What is "Paint It Black" about?

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I can't remember if I read this somewhere before, but cannot think of what this is about. Fill me in please.

― Adam Harrison-Friday, Saturday, 26 April 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

it's about this door and this guy wants it to be painted black

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 26 April 2003 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Death, mourning, etc.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 26 April 2003 01:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I.e. the line of cars (funeral procession), flowers and his love never to come back, "it happens every day", that sort of thing. I'm not sure why the door is red, but his wanting to paint it black is basically borne out of a need to mourn.

(Also, The Avengers' cover is wicked)

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 26 April 2003 01:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Gloom. Despondency.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 26 April 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

benzodiazapam abuse & mental illness

― duane, Saturday, 26 April 2003 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

but why is there a comma in the, title? That's what's always thrown me. Uh, er, I guess that's what it's there to, do.

― pauls00, Saturday, 26 April 2003 02:51 (twenty-two years ago)

OMG "Black" is the painter's last name (and Mick is not one to use the term "Mr.")

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 26 April 2003 03:26 (twenty-two years ago)

it's about that octave-leap at the beginning of the chorus

(this may not be the whole truth)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 26 April 2003 03:28 (twenty-two years ago)

watt;s drumming

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 26 April 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

It's about "my green sea go", clearly.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 26 April 2003 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

it's all about fucking

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 26 April 2003 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Mick Jagger said it was a statement of rage against the Vietnam War.

― bedroom, Saturday, 26 April 2003 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

haha, sure

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 26 April 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

this song's all about brian anyway

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 26 April 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"i see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes/i have to turn my head until my darkness goes" may be my favorite lyric in any song ever (except the entire lyric of "surfin' bird," of course).

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 26 April 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i've been trying to get my thirteen-year-old girlfriend to explain our interpretation of this song to her dad, so that he would get off my back...

― Dallas Yertle (Dallas Yertle), Saturday, 26 April 2003 09:38 (twenty-two years ago)

It's about some freak with white makeup that scares away people at an amusement park at night. Then he meets this little boy, and the boy is not afraid of him, so they get on a roller coaster together. The roller coaster ride is fun, but then it's over. Then the boy's mom comes by and they say goodbye to each other, and he goes back into the amusement park darkness...

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 April 2003 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Nice Big Star reference, Dallas. Cheers.

― Brandon Gentry (Brandon Gentry), Saturday, 26 April 2003 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to babysit for a kid who made new words to this song that he sang constantly:
"I see a black door and I want it painted aryan."
Sad. this kid was an asshole but also weirdly funny. He gave me a picture of Jesus, god and Joseph Smith and he had drawn ICP makeup on all of them.

― Fivvy (Fivvy), Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

statement of rage against vietnam war being used as theme song for vietnam tv show many years later = classic.

― hstencil, Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

i've always liked it over the closing credits of full metal jacket, one of my favorite movies (tho the Mickey Mouse song at the end of the movie is more affecting)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

yo, what was that show called? i watched it ever week (i was probably like, what, 11 or 12?)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Tour of Duty. I loved it too, jess, altho if I saw it now I'd prolly be embarassed.

― hstencil, Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to watch that shit too.

― slutsky (slutsky), Saturday, 26 April 2003 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

watt;s drumming

Fucking right. I played drums in a hack bar band that did that song, and it's some of the most fun I've ever had in my life.

Lyric-wise, I've always figured it for a serial killer song. Or a potential serial killer song.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Saturday, 26 April 2003 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I thpught it was about the first Goth.....

― brg30 (brg30), Saturday, 26 April 2003 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

damn! i'm glad that i'm not the only one who saw that video!

― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 26 April 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

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