Hello Everyone. I am new here and I was hoping that some of you may be able to help me in some research I am doing. I am doing a research project on music during the Vietnam war and music that evolved during that time. I wanted to use "Paint it Black", but I need a little background on the song. Why it was written, are there any hidden meanings in the lyrics, did it have a specific purpose, etc. I am trying to do a lyric analysis of this song and use it in my report as to whether it helped or contributed to the anti war movement. Thankyou very much for any help you might be able to give me. Corinne

Why don't use Gimme Shelter?

Hi Corinne. Good choice of song (my all-time fave anyway). Although the song is frequently used in Nam movies & in the tv series Tour Of Duty it was not overtly an anti-war song or even about the war except possibly at the level of mood and tone which could feasibly have influenced Jagger's writing. He's always been evasive as far as I am aware as to the song's meaning.

It is often described as nihilistic but to me it is a personal song about bereavement with the consequent emotions of sadness, feelings of hopelessness, and anger at the world. The person who died is clearly a girl he was in love with which is explicit in the lyrics "I see a line of cars and they're all painted black (the funeral). With flowers (wreaths) and my love both never to come back". The fact that the character in the song rails at every girl he sees wearing a summer dress is not because he is a misogynist but simply because they all remind him of her. Similarly the extreme desire to "see the sun blotted out from the sky" is a symptom of his overwhelming grief and sense of the utter pointlessness of continued existence in a world without this girl. The details of the girl's death are not revealed but possibly hinted at in the mysterious line "no more will my green sea go, turn a deeper blue; I could not foresee this thing happening to you". This could be referring to an illness or even an accident (unlikely as obviously he couldn't have foreseen that) but there's something about the chilling emphasis Jagger gives to these words that suggests to me the possibilty of suicide. Last year I came across a poem in a documentary by a famous poet of the 18th or 19th century which ued words very similar to the first line here "my green sea goes" or something. I meant to check up on this as I thought if Mick had used it as a conscious reference (he's a well-read man, it's possible!) then it might provide more clues as to the specific meanings of the song but I forgot all bout it and now can't even recall the poet's name.

In my opinion the song was not about a real experience that Jagger had but was probably an imagined situation informed by grief maybe at a friend or relative's death. I'm not sure if the Stones friend Tara Browne died before the song was written or after, definitely 1966, but this for instance struck a deep chord with the Stones and the Beatles (Keith named his ill-fated son Tara after him & McCartney wrote the lines "he blew his mind out in a car, he didn't notice that the lights had changed" about him) and the sense of loss and waste of someone so young being snuffed out could have inspired the song.

I think the song became connected with Vietnam (more so in retrospect I suspect)in the public conciousness due to the themes of loss, impotence & rage in the face of death chiming with GIs' and loved ones' experiences rather than any direct comment on the war in the song, so could only have contributed to the anti-war movement in the broad sense of underlining the raw emotional savagery involved in the loss of anyone's life which would obviously have been a very poignant message in the late 60's.

Wow! Good answer Tseverin!!!

Regards,

Ian.

PS - the song was used in 'Tour of Duty', a TV series about a platoon of GI's in Vietnam. Catch it if you can .....!

Rolling Stones Tribute

Play Rolling Stones

It was also used during the closing credits of the great Stanley Kubrick movie FULL METAL JACKET,
a movie based on the Vietnam war. From boot camp, to the real deal on the front lines...
this awesome movie was all about living in "a world of hell".

Paint It Black indeed.

Cheers Stikkyfinger and good luck with the research project Corinne!

Corrine916

I'm no Stones historian, but I'm pretty certain that "Paint It Black" is more about feeling personally isolated, withdrawn, and angry. It is truly one of the greatest tunes for "teen angst".

I'd suggest taking a closer look at "Street Fighting Man" or "Gimme Shelter". "Street" is my favorite because it appears to reflect Jagger's frustration with what he saw as the apathy of England's youth (at the time) in contrast with the energetic revolution of American youth railing against the war and establishment.

There are some much savvier Stones fans here who can build on that explanation or offer a much better one, if not an even better song! :-)


Here are the lyrics:

Ev'rywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
'Cause summer's here and the time is right for fighting
in the street boy
But what can a poor boy do except to sing for a
Rock'N'Roll Band 'cause in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man!

Hey! Think the time is right for a Palace Revolution
But where I live the game to play is Compromise Solution!
Well then what can a poor boy do except to sing for a
Rock'N'Roll Band 'cause in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man!!

Hey! Said my name is called Disturbance
I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the King I'll rail at all his servants
Well then what can a poor boy do except to sing for a
Rock'N'Roll Band 'cause in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man!!

Interesting thoughts but Its getting too deep here, I just like the song.

Milo, NYC
There'll be no wedding today

The song is called Pain it, Black (with the comma). Not Paint it black.

It's writen by a guy whose been on tour for 3 years, 365 days a year, comes back and is so tired and depressed he wants everything black. Andrew loog Oldham added the comma to the title as it looked mysterious, some people thought it was racist. That's it, no deeper meaning.

Mathijs

That's just one possible reading Mathijs, no more.
I heard the comma was inserted by mistake.

Tseverin, a great and enlightning interpretation! I would like to hear more of these (I know this is no Bob Dylan forum, but some of Jagger's lyrics are really high quality stuff, and deserves some closer reading.)

- Doxa

I think Keith said in an interview - "the comma's Decca's, not ours".

Lennon wrote A day in the life by the way but no Paint it black is not about the war. Gimmie Shelter is about heroin. Both are good anti-war songs though. Or pro-war songs if you like.

i would use street fighting man!

There should be a Best of section where these very interesting and personal analyses that occasionally are posted could be stored. The recent discussion about the Stones and counry blues was high classed too, not to mention all the political threads..

McCartney wrote the double-time middle section to Day In The Life but you're right LA Forum as the references to Tara Browne are in the opening section that Lennon penned.
Thanks Rorty, I agree with you about Jagger's lyrics (esp. the 60's & 70's stuff): hugely underrated in general.

The Stones weren't ever really a politics band. They commented on it (Street Fighting Man etc) but were never really involved in trying to change the world. At least, not in the same way as, say, John Lennon who was very active in this respect. (If you ncan call lying in bed with Yoko Ono making the peace sign at journalists active that is.)

What about this line.....


If I look hard enough into the settin' sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes


maybe its a romeo and juliet theme

great post t severin

john scialfa

What about this line.....


If I look hard enough into the settin' sun
My love will laugh with me before the mornin' comes

I'd guess he means they can only now be together in dreams.

Nice insight Tseverin