Becomes the Color

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of profound identity dissolution and rebirth, beginning with a declaration of becoming "the color" and embracing dual familial roles. This sets a tone of existential transformation, moving beyond a singular self to encompass a broader, perhaps inherited, existence. The narrator describes laying their body down "upon the water," a symbolic cleansing or surrender, while "wrapped up in the clothes of my mother and my father." This imagery suggests a deep connection to lineage, a desire for completeness, and a past filled with "hunger" and "interludes" – moments of waiting or incompleteness. The central tension arises from the conflict between external judgment and internal liberation. Others perceive the narrator as having "gone south" or become "debris," dismissing their struggles and "hunger." Yet, the narrator asserts a newfound freedom, declaring "I was just free" and later, "I'm just free." This defiance counters the idea that freedom requires external validation or a "key," suggesting it's an intrinsic state achieved through shedding societal expectations and past limitations. A striking element is the recurring motif of "hunger" and the subsequent assertion of freedom. The narrator admits to a deep-seated "hunger" and waiting "in a little jump seat," indicating a period of intense longing and anticipation. This is juxtaposed with the external perception of them being "debris" or having "gone asunder." The ultimate realization, "I was just free," re-frames this period not as failure, but as a necessary precursor to true self-possession, a state where external judgments become irrelevant. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they articulate a complex process of shedding the self and embracing a more fluid, interconnected identity. The narrator's journey from "hunger" and "waiting" to a state of being "free" despite external criticism highlights the power of internal acceptance. The closing lines, "Whatever you think you've become / Don't worry bout it dear it's where you come from," offer a poignant reminder that our origins shape us, but our present state of being is ultimately our own to define, independent of external validation.