Colour by Numbers

Song Meaning

These lyrics immediately plunge the listener into a world of intense, high-stakes connection. The opening lines describe a profound encounter, where looking into someone's eyes evokes a "spirit of man / Demanding more than just a smile." This sets a tone of deep, almost spiritual engagement, suggesting a relationship that transcends superficiality. The central tension, however, arrives swiftly with a jarring shift: the speaker then describes telling "those lies," yet this act also evokes a "spirit of love / Demanding more than compromise." This striking parallel suggests that even deception can be a profound, demanding act within this relationship, not necessarily diminishing its intensity but perhaps complicating its moral landscape. Both truth and untruth appear to fuel a powerful, shared experience, where the participants are "Speaking in tongues / That float us down rivers"—a vivid image of being swept away by an ineffable, passionate current. Despite this surrender to the current, a sense of accountability lingers. The recurring phrase "The past will remind us" acts as a subtle, almost ominous counterpoint to the intoxicating present, hinting at consequences or indelible memories. This internal dynamic is further complicated by external judgment, as "Some people say that the way that we live / Is out of this place" or "blinded by fate." Yet, the lyrics offer a powerful, defiant response to these outside voices. This defiance culminates in the insistent, almost hypnotic repetition of "All colours we chose." This refrain, repeated twelve times and punctuated by the emphatic "(Colours, colours)," transforms from a simple statement into a profound assertion of agency and self-determination. It suggests that despite the lies, the passion, the external judgment, and the looming past, the individuals involved fully own the complex, vibrant tapestry of their shared experience, having consciously painted every hue.