Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes Lyrics Meaning – Exploring the Psychedelic Depths of Human Perception
Lyrics
Beautiful and strange
It must be I’ve fallen away
I must be
Sound and color with me for my mind
And the ship shows me where to go when I needn’t speak
Not far now
Not far now
Not far now
Far, far now
Far, far, far, far now
Far, far, far, far out
Sound and color
With me in my mind
Sound and color
Try to keep yourself awake
Sound and color
This life ain’t like it was
Sound and color
I wanna touch a human being
Sound and color
I want to go back to sleep
Sound and color
Ain’t life just awful strange?
Sound and color
I wish I never gave it all away
Sound and color
No more to see the setting of the sun
Sound and color
Life in
Sound and color
Life in
Sound and color
Life in
Sound and color
Sound and color
Sound and color
Alabama Shakes’ ‘Sound & Color’, the title track of their 2015 sophomore album, emerges as a hauntingly beautiful meditation on consciousness and the human experience. The song weaves a rich tapestry of sensory imagery and existential longing that resonates with the soul.
As the ethereal soundscape envelops the listener, the lyrics invite a deep dive into the introspective journey of lead singer Brittany Howard. Laced with a longing for understanding and connection, ‘Sound & Color’ catapults us through an emotional and psychological odyssey that transcends the ordinary.
A Symphony of the Senses: Dissecting the Sensory Overload
The song initiates with describing a new world, both beautiful and strange, suggesting a transformative moment of awakening. The ‘new’ evokes a sense of rebirth, while the strangeness points to unfamiliarity and the vastness of the unknown.
This idea is audibly manifested through the lush arrangement of the track, where instruments steadily swell into existence like colors flooding a once grey palette. The sounds, as if alive, become entities that escort us into a roaring crescendo of sensory bliss.
The Voyage Inside the Mind: Navigating Through Isolation
Sound and color, the fundamental elements of our perception, become metaphors for personal direction and clarity within the lyrics. The ship that shows where to go represents an inner guidance system steering through the tumultuous sea of thoughts when words feel superfluous.
The recurring lyrical hook ‘Not far now’ hints at an imminent arrival or understanding that sits just beyond reach, echoing the universal human pursuit of purpose. As the distance seems to stretch endlessly, the journey transforms into a paradox of both hope and futility.
A Cry for Connection in an Alienating World
‘I wanna touch a human being’, arguably one of the song’s most poignant lines, speaks to our innate need for contact. Amidst abstract soundscapes, this very human desire grounds the song in reality, juxtaposing the cerebral with the visceral.
The contradiction of wanting touch and then wanting sleep illustrates the oscillating desires for connection and escape. The yearning to surrender to a dream-like state underlies an undercurrent of escapism from the complexities of modern existence.
The Hidden Meaning: A Reflection on Life’s Ephemeral Beauty
‘Sound & Color’ reveals its layers slowly, unveiling a hidden meaning that brushes against the larger themes of impermanence and regret. ‘I wish I never gave it all away’ speaks to the emptiness that follows the pursuit of something seemingly important but ultimately transient.
The finality of ‘No more to see the setting of the sun’ encapsulates the melancholic realization that certain experiences and moments are irrevocably past, pushing us to find beauty and sustenance in the present, in the very essence of life’s sound and color.
The Soundtrack to Our Innermost Thoughts
Through ‘Sound & Color’, Alabama Shakes not only crafts a song but an atmosphere that becomes inextricably linked to our inner monologue. Howard’s soul-stirring vocals act as a siren’s call, bringing our hidden fears and longings to the fore.
Embedded within the abstract and the esoteric are the very real and pressing matters of existence. Stripped of pretension, the song stands as a raw testament to the band’s ability to capture the ineffable quality of life’s perpetual dance between sound and color.
