And I'm alright
Standing in the streetlights here
Is this meant for me
My time on the outside is over
We don't know how you're spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn't here
You see the pictures
But you don't know their names no
Cause love isn't here

And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red

No sympathy
When shouting out is all you know
Behind your lies
I can see the secrets you don't show
We don't know how you're spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn't here
You see the pictures
But you don't know their names no
Cause love isn't here

And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect
And painted it red

You take the best things from
Then everything gets empty
That's not a world that I need
Ooh, you take the best things from me
Then everything gets empty
That's not a world that I need
Oh

And I can't do this by myself
All of these problems, they're all in your head
And I can't be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect
And painted it red
When, you took something perfect and painted it red
You took something perfect
And painted it red



Lyrics submitted by calnon

Track duration: 03:53

"Red" as written by Bernie Taupin, Mark Paladino

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Red song meanings
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24 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Merriweather himself said that this song is about the blindness of war and the absence of compassion displayed by western administrations.
    But it's still beautiful that songs, their lyrics- such as poems- can be interpreted differently and have different importance and meanings to everyone based on their life situation.

    Flag paulinkaon September 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I know this might sound weird, like oh my gosh thats no right! or whatever, but I've discussed this with alot of people and we believe thats its actually about life when his girlfriends on her period and how she seems to change and be moody because of her hormones "All of these problems, they're all in your head"

    On the other hand, as a few of you have said, shes suddenly started making problems, being angry at everything, causing fights over the smallest things
    Flag xxamatouxxon August 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:For me this song is about the person he loves not trusting him (“all of these problems there all in your head”) she wants him to be someone else because she has no faith in the person he is. I think the colour red represents the arguments they have had because red is the colour of fire and blood and has painted over all the good memories. He can’t sympathise with her because she is accusing him of things he hasn’t done.
    Flag stargateon August 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song has helped me get through so much in the last few months, I think it's about him breaking up with a girl that he's so inlove with but its painful because she's still inlove with her ex or someone else and she's trying to make Daniel into that guy and him saying "my time on the outside is over" means he's had enough and "love isn't here" anymore. This song is amazing<3
    Flag daisyrachel15on June 30, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think it's about a guy who knew for a while that his girlfriend was cheating, but was waiting for her to come clean..."my time on the outside is over" & "behind your lies I can see the secrets you don't show" ...I think the line "you took something perfect and painted it red" refers to her affair and how it changed everything about the relationship.
    Flag vonniezon June 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:
    i think its about a girl, reading way too much into the actions/sayings of her boyfriend. she's misinterpreted things and created problems that don't actually exist. he's trying to make her believe that nothing is wrong, but she won't listen and he's getting tired of having to fight all the time. she took something that was perfect and painted red by not trusting and believing him.
    Flag at1991on June 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:To me, for some reason, this song makes me think of a man who is in a relationship with a girl with an eating disorder, and she's shutting down the relationship by isolating, common with someone with an eating disorder. This comes partly from the music video, but from the lyrics also.

    "I can't do this by myself."I imagine this is the girlfriend saying this about her disorder, needing help.
    "All of these problems, they're all in your head."- I think he's saying this in response, she thinks she is flawed or fat when he knows her disorder is making her imagine this.
    "You took something perfect and painted it red"- Harming herself when she was fine before, which in turn is ruining their relationship.
    "Behind your lies I can see the secrets you don't show."- she was trying to hide her disorder.
    Flag farfleon April 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have been in a relationship with a naricisst for 3 years, and for me, this song takes on the development and eventual end of our relationship. He came on very agressively when he was pursuing me, like nothing I have ever known in my 35 years (you took something perfect). In the last 6 months of the relationship, I found out secrets that he had kept from me to try and make himself something he wasn't. When I confronted him about these issues, he said it was "all in my head". Then, he became completely obstinate and abusive (verbally and physically) until I left. I have a strong sense of committment and tried everything I knew of (even therapy when he said I was crazy) to try and keep this relationship together ("I can't do this by myself"). He definetly took something perfect and painted it red....
    Flag QTpieon March 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Im pretty sure it has something to do with a relationship, weather its a intimate relationship or just friendship i think the person he is referring to has something to do with them on drugs.
    Flag Cat132on January 12, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:This song makes me think of what I'm going thru right now.

    I have this girlfriend that I love, she is great is so many ways, while at the same time she is so not well with herself, she is never satisfied of anything for very long, she regrets every decision she makes, she is always putting everything in question, she has no patience or tolerance, especially not for me.

    I think the song sums up the result.

    Sometime she loves me, sometime she hates me, most of the time she is convinced that she should leave me so she could be with someone else, but she would not, she is certain she will regrets her decision. I'm stuck, I try hard to make her happy, it works most of the time, but then she will turn all the beautiful things we did together into every negative sides she can create out of them.

    Still I wont leave her, life would be too boring without her.
    Flag Walkingsonon January 11, 2010   Link

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