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Painter in Your Pocket
Destroyer Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And I'm reminded
Of the time that I was blinded
By the sun
It was a welcome change
From the sight of you hanging
Like a willow
Off the arm of yet another visionary
Prophetess East Van punk

I didn't stand a chance
I couldn't stand at all
You looked okay with the others
You look great on your own
It was 2002 and you couldn't be bothered
To say hello or goodbye
Or stand the test of time
You did
I just tried to
Separate an ocean from these tears we cried

Where did you get that line?
Where did you get that look?
Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?

Where did you get that ride?
Where did you get that rocket?
Where did you get that painter in your pocket?

Hey, there's Christine
And there's where she could of been
The summer season was cheap
Birds of prey stick together
And hey so do we, go

I didn't stand a chance
I didn't stand at all
You looked okay with the others
You look great by yourself
It was 2002 and you needed reminding to stay alive
And so did I
But at least I tried to
Fall upon that sword and never look back

Where did you get that line?
Where did you get that look?
Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?
Where did you get that ride?
Where did you get that rocket?
Where did you get that painter in your pocket?

Where did you get that line?
Where did you get that look?
Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?
Where did you get that ride?
Where did you get that rocket?
Where did you get that painter in your pocket?

I didn't stand a chance
I didn't stand at all
You looked okay with the others

I didn't stand a chance
I didn't stand at all
You looked okay with the others

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Destroyer's song Painter in Your Pocket showcase a deep longing for a past love interest. The singer is nostalgic and reminds himself of the time when he was blinded by the sun, which was a welcome change from seeing the person he was infatuated with hanging off the arm of another visionary prophetess East Van punk. The artist conveys how he was unable to stand a chance, and he couldn't even stand at all compared to the other individuals who appeared to look okay. He knows that the person he was fixated on looked great on their own but wonders where they received their line, look, penchant for destruction in the way they talk, ride, rocket, and, most significantly, their painter in their pocket. The painter in their pocket appears to be an artistic talent that they have and the artist is fixated on this.


The singer realized that he and the individual he was obsessed with were separated by an ocean's distance and that they cried oceans for each other. Christine is mentioned in the lyrics, and it appears to be a reference to the dreams and aspirations that the singer had with this person that never materialized. The summer season was cheap, and the birds of prey stick together, and so do they. The artist admits that it was 2002 and that the person he was fixated upon needed reminding to stay alive, and so did he, but he tried to fall upon the sword and never look back.


Line by Line Meaning

And I'm reminded
I am now reminded of something from my past.


Of the time that I was blinded
The moment when I was blinded by something that happened to me.


By the sun
The sun was the cause of my being blinded.


It was a welcome change
Despite the blinding, something about the experience was a change from the norm, perhaps a good one.


From the sight of you hanging
Compared to seeing you hanging around.


Like a willow
You hung like a willow tree, perhaps solemn and still.


Off the arm of yet another visionary
You were hanging from someone else who was considered to have an insightful or prophetic view.


Prophetess East Van punk
This person was from East Vancouver's punk scene and may have been viewed as a prophetess by the artist.


I didn't stand a chance
I had no chance to succeed.


I couldn't stand at all
I wasn't even able to stand up.


You looked okay with the others
You didn't seem any different from the others around you.


You look great on your own
You not only look OK, but you look fabulous on your own.


It was 2002 and you couldn't be bothered
In 2002, you didn't bother to interact with me.


To say hello or goodbye
You didn't even say hello or goodbye to me.


Or stand the test of time
You didn't endure the test of time either.


You did
You experienced success and lasted longer than I did.


I just tried to
In contrast, I only attempted to do something.


Separate an ocean from these tears we cried
I attempted the impossible, just as difficult as separating an ocean with my tears of sadness.


Where did you get that line?
How did you come up with that statement/question?


Where did you get that look?
How did you obtain your appearance?


Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?
How did you develop the tendency to talk about things that cause destruction?


Where did you get that ride?
Where did you get a means of transportation?


Where did you get that rocket?
How did you obtain a rocket?


Where did you get that painter in your pocket?
How did you come upon a painter and keep it hidden in your pocket?


Hey, there's Christine
Hey, there's Christine over there.


And there's where she could of been
There's where she probably should have been (in comparison to where she actually is).


The summer season was cheap
Perhaps the summer had been inexpensive or unremarkable.


Birds of prey stick together
Birds of prey, such as hawks or eagles, remain close to one another.


And hey so do we, go
And we also stick together, so let's go.


I didn't stand a chance
Once again, I was without hope to succeed.


You looked okay with the others
You seemed to fit in nicely with everyone else.


You look great by yourself
In fact, you look awesome alone too.


It was 2002 and you needed reminding to stay alive
In 2002, you were close to needing help to stay alive.


And so did I
I was in the same situation, needing help to survive.


But at least I tried to
At the very least, I gave it my best shot.


Fall upon that sword and never look back
I deliberately put myself in harm's way and am not looking back.


Where did you get that line?
Once again, I ask - how did you come up with that question?


Where did you get that look?
Again, I question where you obtained your appearance.


Where did you get that penchant for destruction in the way you talk?
Why do you feel the need to talk about things that cause destruction?


Where did you get that ride?
How did you acquire transportation?


Where did you get that rocket?
How did you end up with a rocket?


Where did you get that painter in your pocket?
How did you come to have a painter in your pocket anyway?




Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Daniel Bejar

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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