These Colours Don’t Run by Architects Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Anthemic Cry Against Societal Deception
Lyrics
Don’t believe everything that you’re told
Deception hides in all you see
Corruption hangs in the air that you breathe
And in the land of the free
You know nothing comes for free
Fourth drive in paradise
Vapid souls check the market price
Life time slave
Living in a suburban grave
If there was a God, was a God,
You would be the death of him
These colours don’t run,
Like colours from the face,
Eyes roll back chemical despair,
It’s true what they say life isn’t fair
So repeat this line, everything, everything is fine
So repeat this line, everything, everything is fine
These colours don’t run,
Like colours from the face,
Eyes roll back chemical despair,
It’s true what they say life isn’t fair
And in the land of the free
You know nothing comes for free
I’m struggling to find any poetry in this
Someone beat me to the line ignorance is bliss
So I guess I’ll just say it how it is
You had it all, you fucking pigs!
These streets aren’t paved with gold
Don’t believe everything that you’re told
Deception hides in all you see
Corruption hangs in the air that you breathe
In a blistering outcry against the façade of the American Dream, UK-based metalcore band Architects, in their thunderous track ‘These Colours Don’t Run,’ peels back the layers of glossy deception to reveal a harsh critique of socio-political reality. The song’s title, a clear nod to the idiom often associated with American patriotism, serves as an ironic prelude to the web of disillusionment spun throughout.
Deciphering the true essence of the lyrics requires a keen understanding of context, a dive into the emotional reservoirs the song taps into, and an appreciation for the raw, unfiltered confrontation with truth that Architects bring to the table. We’ll explore not only the poignancy of the words sung but also how the song speaks to a disenfranchised generation.
A Stark Portrait of Modern Discontent
Within the opening lines–‘These streets aren’t paved with gold / Don’t believe everything that you’re told’– there’s an immediate sense of betrayal and contempt that resonates. The quintessential narrative of the pursuit of happiness and prosperity, especially within the context of American ideology, is instantly challenged, setting the stage for an anthem that’s less about dreams and more about awakening from them.
Architects are not just making a statement; they’re rewriting the narrative of the ‘land of the free’ into one of stark realism. They weave images of corruption ‘hanging in the air’ with the lackadaisical day-to-day existence of a ‘lifetime slave’ to suggest that the promise of freedom is but a cog in a machine that grinds away individuality and personal aspiration.
The Underlying Sarcasm in Patriotism
The repeated line ‘These colours don’t run,’ is laden with a bitter sarcasm. Typically, the phrase asserts unwavering loyalty and steadfastness, particularly in the face of adversity. Yet, when accompanied by ‘like colours from the face,’ it’s as if this statement of fortitude is washing away, revealing the true despair and chemical bleakness of reality.
It’s a clever twist on words, inviting listeners to question the symbols and platitudes they hold dear. Is this song an agitator, rallying against blind credulity in symbolic nationalism, or is it a sobering reminder of faded ideals? Architects masterfully play with this double meaning to evoke a powerful, underlying message of doubt and rational thought.
Hidden Meaning: The Emptiness of Materialism
Diving deeper into the psyche of this song, one can’t help but identify the scathing commentary on consumerism and material wealth that Architects embed within ‘Vapid souls check the market price / Life time slave.’ These words evoke images of souless transactions and perpetual servitude to economic cycles that foster disparity.
The ‘suburban grave’ is a metaphorical coffin for the once-aspired-to American suburban life, an ideal now tainted by the architects of this modern dystopia. The band is outspoken about the emptiness that comes with consumerism, suggesting that material craving is a spiritual failing—a god that leads to societal demise.
Shattering Illusions with Raw Honesty
The brutally honest line, ‘I’m struggling to find any poetry in this,’ serves as a pivotal moment in the track. Here, the band confesses to the difficulty and perhaps the futility, in finding beauty or romanticism in the face of such blunt reality. It’s a raw admission of the struggle to stay poetic amidst the chaos of truth.
This sentiment crescendos with ‘Someone beat me to the line ignorance is bliss,’ a realization that perhaps there is a twisted comfort in not knowing, in maintaining the illusion. Yet, the band refuses to succumb to this ignorance, instead choosing to shout out the dire state of things as they see it.
Echoes of Memorable Resistance
As the track nears its climax, ‘You had it all, you fucking pigs!’ emerges as a powerful rallying cry against greed and corruption – the ones who feast while others starve. Architects manage to craft a line that is not easily forgotten, branding itself into the listener’s conscience as a symbol of resistance and outspokenness.
This line binds together the themes of exploitation, the falsehood of freedom, and the disillusionment with the societal system, urging the audience to resist complacency and to recognize the smokescreens for what they are. Through the combination of visceral emotion and carefully chosen words, Architects etches a memorable line that defines the rebellious spirit of the song.
