Ain't no color paint gonna cover the stains
The pictures on the wall will all remain
And even though he's home now sounding safe
Surrounded by the faces that he place his faith
The images visit from the past he witnessed
Can't stay away from the memories, sticks with
Each detail embedded in stone
Like he chiseled stoves convictions into his bones
The progress stops and pauses spits and sputters
Like the basement faucets
And it's obvious he's lost in his regrets,
You can smell it on his breath

Ain't no color paint gonna cover the stains
But now the alcohol is gonna mother the pain
Tuck it away, no complaints just laying on his back on his
Backyard under the rain
Take tomorrow but doesn't no how though for every swallow there's another to follow
He weaves his way throughout the story
Looking for a new missing piece or a door key
Spirits used to be for celebration
But now they just take him away from the hell that's waiting
Re-up until it's three sheets up
And pick a place for the skeletons to meet up

Ain't no color paint gonna cover the stains
But if the oxygen escapes it'll smother the flames
No introduction doesn't speak his own name
Gonna beat them demons at they own game
The sunset rides to the end slow
Same song echoing outside of the window
You can't grow if the skin don't fit you
Sometimes you gotta get low just to get through
No inspiration left to do your best when,
Nobody hates you more than you're reflection
Suffer the shame until it stuffs the drain
He's got two hands and a bucket of paint, come on


Lyrics submitted by bluntguts

Painting Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © UPSIDEDOWN HEART MUSIC, ANT TURN THAT SNARE DOWN

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Painting song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    i love how Candlemas gives such a one-sided interpretation when it's obvious that slug purposely makes his songs ambiguous so that multiple interpretations can be made and make sense. i think of it as a depressed alcoholic with nobody left but his house. maybe somebody who chose money over love or family and now only has the alcohol to "mother the pain."

    dragonfrt0on January 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    He's obsessed with his past mistakes, and with how his actions might have caused pain on people that he loved. I believe that this song has got a lot of room for personal interpretation, because we all dwell on the past sometimes, and medicate ourselves along the way ;) Great song

    maffy06on May 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's about a soldier returning from Iraq.

    Candlemason September 12, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    gotta luv Slug. Always a story

    convinceon November 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I was super curious about this song because its so personal, so I asked him personally and he told me it was about his dad and how he felt after the war with a mixture of how he (sean) feels as well. And he wanted "Painting" to be the opener to "Glasshouse"

    iDiomaReise7on May 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    best atmosphere song there is, only one that comes close to it is scapegoat. i can actually relate to this song which is a first for me with an atmoshpere song. too bad the rest of the album sucked :(

    EsKoBaRRon October 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great great song, I can also really relate to it. I actually really liked the album, I think a lot of people hated it just because it was different than the other stuff, but songs like "Painting", "The Waitress", "Me" and "In Her Music Box" really make the album good. Sure, not their best, but it was good for what it was.

    eldorrado57on November 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    soldier returning from war... "no colour paint gonna cover the stain"

    guilty for the life hes taken and cant wash the blood from his hands

    jimfaceon November 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song uses great metaphors:

    No color the paint = nothing you can do

    Pictures on the wall will all remain = your past can never be changed

    Stains = bad things you have done

    "looking for a new missing peice or a door key"

    The song isn't about drinking. Drinking is just his "scapegoat." The song is much deeper than drinking.

    BIHKingon November 25, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    Clearly about a man drowning his problems in alcohol. Another great characterization by Slug.

    velocityJEon May 22, 2008   Link

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