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Man Of Colours Lyrics
There's a noise upstairs in the attic
it's the shuffle of worn out shoes
and the scent of the oil and brushes
drifts down like a pale perfume
and he says, I...
I am a man,
a simple man,
...a man of colours,
and I can see
see through the years,
years of a man,
...a man of colours;
and the old man rubs his failing eyes
and takes a moment to watch the view
from a window nobody knows is there
he can see the empty street below
[chorus]
he says,
I keep my life in this paintbox
I keep your face in these picture frames
and when I speak to this faded canvas it tells me
I have no need for words anyway...;
[chorus]
and he says, I...
I am a man,
a simple man,
...a man of colours,
and I can see
see through the tears,
tears of a man,
...a man of colours;
it's the shuffle of worn out shoes
and the scent of the oil and brushes
drifts down like a pale perfume
I am a man,
a simple man,
...a man of colours,
and I can see
see through the years,
years of a man,
...a man of colours;
and takes a moment to watch the view
from a window nobody knows is there
he can see the empty street below
I keep my life in this paintbox
I keep your face in these picture frames
and when I speak to this faded canvas it tells me
I have no need for words anyway...;
I am a man,
a simple man,
...a man of colours,
and I can see
see through the tears,
tears of a man,
...a man of colours;
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Well this song is obvously about a solitary elderly man. I think he has lost everyone he loves, and now he lives in an attic, painting pictures of those he has lost.
He may have been locked in an attic by his family?? Maybe a little obscure...
but he seems very wise and secretive, and nobody knows he exists.
Beautiful song - my favorite from Icehouse. Really grabs you picturing an old man who once had a full life filled with love and laugher, only now to be all alone with only the memory of happiness. The music as well as the lyrics grab your heart and tug on it.
I love this song. Not my favourite by Icehouse but in the top 3. I always think it is about Vincent Van Gough in his last few months. It just seems to be what comes to my mind when I hear this song.
Glad that Iva and the band are still touring. Like a good wine, they just get better with time. I am a man, a simple man, a man of colours!
The 2015 live version with vocal by Michael Payntrr is stunning.\n\nThe final years of an artist, his world, his art and his eyesight fading away around him. Tragic, and beautiful in both sound and lyric.