Colorblind

By Counting Crows

Written by Adam F. Duritz

I am color...blind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am
taffy stuck, tongue tied
Stuttered shook and uptight
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am...fine
I am covered in skin
No one gets to come in
Pull me out from inside
I am folded, and unfolded, and unfolding
I am
colorblind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am...fine
I am.... fine
I am fine

In the song “Colorblind” by the counting crows, it portrays unsureness within a relationship to open themselves up to vulnerability. A plea for someone they can trust to open him or her up to achieve the life they wish to have. It is difficult to be yourself, though it seems a simple perception. Fear of intimacy involves the unwillingness to open up and expose your true self. At some point in our lives, we each have experienced some type of betrayal and hurt from someone close to us. The pain caused by each betrayal and hurt it makes it harder to open ourselves up again regardless whether it was unintentional or not.

The statement “coffee black and egg white” explores the extremes of the depressed hopelessness he feels towards the lack of richness and fulfillment in his life. This expression about coffee and eggs represents what is on the surface allowed for everyone plainly to see. There is richness beyond what is on the surface waiting to be revealed. I am empathetic for this person because I have felt this way before. The sorrow is what you fell knowing that no one understands who you are or the emptiness you feel with the lack of intimacy towards someone. Our longing for that deep emotional connection with someone is expresses when Counting Crows states “pull me out from inside, I am ready” (Counting Crows).

In relationships the paralyzing fear of the unknown can cause you to become “taffy stuck, tongue tied, shuttered shook and uptight” (Counting Crows). This equates to a newly blossoming relationship where the boundaries of trust are being tested to a more mature relationship transcending to the next step of a deeper understanding of love, the possibility of marriage. Though we may want someone we can fully trust and be open with, we put up defenses that make it more difficult to open up. The further the relationship develops the more trusting and open you become as stated by Counting Crows, “I am folded, and unfolded, and unfolding” (Counting Crows). Not everyone expresses himself or herself the same way. The lyrics of this song explores the intense nature

The lyrics of this song explore the intense nature of someone that was emotional hurt in some way and their struggle to expose themselves once more. Tough we put up our defenses “I am covered in skin, no one gets to come in” we still desire for someone to “pull me out from inside” (Counting Crows). Allowing another person to glimpse into us, revealing who we are with this person is the transition from when we are ready to open ourselves to the recognition of “I am fine” (Counting Crows).

Colorblind through just a few simple words symbolizes a journey of trust. From the beginning seeing just the extremes on the surface we allow to be seen to the uncovering of our emotions that we allow to unfold. In the end, the realizations that you are fine come when you come to terms with yourself and are ready to open yourself to vulnerability again.

Counting Crows. Colorblind. This Desert Life. Emi Blackwood Music Inc, 1999.