Am I Blue
The Dells Lyrics


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Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue

I can sing a rainbow (I can sing a rainbow)
I can sing a rainbow too

Blue, blue, my world is blue
Blue is my world now I'm without you
Gray, gray, my life is gray
Cold is my heart since you went away

Red, red, my eyes are red
Crying for you alone in my bed
Green, green, my jealous heart
I doubted you and now we're apart

When we met how the bright sun shone
Then love died, now the rainbow is gone





Black, black, the nights I've known
Longing for you so lost and alone

Overall Meaning

The first two lines of the song, "Red and yellow and pink and green, Purple and orange and blue," is a classic children's song that has been reinvented into the melody of "I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue" by The Dells. The lyrics serve to draw up a vivid image of a rainbow, which is used as a symbol for happiness, love, and joy. The next lines of the song, "I can sing a rainbow (I can sing a rainbow), I can sing a rainbow too," are a response to the opening lines. The music is then heightened, and the vocals become more intense. The repetition of the words suggests that the singer is confident in their ability to sing a rainbow and bring joy to the listeners' lives.


The remainder of the song changes tack as the verses discuss a breakup and how the singer feels now they are not in a relationship. The color imagery used throughout the song is now used to convey a sense of sadness, loneliness, and despair. The lyrics "Blue, blue, my world is blue, Blue is my world now I'm without you," are a direct reflection of the singer's feelings. The blues are known to represent loneliness and depression, and these emotions are expertly conveyed through the lyrics. The song then goes on to explore other colors, including gray, green, and red, which are used to convey emotions such as jealousy and heartbreak. The entire song is a beautiful exploration of how nature can be used to express human feelings.


Line by Line Meaning

Red and yellow and pink and green
The Dells is listing various colors commonly observed from a rainbow


Purple and orange and blue
The Dells adds other colors to the list of commonly observed colors from a rainbow


I can sing a rainbow (I can sing a rainbow)
The Dells can metaphorically sing a rainbow, meaning they can bring brightness and color to someone's life


I can sing a rainbow too
The Dells can also bring brightness and color to their own life


Blue, blue, my world is blue
The Dells are feeling sad and lonely, and is using the color blue to describe their emotions


Blue is my world now I'm without you
The Dells associates the color blue with their sadness over losing someone they cared about


Gray, gray, my life is gray
The Dells continues to describe their emotions using colors, and is now associating gray with their overall life


Cold is my heart since you went away
The Dells is conveying a sense of emptiness and loneliness since losing someone they cared about


Red, red, my eyes are red
The Dells is using the color red to describe their eyes, most likely due to crying


Crying for you alone in my bed
The Dells is expressing their sadness and how they've been struggling to cope since losing someone they cared about


Green, green, my jealous heart
The Dells is associating the color green with jealousy, most likely due to their partner betraying their trust


I doubted you and now we're apart
The Dells acknowledges that their doubts and jealousy could have contributed to them losing someone they cared about


When we met how the bright sun shone
The Dells is recalling a time in the past when they met someone who brought brightness and happiness to their life


Then love died, now the rainbow is gone
The Dells reveals that the person they met in the past is no longer in their life, and the happiness they brought is now gone


Black, black, the nights I've known
The Dells is using the color black to describe their nights, which could mean that they are feeling sad and alone


Longing for you so lost and alone
The Dells is expressing their longing for the person they lost, and how they feel lost and alone without them in their life




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., AUSTINTATIOUS TUNES
Written by: ANDRE CHARLES JEAN POPP, BRYAN ANDRE BLACKBURN, PIERRE COUR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Leon Leiffer

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous soulful vocals by the GREATS

rljrl

Been listening to Dinah from back in the late 50's, love her voice. Never heard this one before. Love it!

Robbie Frantz

Been a big fan of both Dinah and The Dells separately. Never heard this before and so happy I have.

bluesandrhythm

Glad you found it, Robbie. (This is Jim, dj at the String Band Club in Philly).

Taco Gillespie

Dinah and Marvin Junior are spectacular on this rendition of "Am I Blue"

Mr. John Eevie Dean

My favourite version of this classic

Larry King

I agree Bobbie Frantz

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