Start Wearing Purple by Gogol Bordello Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Eclectic Tapestry of Colorful Rebellion

Lyrics

Start wearing purple wearing purple
Start wearing purple, for me now
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish
I promise, it’s just a matter of time

So yeah start wearing purple wearing purple
Start wearing purple, for me now
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish
I promise, it’s just a matter of time

I know you since you were a twenty and I was twenty
But thought that some years from now
A purple little little lady will be perfect
For dirty old and useless clown

So yeah, start wearing purple wearing purple!
Start wearing purple for me now!
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish,
I promise, it’s just a matter of time!

I know it all from Diogenis to Foucault
From Lozgechkin to Paspartu
I ja kljanus obostzav dva paltza
Schto muzika poshla ot Zvukov Mu!

Start wearing purple wearing purple!
Start wearing purple for me now!
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish,
I promise, it’s just a matter of time!

So yeah, start wearing purple wearing purple!
Start wearing purple for me now!
So why don’t you start wearing purple?
Why don’t you start wearing purple
Start wearing purple for me now!

All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish,
I promise, it’s just a matter of time!

So Fio-Fio-Fioletta! Etta! Va-va-va-vaja dama ti moja!
Eh podayte name karetu, votetu, I mi poedem k ebenjam!
So yeah, start wearing purple wearing purple!
Start wearing purple for me now!
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish,
I promise, it’s just a matter of time!

At first glance, Gogol Bordello’s ‘Start Wearing Purple’ might seem like a whimsical romp through a bohemian wardrobe, but beneath the vibrant surface lies a deeper, symbolic narrative. The emphatic repetition, quirky lines, and irreverent tone are signatures of Gogol Bordello’s music, but they also serve as a vehicle for profound commentary.

As a fierce explosion of color and sound, ‘Start Wearing Purple’ has become an anthem for the nonconformists, the thinkers, and the outliers. Its seemingly nonsensical chorus is an invitation to dissect, to explore beyond the purplish hue, into the heart of what it truly stands for.

Rebellion Against the Monochrome: Color Yourself Different

The song’s persistent urge to ‘start wearing purple’ isn’t just about a color preference; it’s a metaphor for defiance against the grayscale routine of society. In fashion, purple has historically symbolized royalty, spirituality, and unconventionality – it’s a color that traditionally stands out. The song embraces this idea of standing out by adopting a bold, distinctive hue as a wider call to action for embracing individuality and rejecting social norms.

Gogol Bordello isn’t just singing about clothes; they are clothing themselves in the fabric of rebellion. The repetition of wearing purple becomes a mantra for the listener to break free from the chains of conformity, to be proudly different, and to celebrate uniqueness in a world that often demands uniformity.

The March of Time: Sanity’s Inevitable Disappearance

The song warns that ‘all your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise, it’s just a matter of time.’ This line isn’t merely a prediction of personal chaos but speaks to the universal truth of life’s unpredictable evolution. Sanity here symbolizes the constructs we cling to: predictability, order, and the illusion of control over our lives.

What Gogol Bordello suggests is that embracing the sense of absurdity, symbolized by the color purple, is not a sign of madness but rather an acceptance of life’s inherent unpredictability. The song proposes that there is wisdom in surrendering to the flow of time and the changes it brings, and in doing so, we release ourselves from the shackles of conventional sanity.

Nostalgic for a Love Unconventional: The Purple Lady and the Useless Clown

Diving into the lyrics, there’s a bittersweet sense of nostalgia in the lines ‘I know you since you were a twenty and I was twenty.’ The song’s speaker reflects on a relationship from youth and envisions a future where his partner, the ‘purple little lady,’ complements his role as a ‘dirty old and useless clown.’ This coupling is no accident; it represents a longing for a partnership that defies age and flourishes on eccentricity.

In this imagined future, the speaker is not lamenting about growing old and purposeless but rather treasures the idea of continuing a nontraditional path with someone who mirrors his own avant-garde spirit. The purple attire becomes a badge of honor for two souls roaming outside society’s mainstream expectations.

A Patchwork of Philosophy and Melody: The Intellectual Mosaic

The song mentions a range of historical and cultural figures from ‘Diogenis to Foucault,’ which is not just name-dropping but rather an intricate weaving of philosophical thought. Diogenes the Cynic was known for his rejection of conventional values and his search for virtue, while Foucault explored the dynamics of power and knowledge.

By invoking these thinkers, Gogol Bordello isn’t just grounding their song in intellectualism; they’re charting a lineage of critical thought that challenges the status quo. The fact that music, ‘muzika,’ follows these references hints at the song’s purpose – to be a continuation of this challenging philosophy, but this time through the medium of sound.

From Catchy Refrain to Cultural Insignia: ‘Start Wearing Purple’ as a Modern Hymn

The line ‘Start wearing purple for me now’ morphs from a simple, memorable refrain into a powerful statement of identity and alliance. The ‘me’ in the song can be interpreted as the band, the individual listener, or as a collective ‘other’ that stands against the societal currents. It’s a call to action, a pledge of allegiance to the cultural insurgents and a badge of acceptance in an underground community.

As the song closes with ‘All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise, it’s just a matter of time,’ it’s a reminder that the central theme is not the end of reason, but the beginning of liberation. ‘Start Wearing Purple’ isn’t just a song; it’s a cultural insignia for those ready to embrace their true colors.