Pablo Picasso (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Pablo Picasso

| artist = the Modern Lovers

| album = The Modern Lovers

| released = August 1976

| recorded = April 1972

| studio =

| genre = Proto-punk{{Cite web |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jack_white-pablo_picasso_modern_lovers_cover |title=Jack White "Pablo Picasso" (Modern Lovers cover) |last=Slingerland |first=Calum |date=April 25, 2018 |website=Exclaim! |access-date=May 2, 2018}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/04/jack-white-covers-the-modern-lovers-pablo-picasso.html |title=Jack White Covers The Modern Lovers' "Pablo Picasso" |last=Oshinsky |first=Matthew |date=April 25, 2018 |website=Paste |access-date=May 3, 2018}}

| length = 4:15

| label = Beserkley

| writer = Jonathan Richman

| producer = John Cale

}}

"Pablo Picasso" is a song written by Jonathan Richman{{cite web|url=http://www.ascap.com/ACE/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=460198787&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=20&start=1|title=ASCAP, ACE Title Search}} Accessed February 14, 2011 for the proto punk group the Modern Lovers. The song was recorded in 1972 at Whitney Studios in Los Angeles, and produced by John Cale, but was not released until 1976, on the Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album. The recording featured Richman (lead guitar, vocals), Ernie Brooks (second guitar), Jerry Harrison (bass) and David Robinson (drums), with Cale playing the repetitive hammered piano part.{{cite book| last = Mitchell| first = Tim| author-link = Tim Mitchell| title = There's Something About Jonathan| publisher = Peter Owen| year = 1999| url = https://archive.org/details/theressomethinga00timm/page/50| isbn = 0-7206-1076-1| page = [https://archive.org/details/theressomethinga00timm/page/50 50]| url-access = registration}}

The central character of the song is the charismatic 20th century artist Pablo Picasso.[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t602221|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic.com "Pablo Picasso" review]. Accessed August 15, 2007. With dry wit, the lyrics suggest that women never rejected Picasso's romantic advances, despite his short stature. "Well he was only five foot three but girls could not resist his stare / Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole / Not in New York". In a 1980 interview, Richman stated that the song was inspired by his own adolescent "self-consciousness" with women.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bostongroupienews.com/JonathanRichmanInterview.html|title = Boston Groupie News}}