Blue Lips
Regina Spektor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God this is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And all the gods in all the worlds
Began colliding on a backdrop of blue
Blue lips
He took a step but then felt tired
He said, I'll rest a little while
But when he tried to walk again
He wasn't a child
And all the people hurried past
Real fast and no one ever smiled
Blue lips
Blue veins
Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
He stumbled into faith and thought,
God this is all there is
The pictures in his mind arose
And began to breathe
And no one saw and no one heard
They just followed lead
The pictures in his mind awoke
And began to breed
They started off beneath the knowledge tree
Then they chopped it down to make white picket fences
They marched along the railroad tracks
And smiled real wide for the camera lenses
They made it past the enemy lines
Just to become enslaved in the assembly lines
Blue lips
Blue veins
Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
Blue lips
Blue veins
Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
Blue, the most human color
Blue, the most human color
Blue, the most human color
Blue lips
Blue veins
Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away
The song "Blue Lips" by Regina Spektor is a haunting and thought-provoking piece. The first few stanzas describe a man who stumbles into faith and initially feels that this is all there is to life. However, as his mind's eye becomes more vivid, he realizes that there is much more to the world. All the gods of all the worlds collide on a backdrop of blue, indicating the vastness and complexity of the universe. This imagery also implies that the man's faith is not the only answer to life's questions, but rather a small part of a much larger whole.
As the song progresses, the man becomes tired and realizes that he is no longer a child. The people around him hurry past without smiling, indicating the fast-paced, impersonal nature of modern life. The phrase "Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away" serves to remind us that we are but one small piece of the universe, and our struggles and accomplishments are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
The final stanzas refer to the pictures in the man's mind, which begin to breed and take on a life of their own. They start beneath the knowledge tree but are eventually turned into white picket fences and assembly lines. This imagery indicates how we take our knowledge and turn it into material possessions and work for the sake of labor itself, often losing the threads of meaning and purpose that connect us to one another and to the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
He stumbled into faith and thought, God this is all there is
He accidentally found himself believing in something, and realized that this was the only thing he had.
The pictures in his mind arose And began to breathe
His imagination became active and 'brought to life' the images he had in his mind.
And all the gods in all the worlds Began colliding on a backdrop of blue
All the different beliefs and ideas in the world were clashing in his mind, represented by a blue background.
Blue lips Blue veins
The physical manifestation of the internal struggle he is facing - blue lips and veins symbolize a lack of oxygen (breath of life) and poor blood circulation.
He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while
He tried to move forward, but quickly became exhausted and needed a break.
But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child
After resting, he realized he couldn't simply go back to being naive and innocent like a child.
And all the people hurried past Real fast and no one ever smiled
The world around him seemed cold and unfriendly, with everyone rushing past and no one showing kindness.
And no one saw and no one heard They just followed lead The pictures in his mind awoke And began to breed
He felt invisible and ignored, and realized that people were just blindly following whatever was presented to them. Meanwhile, his imagination continued to grow and expand.
They started off beneath the knowledge tree Then they chopped it down to make white picket fences
People began with knowledge and understanding, but then sacrificed it for a more comfortable and superficial existence.
They marched along the railroad tracks And smiled real wide for the camera lenses
People followed a predetermined path, putting on a facade for others to see and not showing their true selves.
They made it past the enemy lines Just to become enslaved in the assembly lines
People fought to overcome obstacles, only to find themselves trapped in a monotonous and unfulfilling job.
Blue lips Blue veins Blue, the color of the planet from far, far away
Once again, the physical symptoms of his internal struggle are represented by blue lips and veins. The reference to the planet from far away emphasizes the insignificance of human existence in the grand scheme of things.
Blue, the most human color Blue, the most human color Blue, the most human color
Despite its aforementioned representations of struggle and insignificance, blue is also the most relatable and universal color - it represents humanity.
Blue lips Blue veins Blue, the color of our planet from far, far away
The final repetition reflects that the internal struggle is ongoing and continues to be tied to the larger context of the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind