In 2002, Halstead released his debut solo album, Sleeping on Roads. A second solo album, Oh! Mighty Engine was released on July 29, 2008. Halstead's third solo album, 'Palindrome Hunches', was released on September 11, 2012.
Paint a Face
Neil Halstead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I?ll paint your face, she said
?Cause life is on the outside, babe
And you got to try and get it right
Buy a ten dollar camera
Take a picture of everyone
?Cause people change
Yeah, they're changing everyday
And I don't want to be the one
That you don't recognize
No, I don't want to be the one
The one that's left behind
Got a broken car
Yeah, got a selfish heart
Running down the road
With a jukebox in my head
Funny how I got to here
?Cause I don't remember how
I just want to live somewhere
Where the air is sweet and clear
And I don't want to be the one
That you don't recognize
No, I don't want to be the one
The one that's left behind
No, I don't want to be the one
The one that's left behind
I don't want to be the one
That you don't recognize
No, I don't want to be the one
The one that's left behind
No, I don't want to be the one
That you don't recognize
No, I don't want to be the one
The one that's left behind
Neil Halstead's song "Paint a Face" is a powerful reflection on life and the desire to live it fully. The opening lines, "Try to get the colors right and I'll paint your face, she said," speak to the importance of paying attention to the details and taking care with our actions. The chorus, "And I don't want to be the one that you don't recognize, no I don't want to be the one the one that's left behind," highlights the fear of being forgotten or left out of someone's life.
The second verse touches on the idea of capturing memories and cherishing relationships. The line "Buy a ten dollar camera, take a picture of everyone, 'cause people change, yeah they change, yeah they're changing everyday," suggests that we should take photographs to remember the people we love and the moments we shared with them, because everything is constantly changing.
The final verse speaks to a desire for change and a new beginning. The lines "Funny how I got to here, cause I don't remember how, I just want to live somewhere where the air is sweet and clear" express a longing for a different life, a fresh start in a peaceful and happy place.
Overall, "Paint a Face" is a deeply introspective song that encourages us to live in the present moment, to appreciate the people in our lives, and to work towards creating a life that we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to get the colors right
Let's be careful and choose the right colors for the face paint
And I?ll paint your face, she said
I will paint your face, said the singer's friend/lover
?Cause life is on the outside, babe
Because life happens outside of us or in the world, my dear
And you got to try and get it right
As a result, you should try to get it right
Buy a ten dollar camera
Let's get an affordable camera for taking pictures
Take a picture of everyone
Let's take a picture of everyone we know
?Cause people change
Because people change over time
Yeah, they change
Yes, they do indeed change
Yeah, they're changing everyday
In fact, people are changing every single day
And I don't want to be the one
I don't want to be in the situation
That you don't recognize
Where you don't recognize me or can't remember who I am
No, I don't want to be the one
Definitely not that person
The one that's left behind
The person who gets left behind or forgotten
Got a broken car
I have a car that's not working properly
Yeah, got a selfish heart
I admit, I'm also self-centered
Running down the road
I'm going down the road at full speed
With a jukebox in my head
Listening to music in my head like a jukebox
Funny how I got to here
It's funny how I ended up in this situation
?Cause I don't remember how
Because I honestly can't remember how it happened
I just want to live somewhere
I simply desire to live somewhere
Where the air is sweet and clear
Where the air is pure and refreshing
No, I don't want to be the one
Once again, I really don't want to be that person
That you don't recognize
The person you don't remember or can't recognize
No, I don't want to be the one
I'm quite insistent on this
The one that's left behind
To emphasize once again, I don't want to be the person who's left behind
No, I don't want to be the one
Just in case you weren't clear before, I really don't want to be that person
That you don't recognize
The person who you can't remember or identify
No, I don't want to be the one
I really want to avoid being in that situation
The one that's left behind
Being left behind or forgotten is certainly something I'm trying to prevent
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL HALSTEAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Watanabes
Absolutely love this song. It changes my mood immediately and makes me feel like I'm sipping a warm cup of tea with a close friend on a winter's day.
Jason Derr
The most under-rated singer/songwriter of our time!
Sho3gaz3r_303
excelente sencillo!! he seguido siempre la discografia de este musico britanico, desde slowdive y nunca decepciona! 100% Talento!!!!
paul elliott
Neil is a fantastic artist
Lucky to have him and his awesome body of work - Mojave 3 genius, Slowdive fantastic and his solo work engaging and beautiful
Great indeed and looks like a decent surfer too
Cool in every way
Nicholas DiVita
Saw him in concert back in 2008 shortly after the record was released. He and his band were great. Love his music.
AAnneC
He has a light inside of him, it shines through his music. Hes just so beautiful.
Adam Tobin
this guy can do it all. from his time with slowdive to a complete 180 in sound in Mojave 3, then 3 brilliant solo albums. Neil is a rare talent indeed. How else can you explain releasing two completely stylistically diverse albums as Pygmalion and Ask Me Tomorrow in the same year?
Ricardo Daisy
SHEER TALENT THATS RIGHT UP THERE WITH Nick Drake, John Martyn & Bert Jansch! Unbelievable talent............................ :-)
Christopher Adams
I've been a big fan of Slowdive for years but just recently discovered Neil's music. Didn't know he he surfed. I've been surfing for 40 years and now I know why I'm so drawn to his music. Reminds me a little of Jack Johnsons music. Love your music Neil. I listen to it all the time.🤙✌
Matthew Creen
such a hunk