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

What Will Come of Us
Colour Revolt Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All them vultures circle me
Like a ton of bricks might fall on me
If god is good why can't i be?
No, i can't answer that
Birds are circling the sun
Having all the tricks and fun
If we are good and they are dumb
Then what will become of us?

All them vultures, all them wings
Like all them people and their wings
If they all turn and walk towards me
No, i can't see you like that
Turn your nails into my skin
Let it itch and burn and grin
If you are evil, i am sin
No, i can't see you like that

When we pluck out all your wings
Break 'em off to hear that ring
If we are born to hear that ring
Then i can answer that

When that light it turns on you
Tell me what you plan to do
If we are rings inside the pews

No i can't see you like that
I can't see you like that

I am the better man

Overall Meaning

The song "What Will Come of Us" by Colour Revolt is a contemplative and introspective take on the concept of morality and its implications. The opening lyrics set the tone for the song as the singer acknowledges the presence of vultures circling him. This imagery is used as a metaphor for impending doom, which is likened to a ton of bricks that might fall on the singer. The lyrics then express the singer's confusion regarding the dichotomy between God's goodness and that of humans. The singer argues that if God is good, then he should be allowed to be good as well.

The second verse continues the theme of birds as a representation of freedom and power. The lyrics express the idea that if humans are supposed to be the superior beings, then why are they not as intelligent as birds? The lyrics then take a turn as the singer describes the painful experience of having their skin penetrated by nails. This metaphor is representative of the difficulty of accepting one's own sin and acknowledging the evil within oneself. The song ends with a series of questions that are left unresolved. The lyrics ask the listener to consider what will happen if humans continue to act immorally.

Line by Line Meaning

All them vultures circle me
Multiple people are surrounding and closing in on me like they're vultures waiting to pounce on their prey.

Like a ton of bricks might fall on me
It feels like something heavy and destructive might happen to me soon, like a ton of bricks falling on me unexpectedly.

If god is good why can't i be?
If there is a God who is considered as good, why am I not able to be like that too?

No, i can't answer that
Despite questioning the goodness of God and oneself, there seems to be no satisfactory answer to this.

Birds are circling the sun
Birds are flying and revolving around the sun.

Having all the tricks and fun
The birds seem to be having all the skills and enjoyment while they are flying around the sun.

If we are good and they are dumb
If we humans are intelligent and morally upright and they (the birds) are foolish or unintelligent,

Then what will become of us?
What is the ultimate fate of humans if they are good and intelligent and yet, the world around them (like the birds) is still mostly foolish?

All them vultures, all them wings
Just like how vultures have wings, there are many people with their own version of wings either metaphorical wings or real wings.

If they all turn and walk towards me
If everyone starts observing me closely and putting me under scrutiny,

No, i can't see you like that
I cannot bear the thought of being scrutinized that closely or judged unfairly.

Turn your nails into my skin
If you end up hurting me or being hurtful in any way,

Let it itch and burn and grin
I'll just have to endure it and smile through the pain.

If you are evil, i am sin
If you are going to be bad or harmful to me, the harm I cause in response will make me feel guilty and like a sinner as well.

When we pluck out all your wings
When people take away your talents and abilities,

Break 'em off to hear that ring
They are breaking them away to get the satisfaction of hearing some sort of 'ringing' sound that represents taking away your power.

If we are born to hear that ring
If people are naturally inclined to derive satisfaction from the misfortunes of others or taking away their abilities,

Then i can answer that
Then I can understand why the world can be a place of pain and suffering, since some people find pleasure in others' misery and misfortune.

When that light it turns on you
When attention turns to you and things start getting difficult,

Tell me what you plan to do
What course of action will you pursue as a result of it?

If we are rings inside the pews
If people are trapped and stuck in a cycle that they can't break out of,

No i can't see you like that
I can't see myself or others being trapped and stuck in this cycle and not doing anything to break out of it. I hope that we can all break free and find happiness.

I am the better man
Despite the difficulties and uncertainties of life, the singer affirms their ability to be a better person and survive in a world that is often painful to navigate.

Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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