Up to the Sun

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a surreal, almost violent, scene of emotional purging. The narrator hires someone to "flood a canvas in a riot of red," a striking image that suggests an overwhelming, perhaps destructive, release of feeling. This act is repeated, emphasizing its deliberate and intense nature. The "riot of red" becomes a recurring motif, directly linked to "heartache" and "jaundice," suggesting a transformation or expulsion of sickness and pain through this intense color. The central tension seems to be between a desire for catharsis and the lingering presence of affliction. The repeated phrase "Up to the sun shall go" implies a sending away, a release into the vastness, but the "heartache" and "jaundice" remain tied to the "riot of red." The "red bull" and "red planes" add a layer of aggressive, perhaps even militaristic, imagery, as the narrator "envelops" someone in this intense color while planes fly east, hinting at conflict or ongoing turmoil. The most compelling craft element is the persistent, almost obsessive use of "red" and "yellow." Red signifies intense emotion, pain, and perhaps a forced cleansing, while yellow, associated with "jaundice," represents illness or negativity. The wish for the person to "go unscathed / And be free of yellow colour" directly contrasts with the enveloping "red bull" and "riot of red," highlighting a complex process of dealing with suffering – one that involves immersion in intense, even painful, experiences to achieve freedom. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate through their visceral imagery and the ambiguous nature of the "riot of red." It’s not a simple expression of sadness, but a ritualistic, almost alchemical process. The final lines, "After a dawn of anxious waiting / To swim in the streets is scintillating," offer a glimmer of hope, suggesting that after the intense emotional deluge, a new, perhaps liberating, experience awaits, even if the path there is fraught with overwhelming color and implied conflict.