McKay moved to New York City at the age of 17 to study architecture. In 1969 McKay launched the group "Exuma" with his then-partner and lifelong friend Sally O'Brien. He enlisted several musician friends, forming his backup band, the Junk Band. The band included O'Brien (as Princess Sally), Bogie, Lord Wellington, Villy, Spy Boy Thielheim, Mildred Vaney, Frankie Gearing, Diana Claudia Bunea (as Princess Diana), and his good friend Peppy Castro (Emil Thielhelm, lead singer of the Blues Magoos).
By the 1980s McKay had moved to New Orleans and was a regular at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Over the years the group Exuma played and / or toured with Patti LaBelle, Curtis Mayfield, Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Toots & the Maytals, Sly and the Family Stone, Steppenwolf, Black Flag and the Neville Brothers. Numerous artists performed on his recordings and in his stage shows.
After growing up on Cat Island, Tony McKay moved to New York City at the age of 17 to study architecture. However, he did not complete his studies and soon entered the music industry in a group called Tony McKay and the Islanders. In New York's 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene McKay often found himself performing with such greats as Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, and Barbra Streisand among others.
He soon gained the attention of Blues Magoos manager Bob Wyld. Wyld brought McKay to Mercury Records and convinced them to sign him. In 1970 McKay, now redubbed Exuma, released the albums Exuma and Exuma II. From those albums he released the singles "Exuma, The Obeah Man", "Junkanoo", "Damn Fool", and "Zandoo". Exuma also garnered recognition for his song "You Don't Know What's Going On", which was featured on the soundtrack to John G. Avilsen's 1970 film Joe starring Peter Boyle, Susan Sarandon, and Dennis Patrick.
Exuma left Mercury in 1971 to sign with the Kama Sutra label, where he released the albums Do Wah Nanny (1971), Snake (1972), Reincarnation (1972), and Life (1973). From these albums he released the singles "Do Wah Nanny", "The Bowery", "Brown Girl", "Rushing Through the Crowd", and a cover of Paul McCartney's "Monkberry Moon Delight". After low sales and seeking the freedom of independence, Exuma was no longer featured on a major record label for the rest of his career. He released Penny Sausage, Going to Cat Island, Universal Exuma and Street Life in the early 1980s, but none of these albums received much exposure.By this time, Exuma was enjoying his greatest recognition. In the Bahamas, he even scored two hit singles, "Shirlene" and "Rose Mary Smith." He had moved to New Orleans and was a regular at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival. He performed regularly at the Old Absinthe Bar. These nights could become jam sessions, as he had a habit of starting songs that were not in the set list and he still attracted great musicians, such as Bill Wyman and Bob Dylan's backing band. In 1986 under the ROIR label, Exuma released Rude Boy, which garnered slightly more attention and featured songs from some of his previous 1980s releases.
Over the years Exuma has played and/or toured with Patti LaBelle, Curtis Mayfield, Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, Toots & the Maytals, Sly and the Family Stone, Steppenwolf, Black Flag and the Neville Brothers. Exuma was even recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978 when she awarded him the British Empire Medal for his contributions to Bahamian culture.
In the late 1980s, Exuma suffered a mild heart attack, and thus devoted much more of his time to painting, his other great talent. His paintings have been exhibited several times and collected by many art lovers. Never abandoning his music however, he still wrote and performed his original music. He continued to perform at the New Orleans Jazz Festival until 1991. The last years of his life saw him splitting his time between Miami, Florida and Nassau, in a house that his mother had left him. He died in his sleep in 1997.
Professor and fellow Bahamian Alfred M. Sears stated that Exuma was "A Bahamian visionary, humanistic philosopher and people's poet. Exuma gives expression to the beauty and power of the cultural life of the Bahamas - the people's every day experiences, folklore, myths, stories, junkanoo, rake and scrape, pain, joy, struggle and survival. His life and art reflect the wonderful cultural heritage and personality of Bahamians, drawing on the roots of Africa and the branches of the Amerindians, Europeans and Americans."[2]
Tony McKay had many children including Gavin, Kenyatta, Acklins and Jahleena. His first son, Shaw and his mother, "Sammy" were murdered in the early 1970s in New York's Lower East Side. Both Acklins and Kenyatta Alisha are vocal artists, carrying on the tradition of their father through their individual genres.
