All the needy still need
And I know
All the losers still lose
And all the preachers still preach
And I know
They ain't bringin' no change

I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change (and I know)
I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change

All the lows still low
And I know
All the high still get high
And how I wish we could dance
But all these rhythms don't seem to match up
Seem to match up

I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change
I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change

Bits and bits of cane
Burning, burning, burning
Bit by bit away
They grow as people grow
Glow as people glow

Bits and bits of cane
Burning, burning, burning
Bit by bit away
They grow as people grow
And glow as people glow

I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change
I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change

All these colors will change
I'm not afraid to die
'Cause all these colors will change
'Cause all these lovers never change


Lyrics submitted by lendmeyourbrain

Colors Lyrics as written by John Baldwin Gourley

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Colors song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    ethereal.

    emerica171on August 31, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The chorus

    I'm not afraid to die 'cause all these colors will change

    To me this reflects how little humans can percieve. We can only see a small fragment of the light spectrum as humans. He isn't afraid to die because he believes when the soul leaves the body it will percieve differently. And then low wont be low anymore black could be infrared.

    Beautiful song.

    MrWilleon May 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think that this song is a pessimistic view about no matter what happens some aspects of life will always suck.

    so just live your life the way you want to. cuz in the end "the needy still need and all the losers still lose."

    pmiller14691on September 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is genius its true the aspects of life

    drea reneon September 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    john baldwin gourley. genius

    blessedwecomeon September 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    awesomeness

    deffintely how life works and to stay somewhat positive

    buffaloNEVADAon December 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I believe this is about the next step in evolution when we make a transformation to the 4th some say 5th dimension it has been believed that when we do reach this it will be a whole new world including colors we cant even imagine in this dimension.

    lildylfulon November 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Love this song.

    Just about how life isn't perfect and so he's fine with dying to see something different...

    Pdxon March 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sounds to me they are singing about doing LSD

    dbcarteron October 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's not at all uncommon for Portugal. the Man to sing about race relations, and I very much believe this song is their best when it comes to doing so. It is about other things as well, their lyrics here have multiple meanings as always, but the references to Jean Toomer's book, "Cane" are undeniable.

    Having read "Cane" and understanding most of the symbolism in the book, the lyrics "Bits and bits of cane, burning burning burning bit by bit away" speak directly to ancient racially based pains that people hold on to which continue to keep us apart even today. In "Cane" the smell and scent of (especially burning) cane is used as reoccurring imagery that conjurs the pain of the past. Here in this song, that pain is burning away, showing hope for the future.

    Other parts of the song hint at this too, the most obvious being the title, but also the extreme separation that can be felt in the subtext of the main verses, and the repeated desire for the colors/rhythms to come together and be as one.

    bitbybiton May 01, 2012   Link

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