Tracy Lawrence: Paint Me A Birmingham Meaning
Song Released: 2003
Paint Me A Birmingham Lyrics
Paintin’ waves as they danced, upon the sand
With every stroke, he brought to life
The deep blue of the ocean, against the mornin’ sky
I asked him if he only painted ocean scenes
He said for twenty...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:Doesn't anyone know GIYF anymore?
Quote from Wikipedia
Gary Duffy (the songwriter) stated in a 2004 Songfacts interview that "Paint Me a Birmingham" was inspired by a true story. When he was nineteen, a close childhood friend of his was killed in a car accident. He walked on a nearby beach to clear his head and the only other person there was an artist painting pictures of the lake. He had a Polaroid of he and his friend, taken at a high school dance, in his wallet and asked the artist to paint a picture of them sitting on the porch of his family home, a large old Birmingham-style house, since his family used to joke about them someday growing up and marrying, and the artist did so. The story was slightly changed in the song to be about a romantic partner. The song itself is also ambiguous as to whether she died or simply left. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:he simply says "paint me a Birmingham". to him, this is the dream he has of being somewhere he knows he can't be, which is in Birmingham, and in her arms.
Its a simple reflection of ones lost love, and wanting to be back in that time again. he refers to art in the song, meaning that is the only way he will ever be there again.
Its his way of coming to terms with his lost love.
Of course any good artist will make their songs connect with a listener on a personal level, and each person will have a meaning all to their own, but if you just go off lyrics, its what I stated up top. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:For anyone that has ever been to Birmingham, AL, it is very obvious that he was not singing of this city. It is dirty, poor, and absent of all culture. Their wonderful new attraction is a golf course hotel that looks like a ski resort. They play bag pipes out front, yes I am serious!
A Birmingham is a type of painting. His Birmingham painting is described in detail in the song. -
My grandfather is Buck Moore. Sadly he passed away a few years ago so I will never have the chance to ask him about the meaning behind this iconic song.
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As an Art student in junior high I was taught that a Birmingham was a type of painting..Its as large or larger than a sofa and is hung in the main hall or entry way over sofa or settee as the rooms main focal point.
There are also Birmingham style houses... large 2 story houses that look almost as if a main plantation estate house only not as large and were found nearer to town and sometimes in town.
Ive never seen Birmingham, AL. ever look pretty..not even in old pictures. Lol but admit I could be wrong. -
Reflecting on the happiest yet saddest moments/memories of the one thing or time was the happiest for the singer. Very poignant meaning. Sad but happy
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I thought Birmingham was a portrait. “For $20 I’ll paint you
anything” of course you can’t get a Picasso for $20, so paint me a Birmingham an affordable portrait -
When he says Birmingham, he's referring to the common style of houses that come from and are built in the City of Birmingham. He described the scene around the house, and made apparent the absence of the woman.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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Actually, old Birmingham, AL has houses over 100 y/o like my grandmama's. Way back, it was on the edge of town before paved streets. Great big front porch, 2 story, frame, terra-cotta tile roof... still there today. Yep, "could ya paint me back into her arms again?" Sad song, all C/W... yes! But cha know I love it... all that's missing is her dog, maybe? FYI: that Bham style house is named a shotgun house, like the ones ya see in NOLA.
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I don't really care about the meaning of this song as everyone can dream what it means. I just love it as one of my favorite country songs in the past 68 years (that' right, I started listening to WWVA out of Wheeling WV in 1949). However today my favorite songs belong to songs about fellow military. Always remember all gave some, but some gave all to keep our country free. We can all dream of a Birmingham.
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It's a song about a childhood friend that died. He wants a picture painted of her in a cotton dress on an old swing in front of a Birmingham style house that has a porch wrapped around it. It could be in Alabama or a car but you can't wrap a porch around a car
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I being of sound mind truly love this song. It makes me feel amazing when I can let go of all the pain and live in my own Birmingham. That what he talking about. He is painting a picture of where he'd be if he controlled time and enjoying just a thought of how it could of been better to his liking. Its kind of like have your cake and eat it too!
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So the man was going to commit suicide right on the beach. This was because of the pain he felt in his heart for losing his prized Cadillac Birmingham Model. A 1964. And the painter said that he would be happy to paint him riding in that car if he would only choose to live. Tracy Lawrence walks by and offers the man $50 to have a meet and greet at his next concert - and he could choose a T-Shirt or a record album. Instead, the painter goes out for breakfast and orders the Birmingham omelet - which is like a 3-egg western omelet, but without any salsa. The world blows up and Obama becomes president and saves everyone.
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he is talking about the woman he loves and he lost her by her going away either by divorce or dying and he misses her--he wishes she was there with the big house and porch and her on a swing. this should have been a video of people acting the parts.
I can see the entire pic and he sang it so very good- this is one of my favorite songs
job or song well done by tracy and only wish I could see him live and tell him so -
Hmmm... I love this song. I think you all are trying too hard to make this song into something deeper than what it is... It is a song about lost love and regret. Personally, I don't care if the Birmingham he refers to is a car (as one person said) a porch, a painting or a city in Alabama.
I always had the image that it was Birmingham, AL. And then there was a woman that the man loved dearly and lost. He is recalling the memory of her and the home they were to share. It had a wrap around porch and a swing where the gal sat in a cotton dress.
I heard Paint Me A Birmingham on the radio this afternoon and I couldn't recall Buck Moore's last name and wanted to look it up. I lived at the same RV park that Buck and his wife resided at about 4 years back. It was driving me nuts and now I read all of these interpretations of a lovely song from a few years back and I wish I had minded my own friggin business. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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