Black
Brushstrokes of Longing: Unveiling the Emotional Palette in 'Black' by The New Fantations
Lyrics
Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Reference to the blank, untouched potential of creation, akin to a canvas or clay
Were laid spread out before me as her body once did
Recalling a time when the speaker had the opportunity to intimately know someone
All five horizons revolved around her soul as the earth to the sun
Describing the centrality of the person in the speaker's life, likening it to the orbit of horizons around the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn
A shift in the environment or atmosphere, suggesting a change in the speaker's experience
Mm, and all I taught her was everything
The speaker feels they taught the person everything they knew
Mm, I know she gave me all that she wore
Recognition that the person gave their all to the speaker
And now my bitter hands chafe beneath the clouds
Feelings of discomfort or irritation under a metaphorical cloud, symbolizing a sense of loss
Of what was everything
Reflecting on the past, lamenting the loss of what was once everything to the speaker
Oh, the pictures have all been washed in black
All memories or representations have turned somber or dark
Tattooed everything
Implies that everything has been permanently marked or tainted
I take a walk outside, I'm surrounded by some kids at play
Observing the joy of others, contrasting it with the speaker's own internal pain
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear
Questioning the reason for feeling pain despite witnessing happiness
Mm, and twisted thoughts that spin 'round my head
Expressing turmoil and distressing thoughts swirling in the speaker's mind
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning, how quick the sun can drop away
Reflecting on the suddenness of change, how swiftly positivity can disappear
And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Hands experiencing discomfort, holding broken fragments of what once meant everything
Of what was everything
Reiterating the loss of what was once significant to the speaker
All the pictures have all been washed in black
Reaffirming the transformation of memories into dark or negative ones
Tattooed everything
Indicating the permanence of the marking or staining of everything
All the love gone bad turned my world to black
The deterioration of love, leading to a bleak worldview
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll be, yeah
Perception colored by the negative experiences, affecting the speaker's identity and future
Mm, mm, ooh
(No specific meaning provided in the lyrics)
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
Recognition that the person will have a good life elsewhere
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why
Questioning why the good life couldn't have been with the speaker
Why, why can't it be, oh, can't it be mine?
Expressing longing or desire for a different outcome
Ooh, ah yeah, ah, ooh
(No specific meaning provided in the lyrics)
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