Red to Black
Fort Minor Lyrics

I had a friend named Victor
The singer introduces a friend named Victor in this song.

The two of us used hang every single day
The singer and Victor used to spend time together every day.

And it seemed like overnight that his whole life just changed
Victor's life changed suddenly and drastically, seemingly overnight.

I know when his mom and his dad broke up it didn't make sense
Victor's parents' separation was confusing and difficult for him to understand.

But I know that his dad was a drunk and he gambled away the rent
The reason for Victor's parents' break up was due to his father's alcoholism and gambling addiction.

Pretty soon Vic was seeing red, pissed off, but instead
Victor became angry and frustrated with his situation.

He'd drink every night 'til he passed out
Victor coped with his emotions by drinking heavily.

Then he'd do it all again
Victor repeated this cycle of drinking and passing out regularly.

The whole time smiling on the outside to cover the pain
Victor pretended to be fine and hid his pain from others by putting on a happy face.

But on the inside all he was trying to do was get away
Despite his facade, Victor was struggling on the inside and wanted to escape from his problems.

Yo, funny how things change color
The singer reflects on how things can change unexpectedly.

Then fade to another shade, when you had it made
Life can suddenly become more challenging even when things seem to be going well.

It was all good, but now look, just another day
Things used to be good, but now each day looks the same and feels hopeless.

It was so fresh, it was so clean
The singer recalls how things used to feel new and pure.

Now it's all gone, one, two, three
Now everything has disappeared quickly and easily.

Lights out, which way to turn
The artist feels lost and unsure of which direction to take.

Can't get a grip, all alone in a big white house
The artist is struggling to stay grounded, feeling isolated and trapped.

Every day gets worse and you just curse 'til your head bursts
Each day seems to be getting worse and the singer feels overwhelmed with frustration.

And it hurts so bad, she left, now you suffer
The pain of losing someone can be excruciating and cause ongoing suffering.

Should've thought of that one first
The artist regrets not having made better decisions earlier in life.

No family, no kids, can't accept what you did, now you wanna
The artist feels alone and unable to forgive themselves for past mistakes.

Run away but you can't cause the past comes back again
Trying to escape from the past is impossible since it will always resurface.

Slippin' through the cracks, sip a little Jack
The singer turns to drinking to numb their pain and problems.

Go to bed half dead
The artist is exhausted and feels like they are only half alive.

What about a rent? Why does every cent gotta be a bet
Money is a constant stressor and is often gambled away by those struggling with addiction.

When's it gonna end
The singer is tired of feeling stuck and wishes for their troubles to be over.

Oh my God, we don't got a penny left
The situation is dire and the singer has run out of money.

My mom's gotta find a way to get a job
The artist's mother is now in the position of having to find work to support the family.

Outta debt, outta dodge, out of breath, out of this big problem
The artist longs to be free from their struggles and the constant stress of being in debt.

My pop's wanna get away from the pain
The singer's father also desires to escape the pain and hardships he faces.

In a better place in his brain
The singer's father wants to find a place in his mind where he can be at peace.

But the medication he takes makes him wasted
Although there may be medication available, it often results in a decrease in functionality.

So sick if he's gonna think the good Lord would come to take him
The artist recognizes that their father's situation is quite dire and that he may feel that the only way out is by dying.

I'm shaking him
The artist is attempting to wake their father up and bring him back to reality.

Wake up you son of a bitch
The singer is angrily telling their father to come to his senses and fight for his life.

He's dying to get away
The artist's friend Victor is so desperate to escape from his problems that he feels like he is dying inside.

Let the pain of yesterday
The singer suggests that Victor should let go of the pain from his past.

Go slipping through the cracks
The singer recommends that Victor should let go of his pain and allow it to dissipate.

Hiding himself away
Victor has taken steps to isolate himself from others as a means of coping with his pain.

Watching all the memories fade away
Victor is struggling to hold on to his memories as they seem to be fading away from him.

From red to black
The artist describes the journey from pain and anger to nothingness and despair.