The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black Lyrics Meaning

anonymous

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Jun 26th 2007!⃝

this song is written from the perspective of a man thats depressed because his "love" died. (love referring to a girl)the artist is singing about everything turning black because hes depressed and sees everything as black.

"i see a line of cars and they're all painted black"

this refers to a line of cars that are black, either limos for the family and or friends at the funeral, or they're not black in real life, he just sees them as black because hes depressed. and also refers to a hearse.(the vehicle which carries the casket containing a dead body to the grave site/funeral.

"with flowers and my love both never to come back"

this refers to the flowers put on the casket or at the grave site/or because flowers are colorful, and he sees everything as black, and that the flowers will die like his love did,"never to come back".

"i look inside myself and see my heart is black"

his feelings are dark because hes depressed, he sees everything as black.

"i could not foresee this thing happening to you"

the death was unexpected, sudden and tragic. also the pain is so bad he does not wish it on anyone else to have to go through pain that bad.

"if i look hard enough into the setting sun, my love will laugh with me before the morning comes"

he feels he will see his love again, either by dreaming, spirit, or when he dies, they will be united again. mabey he plans to end his own life to be with her.

"i see a red door and i want it painted black"

this could refer to many things.a church door, the gates of hell, the casket front, or just a door that he sees thats red and he don't want to see colors.

"no colors anymore i want them to turn black"

he don't want any colors because mabey seeing all black helps him be less depressed because mabey when he sees colors it reminds him of when he was happy or reminds him that other people are happy, and he don't like that it makes him feel more depressed. colors also may make him feel alienated. he feels no one knows what hes going through, and mabey if they see the world through his eyes, everything black, then they may understand.

"i see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
i have to turn my head until my darkness goes"

summer clothes are usually colorful. and this shows that he doesnt want to be depressed, or else his darkness wouldn't go. some of the lyrics contradict each other. i think he just feels so many emotions that he doesn't know what to think.

"i want to see it painted, paint it black
black as night, black as coal"

he wants others to feel what he is going through. he feels alone.

"i want to see the sun, blotted out from the sky"

this is where thoughts of him dying come back? but i think he meant more of the sun reminding him of better days, which makes him more depressed. and because he feels cold (emotionally) so he wants others to feel what he feels. so he don't feel as alone. others feel what he feels and know what hes going through.

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