Painted by Numbers Lyrics

Lyric discussion by targetbarney 

Cover art for Painted by Numbers lyrics by Sounds, The

I think this song is pretty self-explanatory. The phrase "painted by numbers" means to be judged as a number, not as a seperate person - being made into a stereotype. It's about how people look at someone and then automatically judge everything about them.

We'll be the same tomorrow 'Cause we all been painted by numbers We're dancin' as we borrow You said it was love I said I'd like you to be mine

I think that verse is talking about how the writer doesn't care because people will always judge like that so why get angry about it, and "dancing as we borrow" means that they're just fine being judged even as they change because they don't care what the judging ones think. I'm not sure what the last two lines of that verse mean, but that's my guess of the song.