Every Colour You Are

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a destructive relationship, beginning with an almost supernatural intensity. The narrator's touch "burned like coal," a visceral image suggesting immediate, overwhelming passion or danger. This is followed by a dramatic declaration, "I put paid to the devil, / And I saw the mountain fall," implying a decisive, perhaps catastrophic, action taken against a powerful negative force, possibly personified by the "devil." The immediate aftermath is a sense of profound loss or exhaustion, as the scene abruptly shifts to a feeling of wanting to cry because "the joke's gone too far." The central tension arises from the contrast between the destructive power unleashed and the narrator's subsequent feelings and observations. The repeated phrase "Every colour you are" initially seems like an affirmation of the subject's vibrant, multifaceted nature. However, in the context of the destruction, it takes on a more ambiguous, even accusatory, tone. The narrator's own path is described as "un-crossed, / White lined and tarred" by believing in this person, suggesting a life that was once clear and directed has been irrevocably altered, perhaps for the worse, by this intense connection. Verse 3 introduces a chilling parallel with the "family man" who "put a torch to his home / And warmed his hands by the fire." This image of self-immolation, of destroying one's own foundation for a fleeting warmth or perverse comfort, mirrors the destructive intensity of Verse 1. The narrator's actions, or the actions of the person they are addressing, seem to lead to a similar scorched-earth outcome, where personal devastation is met with a cold, detached satisfaction or resignation – "No greed, no desire." Ultimately, the lyrics convey a complex emotional landscape of intense connection, devastating consequence, and a lingering, perhaps regretful, acknowledgment of the subject's multifaceted nature. The power of the writing lies in its stark, almost mythic imagery and the unsettling juxtaposition of passionate destruction with a sense of bleak finality. The repeated affirmation of "Every colour you are" becomes a haunting refrain, underscoring the profound and irreversible impact of this vibrant, yet destructive, individual on the narrator's life.