Paint It Black
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
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No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a new born baby, it just happens every day
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door, I must have it painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up, when your whole world is black
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the settin' sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes
I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
I wanna see it painted, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black
Yeah
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
The Rolling Stones' hit "Paint It Black" released in 1966, deals with depression, loss, and the overwhelming need to shut out the world. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who experiences the world in shades of black, reflecting his inner turmoil. The song begins with the singer expressing a desire to have a red door painted black, while narrating that he sees the world in black and has no desire for colors. In his depression, he even wishes to blot out the sun from the sky.
The verse, 'I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes, I have to turn my head until my darkness goes,' is a reference to the endless human interactions that are overwhelming and exhausting to the singer, who wishes to turn away and escape into the darkness. The following lines, 'With flowers and my love, both never to come back,' suggest that the girls represent a memory of a lost love that he can't face. He talks about his heart being black, feeling hopeless, and wanting to fade away.
Throughout the song, he shows a sense of longing to escape his reality, and to find some kind of release from his agony. Only in the setting sun does he find brief respite where he is with his love and able to experience a fleeting moment of happiness before the morning comes again.
Some interesting facts about the song include:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a red door and I want it painted black
I desire to paint a red door black
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I want everything to be black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I observe women walking in their seasonal outfits
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I avoid looking at them until my gloomy outlook subsides
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
I see a procession of black automobiles
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I reminisce about lost love with accompanying funeral bouquets
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Observers avert their gazes from the presented image
Like a new born baby, it just happens every day
This casual tragedy is an everyday occurrence
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I realize my inner emotions are bleak
I see my red door, I must have it painted black
The door represents a need to erase the past by making it black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
Perhaps the blackness will allow me to escape reality and its demands
It's not easy facing up, when your whole world is black
It is challenging to confront things when everything is bleak
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
The singer's ocean of possibilities is darkening
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
The singer is unexpected or incapable of anticipating an event regarding you
If I look hard enough into the settin' sun
If I concentrate enough on the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes
My love will share joy with me by the morning
I wanna see it painted, painted black
I want it to be painted fully black
Black as night, black as coal
I want it to be as black as the darkest things
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I want the sun to be obscured from the sky
Yeah
An exclamation of agreement or enthusiasm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Michael Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wisstihrwas
I was first a metalhead/ rocker wearing boots, all in black until i was 17. Then i changed completely, cutting my hear wearing new aera caps, participating in battlerap events.
Now im 32 enjoying them both for what they are. Both music styles are part of the same full circle. Ying and Yang if you wanna use that analogy.
Both cultures emerged from a life of hardship, poorness and living on the streets (in opposite to like classic music being played in ballrooms of monarchs). Rap took more the Ying way of handling or lets say comverting that struggle into something to be proud of. That certain attitude that sepperates you from the rest, which you trained yourself in in order to come out of all this as a winner/ a fighter/ a survivor etc. This is the theme of so many famous rap songs from Grandmaster Fleshs 'dont push me, cauz im close to the edge, im trying not to lose my head and'..forgot the actual name of the song, to Ice Cubes 'Gangsta Rap made me do it' or of course 'Attitude' from NWA.
Now Rock on the other hand takes the exact contrary as its standpoint. It goes fully into Yang energy. Yes, we all live a life of hardship and poorness, yes maybe we die tomorrow. But it is what it is. Gotta understand this for what it is. Song like 'sympathy for the devil' from the stones or 'paradise' by the german punk rock band Tote Hosen sum up this quite nicely. In the last song the singer goes like 'i dont wanna go to parasdise when they way there is that harsh. If you all just blindly follow and endure this all, you can go by yourself'. Amazing song lyrically. Because it sums up the whole struggle of existence in westerner ethos so nicely.
But in the end these style are like one. The both wanna transcibt or basic experience of being on this planet. And both want you to in the end feel a little better about it ❤ Thats what its all about, aint it?
Santiago Berrios correa
I see a red door
And I want it painted black
No colors anymore
I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by
Dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head
Until my darkness goes
I see a line of cars
And they're all painted black
With flowers and my love
Both never to come back
I've seen people turn their heads
And quickly look away
Like a newborn baby
It just happens everyday
I look inside myself
And see my heart is black
I see my red door
I must have it painted black
Maybe then, I'll fade away
And not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up
When your whole world is black
No more will my green sea
Go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing
Happening to you
If I look hard enough
Into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me
Before the morning comes
I see a red door
And I want it painted black
No colors anymore
I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by
Dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head
Until my darkness goes
I wanna see it painted
Painted black
Black as night
Black as coal
I wanna see the sun
Blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted
Painted black, yeah
Gary Dunham
As a former house painter, this tune haunted me every time the home owner requested that the front door be painted black.
Arianna Gorbet
#hauntedbyPaintItBlack
Watery Oatmeal
Was the door red?
tedo fuentes
Did you paint them red before painting them the requested color?
Hoodlum
To paint a house is also a euphemism for murder O.o
Kenzhin De Auditore
@Hoodlum I heard you paint houses
Patrick King
It's now July 26, 2023 and Mick is now 80. I've been listening to Paint It Black since 1966. It's still amazing! I'm a retired sign painter now...and the instructions at work to "Paint It Black" always got us to break into this tune. Love it! and Happy 80th birthday Mick!
r4ngo_obii
happy belated birthday, sir. I just recently found out this song and it’s very good!
Shannon Fletcher
Oo my grandad was called mick, this was his funeral song lol
BigotGaming
@Shannon Fletcher what