Originally Posted by me, in an email to redlemon

Thanks, I really do like that. The line that jumped out at me was 'when the Beatles sing it's a yellow thing,' because that's actually very much how I perceive it. I've always believed that John wrote a song that stylistically the Beatles simply couldn't handle when he wrote Helter Skelter; Ringo just doesn't seem capable of being that red. As well, the line about bars - the dance music in bars tends to be very jagged and intense, which is why I prefer the quieter pub environment.

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If I were a better artist, I really would attempt to recreate the experience, but the problem is that I just can't keep up with what I'm hearing and I don't think it'd work. I think I'd have a hard time selecting yellow if there's red playing, if you follow me.

Like I said, it doesn't really change anything. It's not disruptive or anything like that. I suppose the best analogy would be to say that when I hear a certain passage, I just know that it's a specific colour. The third stanza of that song is a good example, as it is very green, as opposed to the yellows and pinks of the rest of the song. I know this passage is green in the same way that everyone knows grass is green and until last night, I would've assumed that everybody else knew it too.

I don't think I'm articulating the experience quite right. There's colour and shape involved. Sounds can be round or jagged or spiky or square; they can be soft or hard or rough or smooth. I remember once in my late teens that I commented to my sister that the song Yellow by Coldplay was ironic, as it wasn't very yellow at all; rather, it's mostly blue, all smooth and glossy like a piece of tape. And now I know why she gave me a weird look.

I guess I'm still processing the whole thing. I mean, the experience isn't new to me, I'm completely used to it. What's a bit hard for me to grasp is that not everybody has it.