The color red is often viewed as symbolizing love, passion, or anger. Varying hues of the primary color were created from clay ochre – a pigment readily available in nature – and used by artists as far back as the Paleolithic age, in Spain. Pottery in ancient China and wall paintings in ancient Egypt made use of the color, as well. And women have long used red cosmetics to enhance their lips and cheeks as a precursor to romance.
As it inspired artists from prehistoric days to the present, the color red also inspires musicians. Listed below are seven songs with the color red in the title.
“Red Barchetta” by Rush was released in 1981. The title of the song refers to a sports car and the lyrics refer to a future, Orwellian-type society whose government banned cars fueled by gasoline.
Songs with the color red in the title that are simply fantastic
“Red Skies” by The Fixx was released in 1982. Singer Cy Curnin’s lyrics bring to mind the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust:
“Should have taken warning
It’s just people mourning
Running, hiding, lost
You can’t find, find a place to go, so it’s
Red skies at night …”
One could certainly imagine this scenario during the years of the Cold War as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to bolster their countries’ cache of atomic weapons.
On a lighter note, “Little Red Corvette” by Prince was released in 1983. In the synthesizer-laden tune, Prince uses the titular car as an innuendo for casual sex. The song was deemed controversial by some due to its release during the early years of the AIDS crisis. But, it served as an introduction to Prince as a post-disco superstar.
Back to the serious stuff – “Red Rain” by Peter Gabriel was released in 1986. Its lyrics refer to a recurring dream that the singer experienced, in which he swam in a pool while drinking red wine. Some listeners surmised that the red rain is actually acid rain, and the lyrics point to the despair of humans during a period of climate crisis on our planet. Drummer Stewart Copeland from The Police contributed to the song’s rain-like backing track.
“Red Hill Mining Town” by U2 was released in 1987. Singer Bono’s lyrics refer to a strike by the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984. Britain’s National Coal Board sought to close many mines in the UK, which led to conflict between the workers and police/government.
“Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds was released in 1994. The song’s title refers to the poem “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, in which divine punishment is inflicted by God upon supernatural beings. The lyrics speak about a mysterious ghostly figure who appears in a land loosely based on Cave’s hometown in Australia. This seems appropriate, as the song was used in an episode of The X-Files and appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Scream.
“The Red” by Chevelle was released in 2002. Singer Pete Loeffler's lyrics could refer to a teenager who experiences frustration and anger after being singled out as different when compared to his peers:
“They say, ‘Freak’
When you’re singled out
The red
Well, it filters through.”
The video for the alternative metal song shows Loeffler attending an anger management seminar. Then, the band performs the song’s repeated, drum-heavy chorus (“Seeing red again”) in the same room under flashing red lights.
Bonus: The Red Clay Strays is a bluesy Americana/rockabilly band that formed in Mobile, Alabama, in 2016. The group is becoming increasingly popular due to its grueling tour schedule, videos shared on social media sites like Instagram, and singer Brandon Coleman’s impassioned, sultry vocals. Their second album, Made By These Moments, was released in late July. And their three shows at Nashville’s revered venue, the Ryman Auditorium, sold out in less than five hours.