Song Meaning
Carly Simon's "Blue Of Blue" isn't just sad; it's a masterclass in melancholic resignation. The opening lines immediately establish a world devoid of hope: "The blue of blue / Is mostly grey / Ain't no silver line / No brighter day." This isn't a temporary sadness; it's a state of being, a landscape of perpetual gloom where even the deepest blue is tainted with grey. The narrator is stuck, convinced that better days simply aren't in the cards. It's a stark departure from romanticized heartbreak, offering instead a portrait of emotional entrenchment.
The lyrics delve into a numbed state, almost a perverse acceptance of pain. "Kick me, I won't feel a thing / My senses have all been run." The narrator has been through so much that they're beyond feeling, existing in a void where even physical pain is dulled. The past is gone, leaving only the "weeping that's just begun." There's a sense of belated realization – "That sour taste too late" – suggesting regret and the understanding that damage has been done. Yet, even in this devastation, there's a defiant embrace of sorrow: "If crying's not good for me / Then I guess I'm doing wrong / So I sing this crying song." It's a conscious choice to wallow, to find solace in the expression of grief.
The final verses hint at a relationship's demise and the narrator's role in its failure. "You packed it in too soon / You lose me but not your nerve / Well I guess I know it's what I deserve." There's an acknowledgement of responsibility, a recognition that their actions led to this outcome. The line "Crazy to think that I could keep you on reserve" reveals a possessive or controlling tendency, a belief that the other person could be held onto indefinitely. The closing image of a "curtain falls" is final, marking the end of a chapter and the acceptance of a lonely, sorrowful existence. "Blue Of Blue" becomes less a song about heartbreak and more a study of self-inflicted emotional imprisonment.
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