Every Colour You Are

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a destructive encounter, beginning with a touch that "burned like coal." This intense imagery suggests a dangerous or transformative interaction, leading to a sense of finality, as if "the devil" has been dealt with and a monumental "mountain" has collapsed. The immediate emotional response is a feeling of being overwhelmed, bordering on tears, with the narrator stating, "The joke's gone too far." The central tension seems to stem from the narrator's perception of another person's multifaceted nature, described as "Every colour you are." This phrase, repeated twice, implies a complex individual who can be "anything you want." However, this perceived potential is juxtaposed with destructive actions, like a "family man" who "put a torch to his home" yet "warmed his hands by the fire." This creates a disturbing image of self-inflicted ruin that is somehow comforting to the perpetrator. The most striking craft element is the use of paradoxical imagery to describe the other person's actions. The idea of a man setting his own home ablaze and then finding solace in its warmth is deeply unsettling, highlighting a profound internal conflict or a twisted form of self-preservation. The narrator's own path, "My road's uncrossed, white lined and tarred," appears to have been irrevocably shaped by this complex individual, suggesting a deep, perhaps damaging, influence. These lyrics resonate because they capture a raw, almost primal emotional response to witnessing profound self-destruction and its complex aftermath. The stark, contrasting images – burning hands and warming fires, falling mountains and enduring jokes – create a visceral sense of unease and fascination. The narrator's final lines reveal a sense of being permanently marked by this encounter, emphasizing the lasting impact of observing such intense, contradictory behavior.