Pablo Picasso" is a song written by Jonathan Richman for his proto punk group The Modern Lovers. br br The song was recorded in early 1972, at Whitney Studios in Los Angeles, with producer 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. br The central character of the song is the charismatic 20th Century artist Pablo Picasso.