Paint It Black
Hayseed Dixie Lyrics


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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 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.
Like a newborn baby, it just happens every day.

I look inside myself and see my heart is black.
I see my red door and must have it 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 go by dressed in their summer clothes,
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes.

Hmm...

I wanna see your face 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!





Hmm...

Overall Meaning

Hayseed Dixie's cover of The Rolling Stones' hit song "Paint It Black" is a reimagining of the original classic rock anthem. The song's lyrics are highly evocative and could be interpreted in many different ways, but one common theme is a sense of bitterness, anger, and confusion in the face of loss and grief. Singer John Wheeler begins with the iconic opening lines, "I see a red door and I want it painted black / No colors anymore, I want them to turn black," expressing a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo and a desire to erase everything that he once found meaningful or beautiful. The idea of painting everything black represents a form of nihilism, a belief that life is ultimately meaningless and devoid of hope.


As the song progresses, Wheeler's lyrics shift from his own personal experiences of longing and despair to more universal themes of death and alienation. He describes a line of cars painted black, a symbol of mourning and grief, and acknowledges that people often turn away from the pain of loss, just as they might turn away from a "newborn baby." In the final verses, he turns his attention inward, acknowledging the darkness within himself and his own struggles to face the realities of life. Yet even in the midst of this bleakness, there is a glimmer of hope that his love will "laugh with me before the mornin' comes," representing a sense of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.


Line by Line Meaning

I see a red door and I want it painted black.
The singer sees a red door and wants it to be painted black, symbolizing their desire to remove color and brightness from their life.


No colors anymore, I want them to turn black.
The singer no longer wants to see colors in their life and wants everything to be black, which represents their inner pain and struggles.


I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes, I have to turn my head until my darkness goes.
Even the sight of happy people enjoying summer makes the singer uncomfortable, reminding them of their own darkness and struggles, so they choose to avoid it.


I see a line of cars and they're all painted black, With flowers and my love both never to come back.
The artist sees a funeral procession, where everything is black and the flowers symbolize the loss of someone they loved dearly who will never return.


I see people turn their heads and quickly look away. Like a newborn baby, it just happens every day.
People avoid looking at the artist because of their dark, disheveled appearance and behavior, like how adults often ignore babies crying in public.


I look inside myself and see my heart is black. I see my red door and must have it painted black.
The singer feels hopeless and sees that their inner self is just as dark as the outer world, wanting their red door to be painted black as a way of controlling their surroundings.


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.
The singer hopes that by removing all traces of color from their life they can disappear into their darkness, but it's not easy to face the reality of their situation.


No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue. I could not foresee this thing happening to you.
The artist feels like they are losing control over their emotions, represented by the green sea turning deeper blue, and they never imagined feeling this way.


If I look hard enough into the settin' sun, My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes.
The artist tries to find hope and comfort in the beauty of nature, hoping that by looking at the sunset, they can remember the good times they had with someone they loved who has passed away.


I wanna see your face 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 artist's desire to see everything black extends to their loved ones and even the sun, showing just how deeply they feel their pain and darkness.




Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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