Paint It Black
Exuma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and 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 want to see your face painted black, black as night, black as coal
I want to see the sun blotted out from the sky.
I want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yeah
The song "Paint It Black" by Exuma is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about the grief, despair, and hopelessness that comes with loss. The first stanza talks about how the singer sees a red door that he wants to paint black - this symbolizes his desire to erase any and all colors from his life, and plunge himself into darkness. The second stanza talks about how he sees a line of cars, which are all painted black, carrying the flowers and the love of a departed individual. The people around him avert their eyes, not wanting to dwell on the reality of life and death.
The fifth stanza is particularly powerful, where the singer says that he looks into himself and sees his heart is black. He just wants to paint his red door black and fade away from everything. The next stanza is about how he cannot even find solace in nature, as his green sea will no longer turn a deeper blue. He has reached a level of despair where nothing is beautiful, nothing brings him joy or hope. The final stanza is a repetition of the first, where he reiterates his desire to see everything painted black.
The song is a powerful commentary on the human psyche and how it deals with grief, loss, and hopelessness. The use of colors to symbolize emotions is particularly effective, as it paints a vivid picture in the listener's mind. The song has become an anthem for those who are struggling with depression and other mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a red door and I want it painted black
The singer sees a red door and desires to color it black to reflect their current emotional state.
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
The singer wishes for all colors and brightness in the world to disappear, leaving only blackness, representing their inner turmoil.
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
The singer observes people around them living their normal lives while the singer's life is overshadowed by their personal struggles.
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
The artist must look away from the happy moments of others to avoid worsening their own sadness and darkness.
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
The artist notices all elements of their surroundings which appear gloomy and empty, like their heart and soul.
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
The singer lost everything dear to them, never to return, leaving them in despair and loneliness.
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
People around the singer often avoid or ignore them because of their dark and negative aura, resulting in a feeling of isolation.
Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday
Just like a baby's innocent actions, people not wanting to interact with the artist due to their negativity is a natural occurrence.
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
The artist realizes their inner state of mind is filled with sorrow and despair, reflecting in their outer appearance.
I see my red door and I must have it painted black
The artist feels a desperate need to hide their emotions by removing any color and light from their surroundings.
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
The singer considers that by removing bright colors and the attention of others, they might become invisible and avoid facing their issues.
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black
The artist reveals that it is hard to face the world when all they see is the darkness inside and out - it's a difficult and lonely journey.
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
The singer's natural surroundings will no longer affect them or change their mood. They only see the darkness they carry inside.
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
The singer didn't expect to experience such profound sadness and pain, to the point of shutting out the world and all those around them.
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
The singer is searching for a glimmer of hope, even in the beauty of the setting sun, hoping that tomorrow may be better.
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
The artist hopes to find comfort and solace in the arms of someone who loves them, even in the darkest of times.
I want to see your face painted black, black as night, black as coal
The artist expresses their desire to include and drag their loved one into their despair, wishing for them to experience the same darkness.
I want to see the sun blotted out from the sky.
The singer's pain is so great that they want to see the complete absence of brightness or happiness in the world, allowing them to hide in the darkness.
I want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yeah
The singer repeats their desire for their surroundings and emotions to be completely covered with the color black, allowing them to disappear and avoid facing their pain.
Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mikzin
This song takes on a different meaning when Exuma sings it
LuckyAlfa1
Just heard it, every bit as good as the Stones version!
Aitana Cruz
When I looked up Paint It Black on Youtube I thought it sounded odd because I had a different memory of it... Now I realize this is the version I remembered.
Voltaire Slapadelic
the roots of metal and punk, right here
Michael Tama
Best Cover Paint it Black!!!! 🤘
Robert Layh
🤘🤘🤘👍
Diepzeevis
Better than the original, fight me
Jack Andaphatman
Hop along toady
w sedlacek
Take your gloves
mcstabba
I'm ok with people having diffrent musical preferences so If it's fine with you i'd rather not fight, seems painful and pointless.