Paint's Peeling

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Paint's Peeling
Artist Rilo Kiley
Published 2002-10-??
Composer Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett
Genre Indie rock
Themes Adventure, Raw relationships
Rating Rating-9.svg

Paint's Peeling is an indie rock song by Rilo Kiley. It was composed by Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett and is track 2 on The Execution of All Things, released in October 2002. One of the times I saw Rilo Kiley live in Michigan, Jenny introduced this song as being about a relationship in Michigan, and, it naturally received a lot of applause. The relationship Jenny spoke of appears to be long-distance which ends with a breakup, possibly related to Science vs. Romance and Wires and Waves.

Personal

This is one of the first four songs I heard by the band, and my favorite at the time. I really love the sound of this song, and especially that it takes place in my home state, but I've always been a little confounded by the lyrics which don't paint (ha!) a very clear picture of what's happening.

Lyrics

The paint's peeling off the streets again
and I'll drive and close my eyes in Michigan
And I feel nothing, not brave
It's a hard day for breathing again
And the heat is chasing off all of your friends
and their scattered bodies part to the shore again
And I feel nothing, not sane
It's a hard day for dreaming again

And oh, I'm not going back
To the assholes that made me the perfect display
Of random acts of hopelessness
I wish I could stay here
But, I think we're all ready, think we're all ready

And I feel nothing, not safe
It's a hard day for dreaming again
And oh, now that you've seen almost all of America
All you can say is, "where is all the water?"
The war has been over for years since you gave up

And last night, where the road had started
And last night, when my hands were choking you
Last night, when the room and your mood was dipping
And last night when the ropes were pulling you in...
You said, "Hey, hey, hey, how could you love me this way?"
You said, "Hey, hey, hey,"
But, I think we're all ready, think we're all ready

Videos

Album version.
Live, 2010 in Houston.
Live.
Live.

Links

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