Broken Iris is a Sacramento based band that originally formed in 2005. The … Read Full Bio ↴Broken Iris is a Sacramento based band that originally formed in 2005. The addition of Steve Avery (formerly of Die Trying) and Danny Cocke (formerly of Simplistic) in 2006, influenced the bands musical style towards its current genre of ambient rock.
Adam Roths powerful vocals are backed by a live cello (Alex Ashton), keyboard (David Christensen), guitar (Danny Cocke) bass (Steve Avery) and drums (Chris Brawley), blending together to create a sound that is both dark in tone, yet lyrically powerful.
Their debut CD "The Eyes of Tomorrow," (based on a story written by former guitarist Tony Verdi) was released in September 2007, and guides listeners through a painful story of love and loss. Broken Iris has been gaining momentum and building a faithful following at their live shows, proving that their musical talents are not limited to the recording studio. Broken Iris is currently planning their 2008 tour. .... Synthesis Magazine said, "After winning a highly publicized contest on KWOD 106.5, a local band called "Broken Iris" was the opener of the day for Dave Mathews Band. The Sacramento-based band played an all-too-short set, including the song that won the vote, Beautiful Girl, on the side stage to a large, enthusiastic crowd. In addition to the bass, piano, and guitar, they have a strong drummer, a cellist and an awesome lead vocals. Their lyrics are deep, they harmonize astonishingly well and their style is likely to fall under something like soft, emotional rock. Whatever it is, it works, and they are definitely a band to watch."

Colorful Mind
Broken Iris Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Picture perfect mutilation;
Bright to black with no hesitation.
All the right shades on the wrong page,
Make up this colorful mind of mine.

Soothing brush strokes, scraping paint.
Loosen your grip before it all fades.
Vibrant rays, eclipsed by the haze,

Make up your colorful mind
Much less colorful

Will this be another day of night in here?
The knife's not sharp enough to fear.
If I ever see you in white
Try to stay.
The room's not light for a gray.

Will this be another day and night
If I ever see you in white?

If I ever see you in white
Try to stay.
The room's not light for a gray.

Make up this colorful mind.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Broken Iris's song Colorful Mind depict the struggle of the singer with his inner demons. The lines "Picture perfect mutilation; Bright to black with no hesitation" portray the dark thoughts that are constantly running through his mind. The reference to colors here is symbolic, where despite being surrounded by a variety of colors, the singer's mind is still stuck in the dark. He feels like all the right shades are on the wrong page because his mind is not in sync with the world around him. The line "Soothing brush strokes, scraping paint" shows his attempt to cope with these emotions by painting, but he realizes that it's not going to be easy to stop these thoughts from consuming him.

The lyrics, "The knife's not sharp enough to fear", indicate that the singer's pain is so overwhelming that he can no longer feel physical pain. He is numb to everything, even fear. The lines "If I ever see you in white; Try to stay; The room's not light for a gray", speak of the hopelessness that engulfs him. The singer is so consumed by his demons that even when someone tries to help him, he feels like there is no point, and their efforts will be futile. In the end, the lyrics "Make up this colorful mind" show that despite all the pain, the singer's mind is a canvas, and it's up to him to fill it with colors that make life beautiful.

Line by Line Meaning

Picture perfect mutilation;
Flawless destruction;

Bright to black with no hesitation.
Rapid change from light to dark;

All the right shades on the wrong page,
The proper colors on an inappropriate canvas;

Make up this colorful mind of mine.
Comprise the imaginative and diverse interior of my being.

Soothing brush strokes, scraping paint.
Gentle movements, but still abrasive;

Loosen your grip before it all fades.
Release control before everything disappears;

Vibrant rays, eclipsed by the haze,
Bright beams blocked by a foggy veil;

Make up your colorful mind,
Contribute to your unique and varied thoughts,

Much less colorful
But with diminished vivacity.

Will this be another day of night in here?
Is this just another cycle of darkness?

The knife's not sharp enough to fear.
The weapon is not powerful enough to frighten;