A Rock & Roll family album
with a few revealing pictures of da BOOTIK bunch ;)
This was one of a trilogy of songs Davies wrote and the Kinks recorded in 1967-1968 that shared this theme. Two of them - this song and "People Take Pictures of Each Other" - are standout tracks on The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society album.
"Picture Book" is the more upbeat and happy song, while "People Take Pictures..." has an undercurrent of sadness ("...don't show me no more, please"). The third, "Pictures in the Sand", was only released briefly on The Great Lost Kinks Album in 1973, and has since been available only on bootleg recordings (for some reason Davies has never wanted it released).
lyrics
Picture yourself when you're getting old,
Sat by the fireside a-pondering on.
Picture book, pictures of your mama, taken by your papa a long time ago.
Picture book, of people with each other, to prove they love each other a long ago.
Na, na, na, na, na na.
Na, na, na, na, na na.
Picture book.
Picture book.
A picture of you in your birthday suit,
You sat in the sun on a hot afternoon.
Picture book, your mama and your papa, and fat old Uncle Charlie out cruising with their friends.
Picture book, a holiday in August, outside a bed and breakfast in sunny Southend.
Picture book, when you were just a baby, those days when you were happy, a long time ago.
Na, na, na, na, na na.
Na, na, na, na, na na.
Picture book.
Picture book.
Picture book.
Picture book.
Picture book,
Na, na, na, na na,
Na, na, na, na na,
A-scooby-dooby-doo.
Picture book,
Na, na, na, na na,
Na, na, na, na na,
A-scooby-dooby-doo.
Picture book, pictures of your mama, taken by your papa a long time ago.
Long time ago,
Long time ago,
Long time ago,
Long time ago,
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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