Colour Revolt is an American indie rock band from Jackson, Mississippi.
… Read Full Bio ↴Colour Revolt is an American indie rock band from Jackson, Mississippi.

Colour Revolt's members first played together while they were high school students at Jackson Academy in Jackson, MS under the name Foxxe, then changing to Fletcher and releasing a full length entitled "Friends Don't Speak". They then moved on to become college students at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. They take their current name from Edwin Abbott's mathematical novel, Flatland.

The group had intended to record their first EP in Mississippi in August of 2005, but Hurricane Katrina interrupted the recording session, and so they recorded it in the house of local label Esperanza Plantation's owner. The self-titled EP came out in December of 2005; following this the group toured with Brand New and signed to Interscope Records, who re-released the EP on their subsidiary Tiny Evil in October 2006.

The group has also performed at SXSW and toured with Dinosaur Jr., Black Lips, Okkervil River, Menomena, Paper Rival, Explosions in the Sky, Malajube, Anathallo, and Manchester Orchestra.

They then signed with Fat Possum Records; their full-length debut, produced by Clay Jones, was released on April 1, 2008. In 2008, Boston newspaper The Phoenix named them the Best New Band from Mississippi.

Jesse Coppenbarger - vocals, guitar, keyboard
Sean Kirkpatrick. - vocals, guitar, keyboards

Former
Len Clark - drums, vocals
Drew Mellon - bass
Patrick Addison - bass
Jimmy Cajoleas - guitar

Change Your Face Or Change Your Name
Colour Revolt Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't see differences in you and me
Except for the occasional harsh word
Step out on the stage
We got colors
We got shapes
All you really need is your brother, don't you

I don't know where it is I'm gonna go

Is it heaven
If it is come take me now
Leave it where you are
We are out here if you are
We are taking sticks and stones
And smashing our own cars

Now where did you see that
Do you really believe that
Everything is changing whether or not you see it
Something's gotta change
Be it face or be it name

Now where did you read that, man
You've got such sharp teeth, man
Everybody's thinking it
But no one wants to say it
Everybody's got it coming whether or not they want to
Change your face before we get to

I don't know where it is I'm gonna go
Is it heaven if it is
Come get me now
Leave it where you are
We are out here if you are
We are taking bricks with God and smashing our own cars

Now where did you find us
Do you think it's ridiculous
That we keep talking and you keep laughing
When everything's got a time
Everyone too

Now where did you see that
Do you really believe that
What did you see there
Can you tell me 'bout that
Someone's gotta change
Be a face or be a name

Change your face or change your name

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Change Your Face Or Change Your Name" by Colour Revolt bring forth a message of change and acceptance. The verse "I don't see differences in you and me / Except for the occasional harsh word" emphasizes the need for unity and similarity amongst individuals, even if they might have minor differences. The verse "We got colors / We got shapes / All you really need is your brother, don't you" reinforces the idea that everyone is unique in their own way, but together they can create something beautiful and meaningful.

The chorus of the song highlights the need for individuals to change, either by changing their identity or their behavior. The line "Something's gotta change / Be it face or be it name" means that individuals should strive to change themselves instead of waiting for others to change. The line "Change your face before we get to" can be interpreted as a warning to the listener to adapt and change before it's too late.

The bridge of the song touches on the topic of change from a broader perspective. The line "Everything is changing whether or not you see it" emphasizes that change is a constant and a necessary part of life. The line "We are taking sticks and stones / And smashing our own cars" could mean that individuals should not hold on to material possessions and should be willing to let go of things that do not serve them anymore.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't see differences in you and me
I don't perceive any dissimilarity between you and me

Except for the occasional harsh word
The only difference that exists is a rare circumstance of unpleasant words

Step out on the stage
Get out of your comfort zone and perform publicly

We got colors
We have a diversity of colors, ideas, and perspectives

We got shapes
We have diverse experiences, backgrounds that shape our personalities and ideas

All you really need is your brother, don't you
In this journey of life, all you need is someone to count on, a soul mate, a friend, or a brother

I don't know where it is I'm gonna go
I'm unsure of my destination in life

Is it heaven
Is it a place of eternal happiness and bliss?

If it is come take me now
If it exists, please take me there now

Leave it where you are
Don't change anything about yourself.

We are out here if you are
We are here for you if you need us

We are taking sticks and stones
We are taking the negative things directed at us and using them to destroy our own accomplishments

And smashing our own cars
We are self-destructive by damaging the things that we need for transportation, which impedes our progress

Now where did you see that
Where did you acquire such a belief or thought

Do you really believe that
Do you genuinely have faith in that statement?

Everything is changing whether or not you see it
The natural course of life's events causes everything to change, regardless of whether you perceive it.

Something's gotta change
Change is imminent and necessary

Be it face or be it name
It doesn't matter what you alter, be it physical features or identity.

You've got such sharp teeth, man
You're too critical of others.

Everybody's thinking it
Everyone has the same thoughts

But no one wants to say it
Nobody has the guts to vocalize their thoughts

Everybody's got it coming whether or not they want to
Everyone will eventually face the consequences, regardless of whether they want to avoid them.

Change your face before we get to
Change something about yourself before the situation worsens

We are taking bricks with God and smashing our own cars
We are pointing fingers at God for life's struggles and executing self-destructive behavior

Now where did you find us
Where did you stumble across us

Do you think it's ridiculous
Do you believe it's absurd

That we keep talking and you keep laughing
We keep engaging in serious discussions, and you dismiss them as trivial

When everything's got a time
Everything happens at its own pace and time