After Tod left his previous group, Cop Shoot Cop, he quickly regrouped and formed Firewater to explore the styles of music Cop Shoot Cop had only hinted at, including klezmer, cabaret, ska, jazz, and gypsy forms. More than one source described the original Firewater lineup as an "indie rock supergroup", based on members such as Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, Yuval Gabay of Soul Coughing, Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, and Hahn Rowe. This original lineup proved unable to tour, and Tod recruited new musicians for the band's first tour. While the lineup has changed over the years, with many different musicians appearing on different albums and tours, Tod remains the singer, songwriter, and bassist of Firewater.
Firewater has released six albums, and has seen some success, especially in Europe and on United States college radio stations.
Their previous album, Songs We Should Have Written, is a collection of cover songs. It includes songs written by Robyn Hitchcock, The Rolling Stones ("Paint It Black" reinterpreted as a crawlingly slow raga which "shove(s) a few downers down the song's throat to counter the original version's adrenaline-fueled fire" ), and a "dark and sweet" take of Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On", described as "10 times more ominous and 20 times more pleasurable" than the original. The album also includes a modern rendition of the Johnny Cash anthem "Folsom Prison Blues".
Their latest album, The Golden Hour, has been recorded with various local musicians and friends when Tod A went on sabbatical and travelled through Thailand, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Israel. The record was released May 6 in 2008. The band is currently (October, 2008) touring in support of the album.
Paint It Black
Firewater 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 it has been painted black
Maybe then I?ll fade away and not have to face the facts
It?s not easy facin? 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 settin? sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin? 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 wanna see it painted, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yeah
The song "Paint It Black" by Firewater is a cover of the Rolling Stones original. The lyrics express a desire for everything to be black, reflecting a state of depression and despair. The singer sees a red door and wants it painted black, and wishes for all colors to disappear. This is likely a metaphor for the singer's desire to rid themselves of any happiness and joy in their life.
The singer also observes the world around them, seeing a line of cars and people turning their heads away. This could represent the singer's feelings of disconnection from society and a sense of being an outsider. They also look inside themselves and see that their heart is black. This suggests that the singer's depression is not only external but also internalized.
The final stanza paints a picture of the singer's longing for a sense of unity with the person they've lost. They hope that by turning everything black, they can forget their pain and misery, and their love will be with them once again. The desire to see the sun blotted out from the sky could be interpreted as the singer's wish to rid themselves of any hope or optimism.
Overall, "Paint It Black" is a song that explores themes of depression, loss, and disconnection.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a red door and I want it painted black
I see a change that needs to be made in my life and I want it to be drastic, represented by the color black.
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I no longer wish to see any bright or vibrant colors in my life - I want everything to be dark and muted.
I see the girls walk by, dressed in their summer clothes
I see things that used to bring me joy, but now they only serve to remind me of the darkness that I feel inside.
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I have to avoid things that remind me of my sadness and try to push it aside until it goes away.
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
I see a world that is full of death and sadness, represented by the color black.
With flowers and my love both never to come back
Even love and beauty cannot escape the all-encompassing darkness that I feel, as represented by the flowers which never bloom again.
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
I see how people don't want to confront the darkness in their own lives and would rather look away from it.
Like a new born baby it just happens every day
This avoidance of the darkness is as common as the birth of a new baby - it happens every day, everywhere.
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see that the root of my depression is within my own heart and mind.
I see my red door and it has been painted black
The changes I need to make in my life start with my own physical surroundings, represented by the change of my red door to black.
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
Perhaps if I immerse myself in the darkness, I can avoid having to confront the harsh realities of life.
It's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black
It's difficult to confront the darkness and sadness that fills every part of my life.
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
Even the natural beauty of the world around me is tainted by the darkness I feel, as represented by the deepening of the color of the sea from green to blue.
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
I never thought I would be dealing with depression and sadness in this way.
If I look hard enough into the settin' sun
If I really concentrate and search for it, I can still find beauty and light in the world, represented by the setting sun.
My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes
I hold onto hope that my loved ones will join me in finding joy and laughter once again, represented by the coming of morning.
I wanna see it painted, painted black
I am so desperate for a change in my life that I want everything to be painted black.
Black as night, black as coal
The color black represents the deep darkness that I feel inside.
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I am so consumed by my depression and sadness that I don't want to see anything bright or joyful in the world, represented by blotting out the sun from the sky.
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yeah
I am so desperate for this change that I am willing to repeat myself, emphasizing just how much I want everything to be painted black.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Michael Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucas
Firewater's got a certain way of making all it's songs sound like it's from a different culture. Like it or not, but my opinion is that these guys are just great.
Leonardus Ratten
It's like they took the original, shot it in the knee and watched it crawl away, bleeding.
I love it!
Evobsession
I was looking for this song since so many years!!!!! I'm so happy now! this Version is so much better than the original! I fucking love it! <3 <3 <3
mehtaab sandhu
Mick jagger meets the doors meet the sitar and tabla. American music with a taste of India. How best to describe it? Simply refreshing and innovative
zunicity
Der Song bzw. die Melodie ist jenseits von gut und böse! Man wird zum Orgiasten und gerät in andere Sphären die man am liebsten nie mehr verlassen möchte! Awsome and wonderfull!!
Joss Edbrards
My favorite "Paint It Black" cover of all time. Only Band of Susans' comes close.
Brian Young
Paint it Black is my favorite song, and this cover is cool. This would play in a movie if my character got super high.
JeT Matematik - Osman Karabay
really nice cover!!
Bizarro Fett
i LOVE this cover. absolutly fantastic, and that's a scientific fact... ask Mr. Wizard.
Aaron Michael
Check out the album ponzi sceme and, Get off the cross we need the wood for the fire. Both are really great albums.