Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: goth
Song Meaning of “Old Red” by Those Poor Bastards
“Old Red” tells a powerful story of heartache and loss, as the narrator reflects on memories of a person they once shared an intimate connection with. The song begins by describing how they used to spend their days together, walking in the meadow and talking about anything and everything under the sun. But the good times have now faded, as the narrator realizes that the person they love is long gone and they have no way of bringing them back.
The song suggests that this person was the source of the narrator’s joy, and without them, their life has been reduced to feelings of emptiness and alienation. In the chorus, the narrator reveals that the source of their pain is the color of their lover’s hair — it is as if the sight of it still lingers with them, reminding them of what they once had, but can no longer hold onto.
The narrator’s love is an unrequited one and the emotions of longing for what was and the hurt of being forgotten can be felt in every verse. Overall, “Old Red” is a song of regret, sorrow, and a reflection of what might have been between them, had things gone differently.