http:… Read Full Bio ↴The Top Cats are a rockabilly band from Torsby, Värland, Sweden .
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Paint It Black
The Top Cats Lyrics
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No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and I want it painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I want to see your face painted black, black as night, black as coal
I want to see the sun blotted out from the sky.
I want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yea
The Top Cats's song "Paint It Black" is a reflection of feelings of loss, remorse, and despair. The opening line, "I see a red door and I want it painted black", is an expression of the singer's desire to change everything around him to reflect his current emotional state. He no longer wants to see any bright colors, but rather he wants everything to be black. The girls dressed in their summer clothes remind him of happier times, but now he has to turn away as he cannot bear to see any colorful reminders of the past.
The singer then sees a line of cars painted black, representing the loss of someone important to him. The flowers symbolize mourning, while his love is gone forever. People around him turn their heads and look away, as if to avoid the truth of his loss. He compares himself to a newborn baby, where these everyday occurrences are new and painful to him. The reflection of himself and his heart being black highlights his emotional state of despair. He wishes to change his red door to black, and with it hoping to fade away and avoid facing the harsh reality of his loss.
The final verses offer a glimmer of hope as he sees the possibility of his love coming back to him, but only if he can find a way to face the reality of his loss. The repetition of the phrase "painted, painted, painted, painted black" is a powerful reminder of the singer's desire to change everything around him, but also represents the hopelessness of his situation as he cannot paint his way out of his loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a red door and I want it painted black
I am feeling conflicted and hopeless, and I want to reflect that by having the bright and cheerful color of this door replaced with the darkness and despair of black.
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I am so consumed by my own sadness and despair that I can no longer appreciate the beauty or joy of the world around me. I want everything to match my mood, and so I want all colors to be replaced with black.
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
Despite my desire for everything to be dark and miserable, I still can't help but notice the vibrancy and beauty of the world around me. Seeing these girls in bright, colorful summer clothes only serves to highlight how disconnected I feel from everyone else's happiness.
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I can't bear to look at anything that doesn't match my own despair, so I have to physically turn away from anything that reminds me of the happiness and beauty that I feel so far removed from.
I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
Even the cars, which usually come in a wide array of colors, have been stripped of their vibrancy and turned to black. This further emphasizes how I feel as if the whole world is just as miserable and disconnected as I am.
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
This is a reference to a funeral procession, which I imagine passing by me as I stand alone, lost in my thoughts. The flowers symbolize the loss and sadness of death, while my love refers to someone close to me who has also passed away, only adding to my feelings of grief and isolation.
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Even strangers can sense the depth of my sadness and despair, and they are afraid to confront it. They turn away from me, as if to say they would rather not acknowledge that such a deep darkness exists in the world.
Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday
The sadness and misery that I feel is a natural part of life, just like the joy and happiness that newborn babies bring into the world. However, just like babies are born every day, the darkness and despair that I feel is all around us, all the time.
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
The source of my despair is within me; it's not something that can be easily fixed or ignored. I can feel it weighing heavily on my heart, like a physical burden that I can't shake off.
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
Part of me wishes that I could simply disappear, to stop feeling so deeply and to not have to face the harsh realities of the world. However, I also know that this is not a solution, and that I must eventually find a way to confront my despair head-on.
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black
When everything around you is bleak and miserable, it can feel impossible to keep going. The idea of facing up to the challenges and hardships of life is daunting, and it can be hard to know where to start.
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
This is a metaphor for the way that my emotions used to deepen and intensify over time, much like the sea transforming from a lighter green to a deeper blue. However, now that my emotions have taken a turn towards despair and misery, this process is no longer possible.
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
I never could have imagined that I would feel so disconnected from the world and from myself. This intense pain and despair has blindsided me, leaving me feeling lost and alone.
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
Even in my darkest moments, there are still moments of beauty and hope to be found. I may have to search a bit harder to find them, but they are there if I'm willing to look.
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
This represents a glimmer of hope for the future, a time when I will once again be able to find joy and happiness in the world. The fact that my love will be there to share in this joy with me only reinforces the feeling of hope and optimism.
I want to see your face painted black, black as night, black as coal
This line is directed towards someone specific, and represents a desire to see them feel the same pain and despair that I do. The use of the color black signifies the depth and intensity of my own darkness, and my desire to see it reflected in those around me.
I want to see the sun blotted out from the sky.
This line is meant to represent a desire for the world as a whole to reflect my own feelings of despair and hopelessness. The sun, which typically represents warmth and light, is now something that I want to see disappear entirely.
I want to see it painted, painted, painted, painted black, yea
This is a repetition of the chorus, and represents the intensity and urgency of my feelings. I want nothing more than for the world to be as bleak and miserable as I am, and so I continue to ask for everything to be painted black.
Writer(s): Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Contributed by Kayla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.