Who Needs Pictures

Album: Who Needs Pictures (1999)
Charted: 65
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Paisley along with songwriters Chris DuBois and Frank Rogers, this gut-wrenching song finds Paisley discovering an old camera with undeveloped pictures in it (this is before the proliferation of digital photography). This camera contains pictures of his lover who left him. He considers developing them but changes his mind and says "Who needs pictures with a memory like mine." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mark - Sarnia, ON
  • This was Paisley's debut single as a performer (he'd previously worked as a songwriter with EMI Publishing, where he wrote the Top 5 hit "Another You" for David Kersh). It peaked at #12 on the Country chart.
  • Paisley and his team wrote many of the album's songs during a week-long beach trip at DuBois' home in South Carolina. In a 1999 promo interview, the singer recalled how the title track came together: "Frank was sitting there holding his camera saying, 'You know, what about a song about a camera with film still in it that hasn't been developed?' And we kind of talked about how if the film contained images of someone that you maybe miss or someone that you've lost or something that's a really vivid image, then what's the point of getting it developed? Because anything that comes back from… wherever you might send it away to get it developed probably doesn't compare to how you remember it."
  • The music video, directed by Jim Shea, opens with Paisley getting ready for a fishing trip and accidentally finding the camera hidden away in a drawer. As the story unfolds, we see flashes of when he took the photos during a former romance with a pretty blonde. The clip was shot in Los Angeles.

Comments: 1

  • R.d. Dame (old Timing Man) from Orlando, FlI'm not a real country fan but I do have a white 1962 Telecaster and country music has ascended to country pop and one of my favorite singer, musician, song writers is Brad Paisley, talk about a man that can bring tears to man's eyes. The first time I heard him was "Who needs pictures", I drove immediately to the store and bought it, took it home and played it (with tears in my eyes) until I'd learned it and committed it to memory (memories from my own past). He got me with another one to,"Wish you were here", I had to pull my car over my eyes got so blurry. If you ever need a good eye washing, either one of those will do it sure.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.