Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of a promised "rainbow" that will arrive, but only for those with the courage to wait for it, specifically "on the balcony." This initial image suggests a passive, hopeful anticipation, a belief that something beautiful and transformative is coming if one simply endures.
However, the song quickly introduces a stark contrast between those who wait and those who are "closed in the workshop." The latter group, engrossed in their labor, are unaware that the "rainbow" they might have seen has already fallen, implying a missed opportunity or a different kind of reality. This sets up a tension between patient observation and active, perhaps oblivious, engagement with the world.
The narrative then shifts, revealing that the "rainbow" isn't a natural phenomenon but an artificial construct, "between the lights of a luxurious tabarin." It's something "invented by an architect" who understands that people desire it. This demystifies the initial promise, suggesting the "rainbow" is a manufactured experience, perhaps a product or an illusion designed to be desired and consumed.
Ultimately, the lyrics propose that true understanding and happiness are tied to paying for this artificial "rainbow." Only those who have "paid for it" will finally grasp "what happiness is." The implication is that this manufactured joy is exclusive, accessible only through purchase, and that even love, symbolized by "the lover will kiss," is part of this transactional experience.
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