The unveiling of the song was accompanied by a brief interview with Kevin Abstract about the song and inspiration for the album.
On BROCKHAMPTON’s YouTube channel, this song is uploaded with a really nice yellow background, with a drawing of Summer Labeouf, mentioned in many of Kevin’s songs, probably a reference to the color of his hair. This song is destined for Summer.
Kevin said this about the track via Twitter:
”fuck i wish this was the 90s and we were driving home from school listening to 'yellow' omg then we makeout before i get out of Ur car”
Yellow
Kevin Abstract Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my sorrows, home tomorrow
All my luggage, expired passport
I think you hate me, the hell do I know
Above ground level, I feel a crash comin'
Jesus in my hand, I don't believe in nothin'
(Jesus, Jesus Christ!)
I never wanted to end up with you
And my, my, my, my, my–
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it, baby
If you really want me
You gotta sacrifice it, baby
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it, baby
If you really want me
Gotta sacrifice it, baby
Special inconsistent moments hone in
This screen will never ever let us hold hands
I always wanted someone that could be free
Sand between my feet
And the distance between
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it, baby
If you really want me
Gotta sacrifice it, baby
Don't leave me on the edge
I wanna be yellow
Don't leave me on the edge
I wanna be yellow
I wanna be yellow
It's bright like yellow
It's so, so yellow
It's bright like yellow
This song's so yellow
The song “Yellow” by Kevin Abstract revolves around a theme of moving on from heartbreak and finding happiness. Abstract sings about being in an emotional slump as he passes the pilot and packs his luggage, unsure of whether his lover hates him or not. He feels a crash coming, but holds onto a Jesus figurine despite questioning his own beliefs. Abstract expresses his desire to build a sandcastle for no reason, highlighting his need for a sense of purpose and spontaneity.
The chorus of the song centers around an interesting metaphor of the color yellow. Abstract sings about how if the trees were yellow, it would cure his heartbreak and how letting go of past memories to give the clouds a break is vital for accepting new love. However, he also notes that to really love someone, you have to make sacrifices. The outro of the song features Abstract repeating the phrase “I wanna be yellow,” signifying his desire to finally move on from his heartbreak and find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Passed the pilot, took my bottle
After passing through airport security, I took my bottle with me
All my sorrows, home tomorrow
All my worries and sadness will be left behind, I'm going home tomorrow
All my luggage, expired passport
I have all my bags, but my passport has expired
I think you hate me, the hell do I know
I'm unsure about your feelings towards me, maybe you hate me?
Above ground level, I feel a crash comin'
I feel like something bad is going to happen
Jesus in my hand, I don't believe in nothin'
Even though I hold Jesus in my hand, I don't have faith in anything
I wanna build a sandcastle for no reason
I want to be carefree and do something fun for no particular reason
I never wanted to end up with you
I never intended to be in a relationship with you
If the trees were yellow
If things were different or better
That would cure my heartbreak
It would make me feel better about my emotional pain
Memories fade, I let go
I'm letting go of the memories and moving on
Just to give the clouds a break
To give myself a mental break and clear my mind
If you really love me
If the love you have for me is genuine
You gotta sacrifice it, baby
You need to make sacrifices for me
If the trees were yellow
If things were different or better
That would cure my heartbreak
It would make me feel better about my emotional pain
If you really want me
If you truly desire to be with me
Gotta sacrifice it, baby
You need to make sacrifices for me
Special inconsistent moments hone in
Unpredictable moments are becoming more frequent and noticeable
This screen will never ever let us hold hands
We'll never be physically close because of this screen
I always wanted someone that could be free
I desired someone who was independent and unencumbered
Sand between my feet
Feeling the sand on my feet is satisfying
And the distance between
The space between us is significant
Don't leave me on the edge
Don't leave me feeling uncertain or insecure
I wanna be yellow
I want to be happy and carefree
It's bright like yellow
This feeling is joyful and bright, like the color yellow
It's so, so yellow
This feeling is overwhelmingly vibrant and happy, like the color yellow
This song's so yellow
This song is upbeat and joyful, like the color yellow
Writer(s): Russell Boring, Michael Uzoworu, Clifford F Simpson, Jeffery Gitelman, Jeffrey Kleinman
Contributed by Joseph L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@atomamalgam7607
Passed the pilot, took my bottle
All my sorrows, home tomorrow
All my luggage, expired passport
I think you hate me, the hell do I know
Above ground level, I feel a crash coming
Jesus in my hand, I don't believe in nothing (Jesus, Jesus Christ)
I wanna build a sandcastle for no reason
I never wanted to end up with you
And my, my, my, my, my
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
If you really want me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
If you really want me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
Special inconsistent moments hone in
This screen will never ever let us hold hands
I always wanted someone that could be free
Sand between my feet and the distance between
If the trees were yellow
That would cure my heartbreak
Memories fade, I let go
Just to give the clouds a break
If you really love me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
If you really want me
You gotta sacrifice it baby
Don't leave me on the edge
I wanna be yellow
Don't leave me on the edge
I wanna be yellow
I wanna be yellow
It's bright like yellow
It's so so yellow
It's bright like yellow
This song's so yellow
It's bright like yellow
@Con-ef2bn
This wasn't a music style I would have expected Kevin to nail, but yet again he surpasses expectations
@benjaminsproxy670
"if you really love me, you have to sacrifice a baby"
@iridiscencia5390
i always thought it was “you baby”
@mfgojira
oh i get it because kev turned summer gay when he planned on having kids
@lottonthewizard4352
@MF GOJIRA "Turned gay" lmao
@justkeepbreathing3018
this is why i get annoyed when people complain music has "gone to sh*t".
it hasnt. you just arent listening.
@justkeepbreathing3018
i have been in one of my depression episodes for a bit now and this song made me feel really comforted and happy.
@tommyscafidi
I WANNA BUILD A SAND CASTLE FOR NO REAASONNN !!
@skrepaa8951
i love listening to this and staring at my ceiling
@atomamalgam7607
the amount of nostalgia i get coming back to this song again, fuck. fuck man, how things change. i have to listen to this sparingly so as to savor the memories. forever kept in the back of my mind