Daniel followed up his first solo release 'Change' with the stunning single 'Red', a No.5 hit in May 2009. The track was produced by Daniel's buddy and man of the moment Mark Ronson and is the second single to be taken from his hit album 'Love And War'.
RED
Daniel Merriweather Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standing in the streetlights here
Is this meant for me
My time on the outside is over
We don't know how you're spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn't here
You see the pictures
Cause love isn't here
And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
No sympathy
When shouting out is all you know
Behind your lies
I can see the secrets you don't show
We don't know how you're spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn't here
You see the pictures
But you don't know their names no
Cause love isn't here
And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect
And painted it red
You take the best things from
Then everything gets empty
That's not a world that I need
Ooh, you take the best things from me
Then everything gets empty
That's not a world that I need
Oh
And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect and painted it red
You took something perfect
And painted it red
In "Red" by Daniel Merriweather, the singer realizes that love is not present in their life anymore. They are standing in the streetlights, wondering if this is meant for them. They feel it's time to move on from their life on the outside. The singer can see the pictures, but they don't know the names of the people in the frames since love isn't there anymore. The singer can't handle the problems of their partner, who seems to be living in their own head. The partner has taken something perfect (the relationship) and painted it red, which is a metaphor for making it imperfect or damaged.
In the next few lines, the song speaks to the partner who has taken something perfect and made it red. The singer has no sympathy since shouting is all they know. The partner has secrets that are visible to the singer, but they choose not to reveal them. The singer admits they don't understand how the partner spends their time since love isn't there. The chorus repeats how the partner has taken something perfect and painted it red, and the singer can't do this alone or be someone else.
The final verse includes the line, "You take the best things from me, then everything gets empty, that's not a world that I need." The singer is tired of having their best things taken from them and their life getting emptied. They don't want to live in a world like that.
Line by Line Meaning
And I'm alright
Despite the circumstances or the situation, I am at peace
Standing in the streetlights here
I am exposed and isolated, standing in plain view of everyone
Is this meant for me
I wonder whether the coming events are particularly directed at me.
My time on the outside is over
I've been excluded for long enough, but now I'm coming back
We don't know how you're spending All of your days
It's not clear how you are spending your time during the day
Knowing that love isn't here
The absence of love is clear and undeniable
You see the pictures, But you don't know their names no
You recognize the people's faces but can't recall their names because of the disconnection caused by the lack of love
Cause love isn't here
Affection and love are not present
And I can't do this by myself
I cannot go through this alone; I need help
All of these problems, they're all in your head
All your problems are due to your way of thinking
And I can't be somebody else
I can only be me, not someone else
You took something perfect And painted it red
You ruined something good or perfect
No sympathy
There's no compassion or understanding
When shouting out is all you know
You resort to screaming and yelling when you can’t express yourself rationally
Behind your lies
Even though you're deceiving, I can still sense your hidden truth
I can see the secrets you don't show
I can discern the things you're hiding from me
You take the best things from
You only take the good things from people or situations, leaving nothing behind
Then everything gets empty
Once you're done having what you wanted, everything becomes meaningless
That's not a world that I need
That world doesn't suit me, I need something else
Oh
A vocalization that adds emphasis to the previous statement
When, you took something perfect And painted it red
Again, you've destroyed something great
You took something perfect And painted it red
You once again ruined something good
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Dench, Amanda Ghost, Scott Mcfarnon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrMJB
Anyone here in 2024? 🙂
@GazHogan
Yep, great tune my friend. Hope all's good with you.
@juliewalsh5761
Yes, I‘m here too!🙋♀️🏴
@daleburrett3650
👋
@erniececil6668
My mums song. I'm here every week
@leaheaddy1826
Me
@MrCharles5274
This song should have been a bigger hit! It needs to be released again!!!!!
@TrevorHarris-xh9se
TREVOR HARRIS
@sherlockholmes-ms7dr
yeah great song , mrcharles5274 your a lucky man if the stunning pic of an angel is yours , she has wowed me
@merls05
Yes!