Songs with Color in the Title or Lyrics

If you are wondering why I would include a list of songs with colors in the title or lyric. The answer is simple. For years, I have admired songwriters who have the ability to write great lyrics. Their clever turn of a phrase makes me smile. Their ability to tap into emotions with just a few words fascinates me.

My music collection includes popular artists and even more people you may never have heard of -- the talented people behind the songs who usually only perform to small audiences. 

Lyrics are poetry that are meant to be heard, and understood, in real time. A song lyric that needs to be studied to be understood has failed. All the great lyricists understand this. Most lyricists I know strive to be simple and clear, to express the feelings of the heart and the head in a way that is effortless, original and succinct...They use vivid, colorful language, but not for the sake of sophistication; colorful language helps the lyric to be more easily memorable and understandable.

Sean Hartley, Director of Theater@Kaufman at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City

I noticed that many songs used color as a way to communicate an idea or emotion so I started to keep a list of song titles as they popped into my mind. This list is in no way complete and I won't guarantee that all of these songs have great lyrics but they all reference color. Enjoy!

Songs With Black in the Title

  • Baby’s in Black - The Beatles
  • Blackbird - The Beatles
  • Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones
  • Back in Black - AC/DC
  • Bye Bye Blackbird - Joe Cocker
  • Back To Black - Lucinda Williams
  • Black and Blue - Van Halen
  • Black and White - Three Dog Night
  • Black Betty - Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • Black Country Woman - Led Zeppelin
  • Black Crow Blues by Bob Dylan
  • Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana
  • Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
  • Lady in Black - Uriah Heep
  • Black, Red, Yellow by Pearl Jam
  • Back to Black by Amy Winehouse

Songs With Blue in the Title

  • Blue - Joni Mitchell
  • Blue - LeAnn Rimes
  • True Blue - Madonna
  • Blonde Over Blue - Billy Joel
  • Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
  • Blue Eyes - Elton John
  • Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - Willie Nelson
  • Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins, covered by Elvis Presley
  • Blue Sunday - The Doors
  • Devil With A Blue Dress On - Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
  • Don’t It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle
  • My Baby Blue - John Hiatt
  • Blue Sunday - The Doors
  • Blue Jean - David Bowie
  • Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
  • Suite Madame Blue - Styx
  • Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
  • Blue Jay Way - The Beatles
  • Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison
  • Forever In Blue Jeans - Neil Diamond
  • Blue Velvet - Bobby Vinton
  • I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Elton John
  • For You Blue - The Beatles
  • Blue Moon - Elvis Presley
  • Blue Moon - The Marcels

Songs With Yellow or Gold in the Title

  • Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell, covered by Amy Grant and Counting Crows
  • Black, Red, Yellow - Pearl Jam
  • Blue and Yellow - The Used
  • Gold - Spandau Ballet
  • Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow - Frank Zappa
  • Double Yellow Line - The Music Machine
  • Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
  • Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss
  • Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
  • Mellow Yellow - Donovan
  • Tie A Yellow Ribbon - Tony Orlando and Dawn
  • Yellow Submarine - the Beatles
  • Heart Of Gold - Neil Young
  • Black Velvet - Alannah Myles
  • Black and Yellow - rapper Wiz Khalifa
  • Silence Is Golden - The Tremeloes
  • Fields Of Gold - Sting

Songs With Orange in the Title

  • Orange Blossom Special - Johnny Cash
  • Orange Crate Art - Brian Wilson
  • Orange Goblin - Orange Goblin
  • Orange Juice - Melanie Martinez
  • Orange Appeal - Alien Ant Farm

Songs With Red in the Title

  • Red - Taylor Swift
  • Black, Red, Yellow - Pearl Jam
  • Blue Red and Grey - The Who
  • Courtesy of The Red, White And Blue - Toby Keith
  • Flaming Red - Patty Griffin
  • I Saw Red - Warrant
  • Lady In Red - Chris De Burgh
  • Little Red Corvette - Prince
  • Red House - Jimi Hendrix
  • Red, Red Wine - UB40
  • (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes - Elvis Costello

Songs With Pink in the Title

  • Mr. Pink Eyes - The Cure
  • Pink Moon - Nick Drake
  • Pink - Aerosmith
  • Pink & Blue - OutKast on The Love Below
  • Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen
  • Pink Cashmere - Prince on The Hits 1
  • A Pink Dream - The Cure on the Mint Car single
  • Pink Elephant - Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
  • Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
  • Pink Maggit - Deftones
  • Pink Panther Theme - Henry Mancini
  • A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) - Marty Robbins

Songs With Green in the Title

  • All the World Is Green - Tom Waits
  • Blue in Green - Miles Davis
  • Early Morning Blues and Greens - The Monkees
  • Evergreen - Barbra Streisand
  • Evergreen - Switchfoot
  • Everything’s Gone Green - New Order
  • Forty Shades Of Green - Johnny Cash
  • From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea - The Cure
  • Green River - Credence Clearwater Revival
  • Green Onions - Booker T & The M.Gs
  • The Grass is Green - Nelly Furtado
  • Little Green - Joni Mitchell
  • Green, Green, Grass Of Home - Tom Jones

Songs With Purple in the Title

  • Pale Purple - Ani DiFranco
  • Purple - Slapshock
  • Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
  • The Purple of All Curtains - Tangerine Dream
  • Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
  • Purple Rain - Prince
  • Purple Ray Gun - Alexis Shepard
  • Purple Stain - Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Purple Toupee - They Might Be Giants
  • Voices Green and Purple - The Bees
  • Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello

Songs With White in the Title

  • Nights in White Satin - the Moody Blues
  • White Men in Black Suits - Everclear
  • White on White - Danny Williams
  • White Queen (As It Began) - Queen
  • White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
  • White Riot - The Clash
  • White Flag - Dido
  • White Room - Alisha’s Attic
  • Dirty White Boy - Foreigner
  • White Room - Cream
  • White Wedding - Billy Idol
  • Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
  • White Shadows - Coldplay
  • A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation) - Marty Robbins

Songs With Gray or Silver in the Title

  • A Touch of Grey - the Grateful Dead
  • Grey Ghost - the Henry Paul Band
  • Grey Skies - The Verve
  • Grey Street - the Dave Matthews Band
  • Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead
  • Blue, Red, and Grey - the Who
  • Silver Lady - David Soul
  • Girls Not Grey - AFI

Songs With Brown in the Title

  • Big, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
  • Brown Eyes - Lady Gaga
  • Big Brown City - Lynn Miles
  • Brown Chicken Brown Cow - Trace Adkins
  • A Boat Like Gideon Brown - Great Big Sea
  • Bobbie Brown Goes Down - Frank Zappa
  • Bring Back That Leroy Brown - Queen
  • Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
  • Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry
  • Brown Eyed Pickle Boy - Tripping Daisy
  • Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
  • Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter - Herman’s Hermits

Talk With Us About Songs With Color in the Title or Lyrics

Did I forget about a song with color in the title or lyrics? Let me know by leaving a comment below. I'm always adding to list and appreciate your help in adding songs.

Or just talk to me about some of your favorite songwriters or songs with color.

Feature Image Credit: Jordan McDonald on Unsplash

Read Time: 5 min
author avatar
Kate Smith
Kate Smith is an optimistic, expressive, artist, designer, writer and color fanatic. With her warm and witty style, Kate teaches you to clearly see, understand and be inspired by color. Then she guides you step-by-step to develop your own unique color sense-ability and achieve results you never dreamed possible.
  • Jair LP says:

    “Wear your love like heaven “, by Donovan. The song mentions seven dye and pigment colours: Prussian blue, Scarlet, Crimson, Havana lake, Carmine (color), Rose carmethene and Alizarin crimson.

  • Meri Ziev says:

    Hi Kate – I love this post! I am putting together my next cabaret show, and my theme is color. The meanings and evocative nature of colors has always been fascinating to me. My father was an artist, and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist, so I’m combining these passions to create a show called “Shades of Meaning”! I have been creating a song list for a couple of years now, and I find your list and your color resources extremely valuable! THANK YOU!

    • virginia says:

      Red Sails in the Sunset

  • Joe says:

    Orange Crush -REM

  • Cory says:

    There is also “Love is Blue,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” and “Green, Green” (Johnny Rivers.) I suppose you could also include Prince’s “Raspberry Beret,” too. Great list, though. Thank you!

  • Vicki says:

    A White Sportcoat and a Pink Carnation
    Blue Moon

    • Kate Smith says:

      Thanks, I’ve added them.

  • . says:

    Little Black Submarines by The Black Keys, Gold On The Ceiling by The Black Keys and Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance could all go here.

  • Peter Hanley says:

    You forgot songs with the word orange in the title.

    • Kate Smith says:

      Yes, I did because I couldn’t think of any and didn’t find any online when I first put this together years ago. I have now added a few. If you know others, let me know.

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