas!
- John Smith, Southington, CT

I agree with Liquid Len, I heard it had to do with getting back on Coke or Heroin...Can't confirm though. Otherwise great song
- Mark, Humboldt, IA

This Song is also played on the fictional radio station K-DST in GTA: San Andreas
- Jeff, Sothington, CT

the murderdolls ruined white wedding. Its up there for worst covers with Johney Cash's Hurt and All Saints Under the bridge
- Scottie, Sydney, Australia

lol this is NOT about a wedding.
- Johnny, Los Angeles, CA

billy when he recorded white wedding he held a mic that was not turned on infront of a mic that he did not hold that was turned on so he could get the feel of the white wedding
- dylan, sydney, United States

I watched this on Pop-Up Video once. That was when I first started getting into Billy Idol a lot. It said there that this song IS about his sister. He also recieved scars from the music video when he jumped through the glass. I watched the Wedding Singer just to see him in it.
- Benn, Toronto, Canada

JOSH IN LONDON, CHINA-- This song is not about Idol's actual little sister. "Little sister" is slang for girlfriend. He is singing about a woman/girl he loves marrying someone else while he still loves her. (thanks, Jon - Atlanta, GA)
- cory, boonville, IN

I find it interesting that no one has mentioned that a shotgun wedding is one in which the bride is pregnant. I had always thought that was what it was about, what with the irony of having a white wedding, a traditional symbol of virginity, and all.
- john, Fairport, NY

NOOOOOOO! ur alll stupid Billy Idol rote this song about his little sister marrying a real jerk and billy disagreese with it but she has the wedding anyway god ur all such nimrods. u have almost insuted Billy Idol u brutal brutal people. my god thanx a bunch!
- Josh, London, China

Megan. I agree with you on the White Wedding Steve Missal is a brilliant man i have known and dated him and watched him for years playing with the Tellstars,(Back in the day). Cherrei. Cedar Lake,In Formally Chicago,Pullman,Roseland.
- Cherrie, Cedar Lake, IN

I have heard that if a cocaine addict quits his drug, then later starts again, it's called a 'white wedding'. I have never been able to confirm this, but it would make a lot of sense. He keeps repeating, "It's a nice day to start again".
- Liquid Len, Ottawa, Canada

This song has also been covered by Doro (female German rock singer), Sentenced (Finnish metal band), and some other artists... There are even some dance mix of White Wedding around...
- Someone, Somewhere

Idol did NOT write this, his once-drummer, Steve Missal, did.
- Megan, Cedar Lake, IN

In CKY1, starring Bam Margera and the West Chester crew, on the DVD there is a music video for White Wedding. It is basically Bam and Brandon Dicammalo dressed up as hicks harassing a penniless street corner guitar player and a hitchhiker.
- Khris, I Falls, MN

The murderdolls re did this, and the music video.They re did the music video to be a spoof of american idol..it was horrible, but the song cover was great. They should of stuck to the orginal movie idea 'Creepy'
- Jacquie, Somewhere, Canada

covered by the band "Murderdolls" good song covered
- Chas, Webster, NY

The character John Bender makes a reference to this song in the movie "The Breakfast Club".
- Lani, Esco, CA