Take A Picture by Filter

Album: Title Of Record (1999)

Charted: 25 12

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Songfacts®:

Lead singer 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 attendants who tried to subdue him.
The line "Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now?" refers to how Richard Patrick's father didn't think he could make it in the recording business. >>
Suggestion credit:
Suzan - Rochester, NY, for above 2
This song was played in the movie Girl Next Door during dating montage. >>
Suggestion credit:
Billy - Athens, GA
Richard Patrick told Artist Direct the story behind this stream-of-conscious song. He recalled: "There was no thought behind it. It was off-the-cuff. It was emotional. I was so lonely. When you drink, you feel cut off from everybody. The isolation is wild. You isolate yourself, but then you realize you're left all alone. I'd get in trouble. I got arrested, but I was taken to a psych ward."

"That was the second time I had an issue on airplane," he continued. "I was like, 'I bet my dad's going to be proud of this!' There's that song, 'Dad, I'm In Jail.' 'Take A Picture' was my homage to that. 'Hey dad, what do you think about your son now?' is a double entendre. Do you think my platinum records are cool? Do you think I'm a success? Do you know how much pain I'm in? Do you have any idea what's going on with me? I think everybody has that thing with their parents. They want to figure out their moms and dads."

Comments: 23

Tommy from Gulfport, Ms.I’m not a huge 90’s, or Alternative Rock fan, and to be honest, this song caught my attention when I heard it played while watching “Little Nicky” during the Heaven Scene. I was just learning how to play guitar at the time, and immediately grabbed my guitar after hearing the intro.
As far as the lyrics go, I, as well as a lot of people, can relate. I think many people have dealt with discouragement in their lives, some let it hold them back, some didn’t let it hold them back. I unfortunately am one of the many that let it hold me back, however I’m now living my life the way I want to live it at a later age. Praise to the ones that did not let that happen to them. Follow your dreams.
Anon from Herndon, VaThis song haunts/inspires me to this day, but in an important way. I was double hit with the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy. One of the victims was an extremely close friend I had once gone to prom with and I also went to school with the shooter. When it happened, I was in another state in college myself and became almost catatonic when I heard the death toll climbing on the news because I knew perhaps hundreds of people who went to Tech. It seemed inevitable that I would know someone.

As the details became clear and I saw who died and who committed the act, I was physically ill. My mom freaked out as soon as she saw and was calling me to ask if I was okay, but all I could say was that I really wasn't. I knew my friend's family was suffering in ways no one could understand. I had to get out of where I was because I was going to lose it. I was on a late night flight back to Washington that evening and the next afternoon, I was posted up sitting by the little lake where I had walked so many thousands of times as a kid, watching planes landing back into Dulles, just staring off into space, not sure the world really existed any more.

I had tried to befriend and talk to the kid who was the shooter so many times, but the kids in my school were just MERCILESS to him. Most of the time I think he thought I was just one of them although I desperately wanted him to know that I thought they were just as evil as he did. I knew a lot of them from sports and they were just not good people. None of THEM suffered... it was just more innocent people who did. Those tormentors were busy remaking themselves into mature, "I've grown out of that phase of my life" little yuppie pricks without ever wanting to REALLY acknowledge the damage they did to so many people at the time, and seeing their fake BS on Facebook was probably the maddest I ever got in my life. The rage spread over me and I wanted them to suffer like we were all suffering once and for all.

Being a music person, I had brought my iPod out to the lake with me and turned it on, and this song came on. It was mesmerizing in some way. The lyrics almost seemed to be prophetic to what was unfolding in this moment. At the same time, it had this incredibly weird, calming, uplifting-in-a-tragedy sort of quality to it. I sat by that lake finally crying my eyes out for the first time and felt human again as I watched the afternoon traffic racing into Dulles like nothing had happened and realized the world would just keep going on whether I quit or not. The rage left me and I knew in that moment that while these absolute pricks would do what they were going to do, there were so few people who could actually be decent in this time, and it was needed more than ever. I resolved to do that and have never been more grateful in my life that I could be there for the people I needed to be there for. I probably played this song 200 times over a month and for some strange reason, it gave me so much strength and perspective.

Dunno what that's worth to anyone, but sometimes you'll find a story in a song you never expected to.
Jayfer from CaAlways seemed to be playing when I was driving from NC to FL to hang with my bestie. Just reminds me of fun times. Never thought of the meaning at all hahaha great song tho!
Jason from Dirty SouthMan this song brings back memories of the greatest decade. The 90’s gold so many memories! Miss those days.
Drew from UkI was flying all over Europe at the time with work. Just split up from my childhood sweetheart and had a strained relationship with my father, whom never really accepted that I wasn't going into physics and though creative arts were a waste of time (financially I was smashing it at the time). It looked superficially like 'living the dream', but in reality involved a lot of long lonely flights, being away from friends for months at a time and very little connection with anyone beyond work. I've never connected so much with a song in my life.
Rozvan from CaliforniaAlways reminded me of JFK Jr. The plane crash on water, including a Caroline double. His entire life was about being hounded by Paparazzi, everyone invading his privacy for a glimpse photo of him. "Dad what do you think of your son now"..
Phoque Hue from FloridaGreat song!
Mariah White from Great Falls MtI always remember my dad always shutting me out telling me I'm never gonna be good enough and become something in my life and I always wanted to prove him wrong but I keep failing every time I'd prove him wrong in the end of the day all that really matters is you being yourself no matter what people think or say or do
Choppo from Chicago"Can everyone agree that no one should be left alone".... best line ever.
Mixhel Madore from GatineauI personally tought it was about his dad having alzeimer . But hey...a song can have couples of difderent meaning to those hearing it.
Nesto from Austin TxI remember I dated this girl and I just so happen to have this cd I was borrowing from a friend. I used to drive to Houston 2 to 3 times a week and stay wknds in Houston with her. I played “Title of Record” front to back over and over during the time driving back and forth when we were seeing another. It just brings back a simpler time I had with someone during the time. Bittersweet, but it makes me happy and sad at the same time
David from Lexington Awesome song....Perfectly timeless.
Amber from UtahThis song played over and over on the radio after my son was born in November 1999. He was my firstborn and this song was about him, from the perspective of a newborn baby. He's 20 years old now. I've heard this song twice this week on XM and it still brings back memories of welcoming our first baby boy.
Tony from San DiegoAmazing song, to me it is a CLASSIC. Barry, u sure u listened to the right song?
Norine from Winnipeg, MbThis is the only song I've heard that can relax me and make the hair stand up on the back of my neck at the same time. Now that I know what it's about, it also makes me smile. Awesome song!
Mark from Sarnia, OnThis song has a haunting chorus. Telling all of us that one day we will move on in age and memories are often caputured in pictures. I find the chord selection and effects on his voice dreamy and it evokes childhood memories. Everytime I hear this tune I get thrown back in time. Love it!!!
Barry from Gagetown Nb Canada, -This song is dull and boring
James from New Market, InHis brother was the evil T2 in Terminator 2. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Get some.
Layton from Paris, Txthis song is f--king amazing. but its so simple just an A and a D. impressive
Nathan from New Orleans, Lait's a decent song, besides, i still hear it on the radio and i'm not complaining
George from Jackson, Njguess his father was right
Ben from Whittier, Cathis song sounds so great it fells like i am flying in the blue sky .
Eric from Boston, Ma...Little Nicky...

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