COLORS IN MUSIC

What Is A Yellow Submarine, Anyway? 10 Colorful Songs Explained

Image: Icons8 Team

Music is a powerful tool that explicitly evokes all kinds of emotions. Colors, on the other hand, have a more subtle way of arousing feelings. Various theories have been developed to study the psychology behind colors and they all agree that they can be as powerful as music. So imagine what happens when you put those two things together. "Back to black" takes you right to the dark, low moments of life, while "Yellow Submarine" can already make you feel cheerful, doesn’t it?

Join us as we explore ten songs that have used colors to further express their messages.

Image: Alexander A.

The first item in our list not only blends colors and music but also combines multiple music styles: rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music. Only Prince could have done it!

Purple Rain is a song from 1984, part of the album of the same name, written and performed by Prince with his backing band, The Revolution.

Now, what does it mean? Prince himself explained that it is a reference to the sky and it represents letting your faith guide you to be with the one you love, even when it seems impossible. Quite a profound start, isn’t it?

Image: 2H Media

Songs, lyrics, and music are filled with individual interpretations which can vary greatly. Yellow Submarine by The Beatles is quite representative of that. The song, written by the English band as part of their album Revolver in 1966 was subject to opinions and interpretations from the very beginning.

Some deemed it empty of meaning, while teenagers of the time embraced it to create their own chants of protest. And some even take it as a metaphor for how The Beatles perceived themselves as prisoners of their own fame. Whatever we take as the truth, nobody can deny it is a great song.

Image: Volkan Olmez

Back to Black was written by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse in 2006 and instantly became an international success. Considering how short and troubled Winehouse’s life was, critics consider this song the purest expression of her complex mind.

It is her signature song and describes the difficult time she was going through at the time. Black is the color that best reflects how lonely life can get and how devoid of hope a person can get. Even in the most tragic ending, Winehouse still resonates with our society through this iconic song.

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Just another song that belongs in the greater leagues as it’s in the Grammy Hall of Fame, among other achievements.

Released in 1967,Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison describes, naturally, a romance of the past in the most nostalgic way. Innocence, youth, and happy memories are all implied in the lyrics and the upbeat rhythm completes the picture it paints.

Image: Lo Sarno

Many songs, like this one, are written specifically for film productions. Blue Hawaii for example, was written in 1937 by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger for a film called Waikiki Wedding.

However, that is not the only film featuring it, as it was so successful, that it received several covers in the following years. Probably, the most famous one was performed by Elvis Presley in the namesake film of 1961.

The color of the ocean and that dreamy location set the scene in a rather straightforward way and it makes us wish we were there, right?

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It is not uncommon to see hints of autobiographical notes in songs. Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road by Elton John and Bernie Taupin is said to contain elements from the latter’s childhood on the farm in Lincolnshire.

Whatever the truth is, this ballad reflects on the hardship behind fame and how the author longed for a simpler, more genuine life, away from the glamour.

Regarding Elton’s career, many critics go as far as saying this is one of his best songs, and the records it broke prove it!

Image: Kym Ellis

You may know Red Red Wine by UB40, but Neil Diamond originally wrote and performed this song in 1967.

Part of his second studio album, Just for You, the lyrics are easily relatable: Haven’t we all gone through a time when we thought a cup of red wine was somehow a way to forget about our troubles? Neil Diamond surely felt that when he wrote this song.

UB40 might have found it appealing as they re-recorded it 20 years later, which ultimately led to an overwhelming success for them.

Image: Kilian Seiler

We don’t need to describe The Rolling Stones success, an over-40-years career speaks for itself. Among its many hits, Paint It, Black is the one that belongs in our article.

Originally writtenby Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song explores themes of grief and despair. It is narrated from the point of view of a person who lost their loved one and wants everything in black to match their mood. It is worth mentioning that, as with most iconic songs, it has received different interpretations. In any case, the topics are universal and the song is a hit still today!

Image: Clem Onojeghuo

Musicians don’t always have to resort to black to express intense feelings. When the experience needs to be energetic and powerful, other colors get to play. That was what Bruce Springsteen was thinking when he wrote Pink Cadillac in 1984.

Romantic attraction, desire, escapism, and more topics of the sort have raised some controversy around the meaning, but that wasn’t enough to keep it from the Billboard chart for 14 weeks straight.

Image: Alexey Lin

The new millennium brought amazing things and Coldplay the British band was one of them. Included as the second single of their debut album Parachute, the song gave the band its first top-five hit in the United Kingdom.

But that wasn’t it, thanks to this song, Coldplay reached international fame and popularity which only kept growing and growing. More than two decades later, Yellow and the topic of love and devotion still resonate with the crowds.

HIGH SCORES AND NOSTALGIA

Let's Remember The 10 Best Arcade Games

Image: Matt & Chris Pua

While today's virtual recreation options are many and varied, the arrival of arcade games in the early 1970s revolutionized the entertainment world and left a mark on entire generations. It's impossible not to feel a bit nostalgic when thinking of these incredible games. From the revolutionary Pac-Man to other iconic Donkey Kong, we all had our favorites. What was yours?

Today, we have compiled 10 of the best arcade games to bring back the joy and excitement they once gave us. Let's play!

