Black & Gold
Katy Perry Lyrics


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The fish swam
Out of the ocean
And grew legs
And they started walking
And the apes climbed down
From the trees
And grew tall
And they started talking

And the stars
Fell out of the sky
And my tears
Rolled into the ocean
Now I'm looking
For a reason why
You even set my world
Into motion

'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then the stars
Don't even matter
Now I'm filled
To the top with fear
That it's all
Just a bunch of matter
'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then I don't want
To be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold

I looked up
Into the grey sky
And see a thousand eyes
Staring back
And all around
These golden beacons
I see nothing but black

I feel the weight of something
Beyond them
I don't see
What I can feel
If vision
Is the only validation
Then most of my life
Isn't real

'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then the stars
Don't even matter
Now I'm filled
To the top with fear
That it's all
Just a bunch of matter
'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then I don't want
To be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold

'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then the stars
Don't even matter
Now I'm filled
To the top with fear
That it's all
Just a bunch of matter
'Cause if you're not
Really here
Then I don't want
To be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold




Black and gold
Black and gold

Overall Meaning

In Katy Perry's song Black and Gold, the lyrics describe a journey of evolution and existence. Perry sings about fish that walked out of the ocean, apes that climbed down from the trees, and the stars falling out of the sky. The song is a reflective meditation on whether life matters and exists without the presence of someone else. The lyrics express the fear of empty existence, that without the person she's addressing, everything is without meaning. The lines "If you're not really here, then the stars don't even matter" and "If you're not really here, then I don't want to be either" convey the message of how important another person's presence is in a person's life.


These lyrics reflect our need for existence and meaning, conveying the message that life doesn't matter without someone else. Perry's song poses the question that if everything exists, but there is nobody else to experience it with, does any of it matter? Through her lyrics, she highlights the fear that being alone brings and how finding someone to be with brings solace and comfort. In this way, the song Black and Gold is not only artistically sound but also profound in its message.


Line by Line Meaning

The fish swam
The natural order of the world was disrupted when fish evolved to grow legs and walk on land.


Out of the ocean
These fish originated from the water, but adapted to walk on land.


And grew legs
These fish evolved to have legs to walk on land.


And they started walking
With their newly acquired limbs, these fish were able to walk on land and move around.


And the apes climbed down
In a separate occurrence, apes left their tree homes and started walking on two feet like humans.


From the trees
These apes were originally arboreal creatures, but evolved to be bipedal.


And grew tall
As these apes continued to evolve, they grew taller and more like humans.


And they started talking
With their new abilities to communicate, these apes could now interact with other members of their species.


And the stars
The natural world experienced a disruption as well.


Fell out of the sky
The stars, which usually remain in the sky, fell to earth.


And my tears
The singer experiences a personal emotional response.


Rolled into the ocean
The artist's tears ended up in the ocean, signifying their depth of feeling.


Now I'm looking
The singer is searching for answers in the aftermath of all these changes.


For a reason why
They desire an understanding of why these drastic shifts have occurred.


You even set my world
The singer attributes these changes to a particular person or force (could be nature, a deity, etc.)


Into motion
This person or force set events in motion that caused disruption and evolution.


'Cause if you're not
The artist's emotional and cognitive responses continue.


Really here
It's important that this person or force is present and real.


Then the stars
The continued presence of the stars is dependent on this person or force being present.


Don't even matter
If this person or force is absent, then the artist feels like other things (like the stars) lose their significance too.


Now I'm filled
The artist's emotions continue to build.


To the top with fear
The emotion that the artist is feeling is fear, which has now reached its maximum capacity.


That it's all
The things that are happening around the singer are all that really matter to them.


Just a bunch of matter
The physical world has taken on a hollow, meaningless quality to the artist when this person or force is absent.


Then I don't want
The singer's emotional and cognitive responses continue.


To be either
If this person or force is not present, then the singer doesn't want to be part of this physical world at all.


I wanna be next to you
The singer longs to be close to this person or force that is capable of causing such changes and meaning in their life.


Black and gold
The things that the artist most values are represented here.


I looked up
The artist is observing their surroundings again.


Into the grey sky
The sky has been altered along with everything else in the world.


And see a thousand eyes
The singer is caught in a moment of awe, realizing how much the world has changed around them.


Staring back
The artist feels that this event is significant enough that even the sky is responding in some way.


And all around
The artist takes stock of their surroundings after this stunning revelation.


These golden beacons
There are points of light (whether actual beacons or figurative ones in the forms of stars, streetlights, etc.)


I see nothing but black
Despite these sources of light, there is still darkness or emptiness surrounding everything.


I feel the weight of something
The artist is experiencing something heavy or significant.


Beyond them
There are forces or events beyond the singer's current understanding that are causing this heavy feeling.


I don't see
The singer is wrestling with a lack of clarity or understanding.


What I can feel
Despite this lack of understanding, there is still an emotional response to these events.


If vision
The artist is grappling with the idea that seeing is not the only way to make sense of the world.


Is the only validation
In the past, the artist might have relied solely on visual confirmation to understand the world around them.


Then most of my life
The singer is reflecting on the arc of their life before this event.


Isn't real
The singer is realizing that previous understandings of the world might not have been wholly accurate.


Black and gold
The artist's true values are still centered around these two things (likely symbolic rather than literal).


Black and gold
A recurring theme that represents the things that are important to the artist.


Black and gold
The repetition of these two colors underscores the artist's attachment to these values.


Black and gold
The recurrence of this phrase at the end brings the song full circle, solidifying the importance of these two ideas to the singer.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jesse Rogg, Samuel Falson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@surfsuppel

I’ve listened to this song since I was a kid. There’s so much emotional gravitational pull in my body when I hear it. Especially this version. Her voice does so much justice to this song. I really hope it stays reachable on YouTube.

@Viriyaeggy

This woman is not a PopTart at all. She has a great voice! I like her!

@juliacowie7745

I've been listening to this for YEARS... and I just noticed how much this can be related to faith and stuff. Wow am I not so smart.

@hplov3r98

Best cover EVER. Katy Perry is a GENIUS. Love her.

@loading...948

Why doesn't she go back to this sound and lyricism? It's so good!

@marinesalonsoherrero439

amazing artist ! great cover

@1loveismyreligion

I'm not normally a big Katy fan and I only heard this because I heard Ellie Gouldings version and then saw this. I don't know what i expected but this gave goosebumps all over my body. :)

@Hearts2Max

A timeless classic.

@AceInSpace14

I did my tap routine to this and NAILED it! thank you Katy Perry <3

@ldrozda27

I always come back to this song :))

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