Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and were broken up for eight years from 1976 to 1984, with drummer Ian Paice being the band's only constant member. The first four line-ups, which constituted the band's original 1968–1976 run, are officially indicated as Mark I (1968–1969), Mark II (1969–1973), Mark III (1973–1975) and Mark IV (1975–1976). Mark I comprised the founding members of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Rod Evans (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Paice (drums) and Nick Simper (bass), while Mark II was the most commercially successful line-up, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing Evans and Simper respectively. Mark III saw David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes replace Gillan and Glover respectively, while Mark IV featured Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore. The band split in July 1976 and Bolin died from a drug overdose five months later. In 1984, Deep Purple reformed with the Mark II line-up, which remained in place until Joe Lynn Turner replaced Gillan in 1989. Gillan rejoined in 1992, with Blackmore leaving for the second and final time the following year. He was replaced temporarily by Joe Satriani and then permanently by Steve Morse. In 2002 Don Airey replaced Jon Lord, which saw Deep Purple settle into its longest running line-up, unchanged for the next twenty years, until Morse announced his departure from the band in 2022. His place was taken by Simon McBride. Paice, Glover, Gillan, Airey and McBride comprise the current line-up of Deep Purple.
Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme] and a poll on radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans, and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Pictures of Home
Deep Purple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only my own words return
Nobody's up there, it's a deception
When will I ever learn?
I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
Wondering blindly
How can they find me?
Maybe they don't even know
My body is shaking
Anticipating
The call of the black footed crow
I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And taunting with pictures of home
Here in this prison
Of my own making
Year after day I have grown
Into a hero
But there's no worship
Where have they hidden my throne?
I'm alone here
With emptiness, eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And screaming out pictures of home
The lyrics of Deep Purple's song Pictures of Home are melancholic and lonely. The singer seems to be lost in isolation, shouting at a mountain which only echoes his own voice back to him. He is deceived by the stillness and silence of the area, expecting someone to be around, but nobody appears. The singer is chillingly alone in the midst of eagles and snow, with the emptiness of the surroundings piercing his soul. The singer's mind is filled with haunting images of his home, which further taunt him as he finds himself lost in the wilderness. He wonders how someone is going to locate him, even questioning whether anyone out there knows where he is.
The singer appears to be trapped in his current situation, as he has been banished to a sort of prison he created out of his own actions. He is reminiscing about his past and dwells on his current plight. Even though he is lonely, the singer appears to struggle with the thought of being regarded as a hero. Without his throne, he seems lost, feeling as if no one remembers him. Through this song, the singer seems to be searching for an escape from his emotions, surroundings, and predicament.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody's shouting
Someone is making a loud noise
Up at a mountain
The noise is coming from a nearby mountain
Only my own words return
The noise echoes back, and there is no response
Nobody's out there
There is no one around
It's a deception
The situation is misleading
When will I ever learn?
The singer has encountered this before and wonders when they will learn from their mistakes
I'm alone here
The singer is by themselves
With emptiness eagles and snow
The artist is surrounded by vast emptiness, with only eagles and snow around them
Unfriendliness chilling my body
The loneliness and coldness is affecting the artist physically
And whispering pictures of home
The artist is hearing voices in their head that remind them of home
Wondering blindly
The singer is lost in thought
How can they find me
The artist questions how someone could locate them in this desolate area
Maybe they don't even know
The possibility exists that the person or people the singer is waiting for might not even be aware of their location
My body is shaking
The singer is shaking due to the cold or fear
Anticipating
The singer is expecting something to happen
The call of the black footed crow
The artist is anticipating the arrival of a black-footed crow, which might symbolize death or danger
And taunting with pictures of home
The voices in the artist's head are teasing them with visions of their home
Here in this prison
The singer feels trapped
Of my own making
The singer is responsible for their current situation
Year after day I have grown
The artist has spent a long time in this situation
Into a hero
Despite the hardships, the artist has developed strength and resilience
But there's no worship
Despite the artist's heroism, there is no one to acknowledge or appreciate it
Where have they hidden my throne?
The singer feels like they deserve recognition and power, but it is not present in their current situation
And screaming out pictures of home
The voices in the artist's head are now screaming at them with visions of their home
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luizcerqueira3875
For me, one of 10 most underrated songs of rock history
@meryuk
It stood the test of time quite well, imo
@alkholos
I hate that term, "underrated." People are usually oblivious. "Pictures of Home" is blatantly outstanding!
@69Eyetalian
love each solo, keys and guitar, and then the bass solo,
@manuelducretiii8142
As well as his solo.
@mtntime1
I agree. People gravitate to Smoke On The Water. But this is SO much better!!
@achimpfefferkorn3019
Jon Lord called it the best track of the album. So would I! 👍
@robertmccall2104
Was listening to this album at the age of 14, and I'm still listening to this album at the age of 62.
@davidgardiner4620
For me it was 16 and i'm 60 now Robert
@hottubremoval731
57 here