![]() Paint It, Black as covered by U2 served as a B-side to “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.” Juxtaposing the two songs, one finds both the sorrow, and the relief of loss. looking at the U2 version of the song in context of this cover. Again, this seems a straight forward cover – until you look at the context. Other than that, U2 performs the song almost flawlessly, and sticks to the original changing almost nothing. Bono does not quite capture Jagger’s tones well – specifically the anger. Honestly, there seems to be no real significance to their cover of Paint It, Black. U2 Version – 1992Ī deep look at the U2 version leaves me a little dumbfounded. Instead, we almost hear a reflective tone – almost as though Echo & the Bunnymen’s version of the song tries to rationalize and make sense of the pain. McCulloch just does not depict the anger that Jagger portrays. However, the vocals during the choruses don’t quite make it. In my opinion, this effect is the strongest part of this cover. The sobbing effect, of course, really emphasizes the despair and hopelessness of the song. This almost provides a sobbing effect to the vocals. Ian McCulloch adds a little vibrato in the verses as the song progresses. ![]() However, the lead vocals provides a notable exception. The song feels like a tribute cover – keeping almost every bit of the original intact (perhaps out of respect). Paint It, Black as done by Echo & the Bunnymen is a live cover, and cannot be found on a studio recording. Almost like the angers fuels the speaker of this version of Paint It, Black to run away. As the lead vocalist sings about looking into “the setting sun,” we hear a guitar whiney – almost like a horse. Still – the very next line picks up the pace and the anger once more. version of the song looks at anger as something that, though a base emotion, will eventually wear off and give way to the hopelessness of the situation. We hear a bit more sadness in the lead vocalist, it almost seems like the W.A.S.P. In the last verse, the guitars stop and the tempo slows. forgets the original is a song about depression. focuses on the anger found in the chorus of the original. loses, for the most part, the depression and sadness of the original. turns Paint It, Black into a hard rock/heavy metal anthem. This version of the song still paints a picture of deep depression and loss. Regardless, as upbeat as the Burdon / War version sounds, the song still takes a somber tone when looking at the lyrics. Maybe Burton did not want to compare his pain to the death of a lover, so he left things out like the funeral scene. Perhaps it was out of respect for Jagger. Burdon leaves the first verse intact for the most part – but mostly chops the rest of the song. The lyrics themselves are a mixing of original and new. This version features a lot of horns, a lot of fast percussion and feels generally upbeat. ![]() Eric Burdon & War – 1970Įric Burdon & War did a a funk/jam version of the song. Never mind the instrumentals as amazing as they are. Jagger really shows his heart and soul through the lyrics, as cliche’d as this sounds. One really dives into Jagger’s emotions on this version. The eerie sounding sitar, the storming drums, Mick Jagger’s almost creepy vocals on the verses, and screaming of the choruses. I already stated my appreciation for this specific version. So….why not compare four covers of Paint It, Black with the original version? Rolling Stones Version – 1966 I recently came across several different cover versions, all approaching the song from different angles. The brutal honest lyrics alone, mixed with the instrumentation – including a Sitar – just melts your heart. Honestly, I would rank the song as one of – if not the – best Rolling Stones songs ever written. The song probably describes Mick Jagger’s depression after the death of his girlfriend. With imagery such as a funeral procession, a “red door” the singer wants to paint black, a disinterest in the girls walking by, etcetera. Paint It, Black uses a colorless world as a metaphor for sadness, even depression. Heck – Paint It, Black might be the bleakest rock and roll song ever written. Paint It, Black originally released in 1966 is perhaps one of the saddest songs ever written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.
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