What does Yellow mean to you? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

itch vaccine · 11-12-2005, 08:53 PM

"So then I took my time
Oh what a thing to've done
And it was all yellow"

"I swam across; I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
'Cuz you were all yellow"

"I drew a line; I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow
Yeah, yeah..."

---------------------------------

So this is Coldplay's first single. And I know it is cryptic. But what in the world could Yellow possibly mean?

Is it some kind of jargon?
Could his wife possibly be wearing yellow panties on their first date?

But if it is just yellow as a colour, well it makes no sense.

So tell me, what do you think yellow means?

vanblah · 11-12-2005, 09:07 PM

Poetic license?

Willravel · 11-12-2005, 10:27 PM

After listening to it, I think it means 'okay'. It could also mean 'pure' or 'bright'.

Johnny Pyro · 11-12-2005, 10:35 PM

Maybe it means slow down?

vanblah · 11-13-2005, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Pyro

Maybe it means slow down?

Or speed up if you're <i>that</i> kind of person ...

itch vaccine · 11-13-2005, 02:17 AM

LoL could be poetic license, but any other colour fits too, .. blue? red? green? :P

I guess all the "Yellow"s in the song doesn't bear the same meaning.

"After listening to it, I think it means 'okay'. It could also mean 'pure' or 'bright'."

That makes sense willravel

amonkie · 11-13-2005, 04:41 AM

Just general info on the color Yellow :

From The Color Wheel Pro:

Quote:

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow is often associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before other colors when placed against black; this combination is often used to issue a warning. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice.

Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. You can choose yellow to promote children's products and items related to leisure. Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, 'childish' color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men – nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark color to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually unappealing because they loose cheerfulness and become dingy.

Dull (dingy) yellow represents caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy.
Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy.

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

superiorrain · 11-13-2005, 05:29 AM

Maybe he is singing about the simpsons. Them being yellow and all of that, also he talks about drawing a line for them. It makes sense to me.

itch vaccine · 11-13-2005, 09:20 PM

amonkie just said it all there

awesome, and thx

vermin · 11-16-2005, 08:18 PM

Maybe the "you" in the song has a liver disease is all jaundicy-looking (yellow).

Bob Biter · 11-17-2005, 12:17 PM

I believe "yellow" refers to cowardice in this song:

"So then I took my time
Oh what a thing to've done
And it was all yellow"

- The fact that he took his time means that he was being a coward towards a potential relationship (the waiting / taking time was "all yellow").

"I swam across; I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
'Cuz you were all yellow"

- When he finally decided to act, he found out that the other person was also reluctant / cowardly towards the relationship.

"I drew a line; I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow
Yeah, yeah..."

- Since both people didn't know whether or not to make the leap into a relationship (especially the other person - not the singer), he decided to force it into a friendship by "drawing a line", i.e. making that decision for both of them. This final surrender and lack of courage is also considered cowardly, or "yellow" - "yellow line".

IMHO, this is not a happy song, but rather sad nostalgia about a missed opportunity. The fact that the singer says "For you I'd bleed myself dry" means, obviously, that he would still do anything for the other person.

denim · 11-17-2005, 12:35 PM

In the town
where I was born
Lived a man
who sailed to sea
and he told
us of his life
in the land
of submarines

So we sailed
into the sun
where we found
the sea of green
and we lived
beneith the waves
in our Yellow Submarine!

orrrrrrrrrrr

yellow = piss

orrrrrrr

yellow = lemon

orrrrr

yellow = bananananana

orrrrr

yellow = cowardly

Charlatan · 11-17-2005, 01:33 PM

Clearly he is into water sports...

vanblah · 11-17-2005, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itch vaccine

LoL could be poetic license, but any other colour fits too, .. blue? red? green? :P

That's one of the points of poetic license. It doesn't really mean anything. Each person who hears it will interpret it in his or her own way.

flamingdog · 11-20-2005, 12:29 PM

Yellow for the colour of his sheets upon wetting the bed once again.

5757 · 11-20-2005, 12:42 PM

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=762

Apparently the people from this website read articles from Chris Martin (lead singer) himself. So, this is what they had to say.
+++++++
Lead singer Chris Martin has said that the lyrics are about being devoted to someone, wanting to do anything for them - writing a song for them, swimming across the sea for them and so on. He said that it's not necessarily a romantic devotion, but someone that you look up to and would do anything for, a brotherly love. (thanks, Adam - Sussex, England)
The band came up with the line "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you" after looking up at the night sky. They were recording in Wales, which had a nice, clear sky.
The color yellow can have many negative implications ("Yellow Journalism," "Yellow Fever," a "Yellow Card" for a foul in soccer), but for Coldplay, it is a beautiful color. According to lead singer Chris Martin: "It was simply because that word sounded nice, it just seemed to fit, no other reason. None of the other colours would have sounded right really!" The Beatles were kind to the color when they used it in their song "Yellow Submarine."
Martin initially wrote the words and melody, then therest of the band wrote the other bits and pieces (the hook, the riff, fillsetc.). (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)
"Yellow" is a term that can mean cowardly or afraid. From this standpoint, the singer could be afraid and nervous to show his love, until he "ran across" and "jumped across" for her. He finally got the nerve to express his love. (thanks, Stefan - Winona, MN)

Redlemon · 11-21-2005, 06:40 AM

I like Bob Biter's explanation better than the official one.

Suave · 11-22-2005, 12:52 AM

Urine.

God I hate that song. I like Coldplay, but that song is godawful.

