Painting the Town Blue
X Lyrics


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Bartenders eyes are full of pitty as he tells her "your alone and its 2:30 all the chairs are on the table and it's time to close!" she said "a minute ago they were starin at me where the hell did they go?" and she went out to paint the town roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue "you look funny when you cry" were his last words before he laughed and said goodby she flipped a finger and so she picked her shoes up picked up her feet & let em walk hand in hand down the dirty hallway then she went out to paint the town blue roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue was she beat did she suffer from a working hand she always hated his hacking cough early in the morning she walked to the grayhound to take a little ride he could look in the corner of every town but he won't find her cause she went out to paint the town roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue




Overall Meaning

The lyrics of X's song "Painting the Town Blue" recount the story of a woman who has just been kicked out of a bar. The bartender tells her it's time to leave and all the other patrons have gone home. She is left alone and feeling rejected. She wonders where all the attention that was being bestowed upon her just a few minutes ago has gone. In response, she declares that she will be "painting the town blue." This phrase means that she will be engaging in some reckless behavior as a way to cope with her feelings of abandonment.


She leaves the bar and begins to walk through the city's dirty alleys, carrying her shoes in her hands. The next stanza suggests that her previous relationship may have been marked by abuse. She wonders if she had been beaten and mentions the sound of her partner's "hacking cough." These details are significant in that they suggest that the woman is not just seeking out a good time, but that she is also trying to escape from an oppressive relationship.


As the song ends, the woman is seen walking towards a Greyhound bus that will take her to a new location, where she can start over. The chorus repeats the idea of painting the town blue, but the emotions have changed. The woman is now filled with a sense of empowerment and control over her own life. This song is a testament to the power of music to tell stories of trauma, abuse, and survival.


Line by Line Meaning

Bartenders eyes are full of pitty as he tells her 'your alone and its 2:30 all the chairs are on the table and it's time to close!'
The bartender stares at her with sympathy as he informs her that it's closing time and she's the only one left in the bar.


she said 'a minute ago they were starin at me where the hell did they go?'
She questions where all the people in the bar went, as a minute ago they were all staring at her.


and she went out to paint the town roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue
She leaves the bar and decides to go out and have a wild night, causing chaos and destruction wherever she goes.


'you look funny when you cry' were his last words before he laughed and said goodby
The guy she was with makes fun of her for crying and then leaves.


she flipped a finger and so she picked her shoes up picked up her feet & let em walk hand in hand down the dirty hallway
She responds to his comments by flipping him off and then leaves with confidence, walking down a dirty hallway.


then she went out to paint the town blue roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue
She continues on her wild adventure, determined to cause chaos and destruction everywhere she goes.


was she beat did she suffer from a working hand she always hated his hacking cough
It's unclear whether or not she was physically abused, but she always hated the guy's cough.


early in the morning she walked to the grayhound to take a little ride
The next morning, she leaves town by taking a Greyhound bus.


he could look in the corner of every town but he won't find her cause she went out to paint the town roses are red violence is too everyone knows I'm painting the town blue
The guy she was with might search every town, but he won't find her because she's out causing chaos and destruction, determined to paint the town blue.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DOE CERVENKA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@freemandiaz5123

Beautiful vocals with John and Exene.

@stephenj6165

Go Billy Zoom go! ❤ 🎸💚

@stacyblue1980

X is the World. 💓My humble thanks and Love to you.

@PrimitiveInTheExtreme

🤘✖🤘

@jdh9676

"Roses are red
Violence is too
Everyone knows I'm painting the town blue"

Enough said if you've ever overcome anything in this life.

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