Bourgeois, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up in Dallas, Texas, moved with Tagg to the Bay Area after high school. In 1984, they moved to Sacramento and formed Bourgeois Tagg with guitarist Lyle Workman, drummer Mike Urbano, and keyboardist Scott Moon. Bourgeois played keyboards, Tagg played bass, and the two shared lead vocals.
The first Bourgeois Tagg album spawned two singles: "Mutual Surrender (What a Wonderful World)" performed well, if briefly, at college radio and got some dance/club play, but "The Perfect Life" didn't fare as well. Promotional video clips were produced for both clips, which received limited play.
In 1987, the band recorded their second album, Yoyo, with esteemed producer Todd Rundgren. When it was released in the autumn of that year, the band had their biggest hit with its first single, "I Don't Mind At All", a shimmering, melancholy ballad of resignation whose catchy melody, offbeat rhythm, and dramatic use of strings is reminiscent of classic Beatles songs, such as "Yesterday". It peaked near #10 on Billboard's top singles chart, and was a bigger world-wide hit, fueled at least in part by an innovative video that got heavy airplay on MTV, but the follow-up single, "Waiting For the Worm to Turn" (the first single with a lead vocal by Tagg), failed to chart.
Eventually, a schism developed between Bourgeois and his bandmates. Sources give different reasons for the split, usually citing Bourgeois' recovery from the abuse of alcohol and drugs, and his increasing interest in more literal exploration of Christian and recovery themes in the band's work. All five members of Bourgeois Tagg appear on Todd Rundgren's 1989 album Nearly Human, and it is presumed that the band officially broke up during that time; Tagg, Urbano, and Workman went on tour as part of Rundgren's backing band, which is documented on the 2003 archival release of Nearly Human Tour - Japan '90.
Bourgeois signed a solo recording deal with Virgin offshoot Charisma Records around that time, and his self-titled album was released in 1990. Produced by rock veteran Danny Kortchmar, Brent Bourgeois featured guest appearances by Christine McVie and Rick Vito of Fleetwood Mac, among others, and the track "Can't Feel the Pain" was co-written with former bandmate Lyle Workman, who also plays guitar on that song. The first single, "Dare to Fall in Love", is a lush ballad that resembles some of the popular R&B at the time, while maintaining Bourgeois' vocal style and unique lyrical sensibility. Again, in spite of an eye-catching video that received a moderate amount of play, especially on VH1, it became only a minor hit, and the album did not sell well. In 1992, he released another solo album called A Matter of Feel. Virtually ignored by all radio and video outlets, the album fell on deaf ears and sold even less than its predecessor; most notable is the track "I'm Down With You", which was co-written with Robert Palmer. Bourgeois parted ways with Charisma shortly thereafter.
Although he had never made a secret of his beliefs before, any references to Christianity in his lyrics had been largely metaphorical up to that point; the friction that it caused with the more secular-minded Larry Tagg could be cited as a both positive and negative motivational factor for both of them during the time that they worked together. In 1995, he returned with another solo album, Come Join the Living World - this time on Reunion Records, a Contemporary Christian label - and a renewed, more literal focus on Christian themes, which he has maintained throughout his career ever since. The album spawned four #1 songs on Christian radio. Over the last decade, Bourgeois has become more well-known in the CCM world for his songwriting and production work for acts such as Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, 4Him, Jaci Velasquez, Michelle Tumes, and Cindy Morgan. He was the vice-president of A&R at Word Records in Nashville for five years between 1997-2001, and signed such notable artists as Nicole C. Mullen and Rachael Lampa. Bourgeois is married and has four children and currently resides in Elk Grove, California.
Other Bourgeois Tagg alumni: Lyle Workman has performed as a session musician ever since the dissolution of Bourgeois Tagg, but has more recently been working with the band "Jellyfish (band)" in the 90's, in films (he composed the scores for Jon Favreau's 2001 mob-wannabe comedy "Made", and, more recently, the 2005 hit comedy "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") and video games (2005's "Guitar Hero", naturally).