11-12-2005, 08:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
itch vaccine Psycho Location: on my spinning computer chair	What does Yellow mean to you? "So then I took my time Oh what a thing to've done And it was all yellow" "I swam across; I jumped across for you Oh what a thing to do 'Cuz you were all yellow" "I drew a line; I drew a line for you Oh what a thing to do And it was all yellow Yeah, yeah..." --------------------------------- So this is Coldplay's first single. And I know it is cryptic. But what in the world could Yellow possibly mean? Is it some kind of jargon? Could his wife possibly be wearing yellow panties on their first date? But if it is just yellow as a colour, well it makes no sense. So tell me, what do you think yellow means? __________________ "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein

11-12-2005, 10:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
Johnny Pyro Hey Now! Location: Massachusetts (Redneck, white boy town. I hate it here.)	Maybe it means slow down? __________________ "From delusion lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to eternal life. - Sheriff John Wydell

11-13-2005, 02:17 AM	#6 (permalink)
itch vaccine Psycho Location: on my spinning computer chair	LoL could be poetic license, but any other colour fits too, .. blue? red? green? :P I guess all the "Yellow"s in the song doesn't bear the same meaning. "After listening to it, I think it means 'okay'. It could also mean 'pure' or 'bright'." That makes sense willravel __________________ "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein

11-13-2005, 05:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
superiorrain Psycho Location: London	Maybe he is singing about the simpsons. Them being yellow and all of that, also he talks about drawing a line for them. It makes sense to me. __________________ "The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." - Arthur C. Clarke

11-13-2005, 09:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
itch vaccine Psycho Location: on my spinning computer chair	amonkie just said it all there awesome, and thx __________________ "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein

11-12-2005, 09:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	Poetic license?

11-12-2005, 10:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	After listening to it, I think it means 'okay'. It could also mean 'pure' or 'bright'.

11-16-2005, 08:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
vermin Indifferent to anti-matter Location: Tucson, AZ	Maybe the "you" in the song has a liver disease is all jaundicy-looking (yellow). __________________ If puns were sausages, this would be the wurst.

11-17-2005, 12:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
Bob Biter Non-smokers die everyday Location: Montreal	I believe "yellow" refers to cowardice in this song: "So then I took my time Oh what a thing to've done And it was all yellow" - The fact that he took his time means that he was being a coward towards a potential relationship (the waiting / taking time was "all yellow"). "I swam across; I jumped across for you Oh what a thing to do 'Cuz you were all yellow" - When he finally decided to act, he found out that the other person was also reluctant / cowardly towards the relationship. "I drew a line; I drew a line for you Oh what a thing to do And it was all yellow Yeah, yeah..." - Since both people didn't know whether or not to make the leap into a relationship (especially the other person - not the singer), he decided to force it into a friendship by "drawing a line", i.e. making that decision for both of them. This final surrender and lack of courage is also considered cowardly, or "yellow" - "yellow line". IMHO, this is not a happy song, but rather sad nostalgia about a missed opportunity. The fact that the singer says "For you I'd bleed myself dry" means, obviously, that he would still do anything for the other person. __________________ A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

11-17-2005, 12:35 PM	#12 (permalink)
denim Banned Location: Massachusetts, USA	In the town where I was born Lived a man who sailed to sea and he told us of his life in the land of submarines So we sailed into the sun where we found the sea of green and we lived beneith the waves in our Yellow Submarine! orrrrrrrrrrr yellow = piss orrrrrrr yellow = lemon orrrrr yellow = bananananana orrrrr yellow = cowardly

11-17-2005, 01:33 PM	#13 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Clearly he is into water sports... __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

11-20-2005, 12:29 PM	#15 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	Yellow for the colour of his sheets upon wetting the bed once again.

11-20-2005, 12:42 PM	#16 (permalink)
5757 Insane Location: Vegas!!	http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=762 Apparently the people from this website read articles from Chris Martin (lead singer) himself. So, this is what they had to say. +++++++ Lead singer Chris Martin has said that the lyrics are about being devoted to someone, wanting to do anything for them - writing a song for them, swimming across the sea for them and so on. He said that it's not necessarily a romantic devotion, but someone that you look up to and would do anything for, a brotherly love. (thanks, Adam - Sussex, England) The band came up with the line "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you" after looking up at the night sky. They were recording in Wales, which had a nice, clear sky. The color yellow can have many negative implications ("Yellow Journalism," "Yellow Fever," a "Yellow Card" for a foul in soccer), but for Coldplay, it is a beautiful color. According to lead singer Chris Martin: "It was simply because that word sounded nice, it just seemed to fit, no other reason. None of the other colours would have sounded right really!" The Beatles were kind to the color when they used it in their song "Yellow Submarine." Martin initially wrote the words and melody, then therest of the band wrote the other bits and pieces (the hook, the riff, fillsetc.). (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England) "Yellow" is a term that can mean cowardly or afraid. From this standpoint, the singer could be afraid and nervous to show his love, until he "ran across" and "jumped across" for her. He finally got the nerve to express his love. (thanks, Stefan - Winona, MN) __________________ Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint, Forever in debt to ((your)) priceless advice. - Nirvana

11-21-2005, 06:40 AM	#17 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	I like Bob Biter's explanation better than the official one. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

11-22-2005, 12:52 AM	#18 (permalink)
Suave Twitterpated Location: My own little world (also Canada)	Urine. God I hate that song. I like Coldplay, but that song is godawful. __________________ "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato