Paint It Black

Song Name: Paint It Black

Year of Release: 1966

Written By: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Performed By: The Rolling Stones

Key Lyrics: “It’s not easy facing up when your whole world is black” 

Description: The song features a sitar in the intro played by Stones multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, and the strumming pattern continues throughout the song, even as the drums and vocals kick in. The sitar serves a purpose similar to a guitar and drives the sound of the track. The track is overall very dark and gloomy, with dreamy-sounding verses followed by urgent, punchy choruses. The song builds up to the climax and slowly gets more urgent before lead singer Mick Jagger begins humming at the end and Jones continues playing the sitar until the track ends. The dark and gloomy mood complements what many soldiers fighting in Vietnam felt.

Why It Was Important: The song served as a reflection of the dark days of a soldier fighting in Vietnam and the lyrics about the narrator wanting everything to turn back line up with the PTSD many veterans experienced when returning home. The song’s resonance with veterans who suffered from the condition increased after the war’s end and increased its connection to the broader conflict. The song also has notable appearances in popular culture about the Vietnam War, notably at the end of Stanley Kubrick’s film Full Metal Jacket

Recordings

Paint It, Black (studio version)

Rolling Stones -  Paint It Black LIVE (1966) (live performance)