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Outer space and its possibilities were a recurring theme in the 1970s games. You probably already know which one we are talking about now. You guessed it right: it's the unforgettable Space Invaders.

Released by Taito Corporation in 1978, this game was so fun and addictive that it quickly became a hit. With a classic format, players had to shoot a laser at invading ships coming from the top of the screen. Space Invaders was one of the first games to track high scores, which unleashed a competitive fever among players.

Adrenaline, tension, and fun were combined in this great game that defined the idea of "shooting games" and marked the childhood and adolescence of many of us.

Image: Senad Palic

Continuing with the space theme, another classic arcade game appeared in 1979, the mythical Asteroids by Atari.

If fighting against various enemies and obstacles was your thing, you've played Asteroids. In this classic, players had a ship that traversed space among asteroids and enemy flying saucers. Avoiding collisions with asteroids and attacking rival ships was a big challenge.

However, the level of difficulty didn't make Asteroids players any less passionate. From the beginning, this game found success, gaining a loyal fan base and becoming one of the best-selling games of its time.

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This list would never be complete without mentioning one of the most popular games of all time: the legendary Pac-Man.

Pac-Man, played around the world by people of all ages, genders, and nationalities, was a revolution in the world of video games.

Released by Namco in 1980, this arcade game was an instant hit, and it elevated its iconic and colorful characters to global fame: the one and only Pac-Man and his "adversaries" Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Do you remember them all?

Image: Kelly Sikkema

In 1981, Nintendo launched a game that would become an absolute success: Donkey Kong.

In this classic arcade game, a particular character named Jumpman had to overcome stairs and other obstacles to save the damsel Paulina from the formidable Donkey Kong. But do you know who this Jumpman was? That's right! He later became the iconic video game figure known as Mario Bros. While he was not yet called Mario in this game, it marked his debut as the popular character we know today.

Donkey Kong was one of the first arcades to include a series of diverse and challenging levels, and it became one of the best-selling games at the time!

Image: Ben Neale

In 1981, Sega released a game developed by Konami that quickly conquered gamers. In Frogger, players used the famous joystick to control the little frogs through congested routes and tricky obstacles and get them back home. As the game progressed, the obstacles increased in speed and difficulty, making it not only fun and addictive but also very dynamic!

Due to its simplicity and lack of violence, this game was a hit regardless of the gender and age of the players.

But there is one thing that will instantly bring this game to mind: its iconic music! Do you remember it?

Image: Isaiah Schultz

Two years after the successful Pac-Man, the arcade witnessed the debut of the iconic Ms. Pac-Man!

That's right, Pac-Man's girlfriend also had her own game, and it had nothing to envy the original. Released by Midway in 1982, Ms. Pac-Man came out as a sequel game and was one of the first video games to have a female protagonist.

This game was very well received by gamers at the time, as it had everything they loved about Pac-Man, plus several improvements. A bit more challenging than the original, Ms. Pac-Man featured the beloved female protagonist and the four ghosts, this time called Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue.

Image: Justice Thompson

Of course, we can't forget to include a video game celebrity: the one and only Mario Bros.

As we already mentioned, Mario's first appearance in a game didn't even feature his name in the title, and he went by a different name. But his character in Donkey Kong was so well received that Nintendo decided to develop a video game for the beloved Mario.

Mario Bros., released for arcades in 1983, had not only Mario but also his co-star, his funny little brother Luigi, fighting and jumping in each level against obstacles and enemies.

Mario Bros. became a very popular arcade game in its time and was the starting point for the development of the legendary franchise that now bears that name.

Image: Joey kwok

When it comes to fighting games, Street Fighter II -released in arcades in 1991 by Capcom- gets a special mention among arcade classics.

Unlike Street Fighter I and other games that preceded it, Street Fighter II allowed the players to choose from a diverse group of characters, all fighting to become the best warrior in the world. At the same time, each character had unique abilities and characteristics. If you had the chance to play it, you probably remember some of them, such as Ryu, Ken, or Chun-Li.

In addition to its multiplicity of characters, Street Fighter II presented innovative features like the "combo system" (allowing players to apply several attacks in a row) and the "versus mode" (with which you could challenge a friend to play). Thus, this game marked the path that fighting games would take in the following decades.

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But in 1992, we welcomed a game that, for many experts, not only surpassed Street Fighter but also became an emblem of fighting games.

We are talking about the unforgettable Mortal Kombat, with its legendary and fearsome characters that include Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Raiden, and Sonya, among others. In addition, each character had an interesting backstory that revealed a certain depth in the characters' crafting.

But what really set Mortal Kombat apart was its unusual level of graphical violence, which naturally attracted many gamers. Do you remember the "fatalities"? Did you have a favorite character?

Image: Karsten Winegeart

If sports games were your thing, you probably played NBA Jam. This classic was released in 1993 by Midway Games and was undoubtedly very well received by the public.

Among its best features was the possibility of choosing between real NBA players of that time, making fans get excited every time they could play.

On the other hand, the graphics style and the game speed were some of the most valued features among the players.

Remember the "Boomshakalaka!" and "He's on Fire!" by Tim Kitzrow? What a time!