Paint it Black
Hidden Citizen Lyrics

I see your red door and I want it painted black
The singer is obsessed with the color black and wants to paint everything, including someone else's red door, black.

No colors any more, I want them to turn black
The singer desires everything to be black and is rejecting colors all together.

I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
The singer notices girls wearing light and bright summer clothes that contrast with their own darkness.

I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
The artist is burdened by their own darkness and has to look away from the brightness of the girls' clothes to avoid feeling more pain.

I see the line of cars and they're all painted black
The artist sees a line of funeral cars that evoke a sense of death and loss, which is associated with the color black.

With flowers and my love, both never to come back
The singer lost someone they loved and the flowers signify death and mourning. They are unable to move on from this loss.

I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
People avoid the singer because of their darkness, similar to how society may isolate individuals who struggle with mental health issues.

Like a newborn baby, it just happens everyday
The negative reactions the artist gets from others are so common, it seems expected or routine like the daily needs of a baby.

I look inside myself and see my heart is black
The artist is introspective and discovers the root of their obsession with black is due to their own black heart following a loss.

I see my red door, I must have it painted black
The artist repeats their desire to paint everything black including their own previously-red door to be in line with their new outlook.

Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
The singer entertains the possibility that by painting everything black, they will be able to disappear and avoid dealing with the pain of their loss.

It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black
The artist acknowledges that it is difficult to confront one's problems when their entire worldview is consumed by darkness.

No more will my green sea turn to a deeper blue
The singer's emotions used to be as dynamic and ever-changing as the colors in nature, but now they are only consumed by blackness.

I could not foresee this thing happening to you
The singer is expressing disbelief at the loss they experienced and how it has changed them.

If I look hard enough into the setting sun
The singer is searching for hope and a way out of their current darkness by looking towards the future and the sun setting on this chapter of their life.

My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
The artist is holding onto hope that they will reunite with the person they lost and find joy together again, but this can only happen after they have weathered through their current darkness.