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Bourgeois Tagg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the woman sitting on the bed with the perfume on?
She's holding the hand of a very well-dressed man, a well-dressed man
Then why those muddy pants
Does it have to do with the ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to her room?
What's wrong with this picture? Can you count the lonely people?
Oh what's so sad
About the man at the door with those flowers in his hand?
He's so happy, cause he got home at last, but he got home too fast
Why wont those flowers last?
Does it have to do with the ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to his room?
What's wrong with this picture? Can you count the lonely people?
Now she wont be still around to plant those flowers
Where the garden is trampled down
& he sees clearly evrything in that muddy room where she left da ring
Heres an empty room where sunlight falls on four empty walls
No one lives here anymore
And no one to explain what this room is empty for
There's just that muddy floor
It all has to do with that ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to this room?
What's wrong with this picture? Where are all the lonely people?
What's wrong with this picture? Where are all the lonely people?
Where are all the lonely people?
The lyrics of Bourgeois Tagg’s “What's Wrong With This Picture?” reflect on the irony of life and the unexpected twists that come along with it. The song presents various scenarios that, at first glance, appear to hold a content feeling, but upon further inspection, it turns out that everything is not as it seems. The song starts with a woman sitting on the bed, holding the hand of a well-dressed man. However, she is also wearing muddy pants, and there is a ladder in the garden leaning against the window to her room. This creates a sense of ambiguity, as the listener is left to wonder about the woman’s secret life, and what the ladder and muddy pants mean.
Similarly, the song talks about a man who is standing at the door, holding a bunch of flowers. He is happy because he got home at last but got home too fast. The flowers do not last, and there is again the mention of a ladder in the garden, leaning against the window to his room. It is unclear what the ladder signifies, but it seems to be the cause of significant sorrow in this man’s life. The lyrics discuss emptiness and loneliness, as the man and woman are left to deal with their solitude, among the trampled gardens and muddy floors.
Overall, Bourgeois Tagg’s “What's Wrong With This Picture?” is a thought-provoking song that shows how life can be deceptive and uncertain. The lyrics present different situations, but all of them have the same underlying theme – a sense of emptiness and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh what is wrong
With the woman sitting on the bed with the perfume on?
What is the reason behind the woman's sadness despite her beautiful perfume and company?
She's holding the hand of a very well-dressed man, a well-dressed man
She is with a well-dressed man, but still not happy.
Then why those muddy pants
Does it have to do with the ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to her room?
What is the connection between the muddy pants and the ladder against her room's window?
What's wrong with this picture? Can you count the lonely people?
What is the reason for the apparent sadness and loneliness in this scene?
Oh what's so sad
About the man at the door with those flowers in his hand?
He's so happy, cause he got home at last, but he got home too fast
What makes the man sad despite his reunion with his loved one?
Why wont those flowers last?
Does it have to do with the ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to his room?
What is the connection between the flowers and the ladder against his room's window?
Now she wont be still around to plant those flowers
Where the garden is trampled down
& he sees clearly evrything in that muddy room where she left da ring
The garden has been destroyed because the woman is no longer there to take care of it, and the man is left with the memory of her in their once-shared room.
Heres an empty room where sunlight falls on four empty walls
No one lives here anymore
And no one to explain what this room is empty for
There's just that muddy floor
There is an abandoned room with no explanation for its emptiness, but the presence of a muddy floor suggests a hidden story.
It all has to do with that ladder in the garden
Leaning against the window to this room?
The ladder against the window in the garden seems to be the common thread connecting all the sad and lonely moments in the song.
What's wrong with this picture? Where are all the lonely people?
What is the reason for the loneliness and sadness permeating this scene, and where have all the lonely people gone?
What's wrong with this picture? Where are all the lonely people?
Reiteration of the question about the cause of the sorrow and absence of people in this scene.
Where are all the lonely people?
Question about the whereabouts of everyone who seems to be missing from the scene, leading to further inquiry into their sadness and solitude.
Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.