Picture
by Kid Rock (featuring Sheryl Crow)

Album: Cocky (2002)
Charted: 4
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kid Rock wrote this song, which finds him discovering a picture of his ex and asking her to come back to him. Rock proudly indulged his desires with the many groupies available to him, but this song shows his sensitive side, as he's feeling unfulfilled. When Sheryl Crow comes in for the duet, she explains why she left: He was cheating on her. There rumors that Rock and Crow were dating in real life, but they both denied it.
  • Sheryl Crow's contribution was almost kiboshed over a dispute between her label, A&M, and Rock's label, Atlantic. Rock ended up recording a version with Allison Moorer that was released as a single, but the version on the album featured Crow, and she's also in the music video. Some radio stations played the official single with Moorer, but most played the version with Crow because she was a bigger name. When the song charted, Billboard faced a conundrum because it wasn't clear who should be credited with Rock. They ended up listing the artist as "Kid Rock featuring Allison Moorer or Sheryl Crow."
  • This song was quite a departure from the rap-rock songs Kid Rock was known for, but it wasn't his first foray into country music: His 1999 single "Only God Knows Why" is a country ballad and was the biggest hit from his breakthrough album Devil Without A Cause, going to #19 on the Hot 100. "Picture" became the biggest chart hit of his career, going to #4. Rock's DJ, Uncle Kracker, had an easy listening hit of his own with "Follow Me" in 2000.

    Since the success of "Picture," Kid Rock has had numerous duet partners from the country music world, including Kellie Pickler, Martina McBride, and Miranda Lambert.
  • Yes, this song does sound a lot like The Golden Girls Theme. So much so, that visitors to our message boards asked if it was a remake.
  • Kid Rock and Crow are all smiles in the JB Carlin-directed clip, which has the pair recording in the studio and strolling around outside Rock's home in Clarkston, Michigan. According to VH1's Pop Up Video, Rock's then-fiancee Pam Anderson didn't like the idea of her guy hanging out with his ex and held up production with a two-hour phone call to Rock.
  • Kid Rock was one of the last people you would expect to land an easy-listening pop hit. His image was (and still is) raw and redneck, very aggressive with elements of rap. His previous releases made little effort to appeal to anyone outside his fanbase; before "Picture," his previous single was "You Never Met A Motherf--ker Quite Like Me."

    This is where Sheryl Crow comes into the, er, picture. In stark contrast to Rock, she was a radio darling, pure pop for playlists polarized by hip-hop and nu-metal. Likable and thoroughly respected, anything with her name on it was guaranteed a listen by program directors. She effectively countered the aversion to Kid Rock, earning the song exposure. Rock didn't make a habit of this: he went right back to his hard-core style, to the delight of his fans. His next big collaboration was with someone a bit more controversial than Crow: R. Kelly, whom he teamed with on "Rock Star" in 2007.
  • This was Sheryl Crow's second-most successful single, behind "All I Wanna Do."

Comments: 3

  • Sheryl Windhurst from Lansing MichiganI believe this is about 2 people hurting for love and looking for love all there life and haven't found the right person yet.I love this song because I believe in God and I know He will send me the love of my life that I've been looking for also your #1 kidrock in my eyes your a good man Keep God will bring love back In your life your looking in the wrong place.you may have to go and get her.
    May God be with you always in your travels!
    Sheryl
  • Darla from Ontario CanadaLove love love uncle Cracker!
  • Teresa J from SlcI also wondered if they sampled parts of Atlantic Rhythm Section's Georgia Rhythm? Parts sound very similar.
see more comments

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