Painted Flower
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm just a painted flower on silk brocade
Left in the sun I will slowly fade
Fade to nothing like I'd never been made
Like I'd never been made

I'm just a painted flower, a frozen bloom
Left alone in some forgotten room
A fly in amber, I pose in my tomb
I pose in my tomb

I'm only drops of paint in a silver frame
Without an aim and without a name




Gathering dust, every day just the same
Every day just the same.

Overall Meaning

Interpretation:


The song 'Painted Flower' by The Magnetic Fields seems to be about the feeling of being forgotten, obsolete, and unimportant. The singer compares themselves to a painted flower on silk brocade, slowly fading away as if they were never even there. This symbolizes the transitory nature of life, how all beautiful things eventually fade and disappear.


The singer sees themselves as a frozen bloom, trapped in time and forgotten in some abandoned room. They compare themselves to a fly in amber, unable to move or change, and merely posing in their own tomb. This symbolizes the feeling of being trapped or stuck in a situation, unable to move on or make any changes.


Finally, the singer compares themselves to drops of paint in a silver frame, meaningless and forgotten. They see themselves as gathering dust every day, stuck in the same routine and without any purpose or direction. This symbolizes the feeling of being trapped in a mundane existence, without any joy or fulfillment.


Overall, the song 'Painted Flower' is a poignant portrayal of the feeling of being unimportant and forgotten, stuck in a situation that seems unchangeable and without any purpose.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm just a painted flower on silk brocade
I am a mere depiction of a flower on fabric material, having no physical or real existence.


Left in the sun I will slowly fade
When exposed to the sun, my painted image will gradually blur and eventually vanish over time.


Fade to nothing like I'd never been made
As I gradually disappear, it will be as though I never existed at all.


Like I'd never been made
I have no significance or value, as I am nothing but a painted image on fabric.


I'm just a painted flower, a frozen bloom
Just like a flower that has been preserved through freezing, I am a painting that remains the same, unchanging and unaltered.


Left alone in some forgotten room
I am left in a hidden, unvisited place where I am no longer noticed or remembered.


A fly in amber, I pose in my tomb
Like an insect forever suspended and preserved in amber, I too am trapped and remain in my confined space.


I pose in my tomb
I am displayed as an object of beauty, yet I am unable to move or change, stuck in my stagnant state.


I'm only drops of paint in a silver frame
I am made up of small portions of paint, confined within a silver frame.


Without an aim and without a name
I lack any specific purpose or identity, merely existing as a random painting within the frame.


Gathering dust, every day just the same
As time passes, I am neglected and ignored, collecting dust and remaining unchanged in my static position.


Every day just the same.
Every day that passes, I remain trapped in the frame, unable to escape or change in any way.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHIN RAYMOND MERRITT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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