Any Colour You Like by Pink Floyd

Album: The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

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The title is often attributed to something Henry Ford said about the Model T automobile: "You can have it any color you like... as long as it's black!" According to The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia, however, the song title is from a catch phrase used by former Pink Floyd road manager Chris Adamson. When asked for a guitar, Adamson would respond, "Any colour you like, they're all blue." He may have picked this up from local street traders in Cambridge. >>>
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Todd - NY
This is an instrumental that is musically similar to "Breathe," and is unofficially called "Breathe (2nd reprise)." >>>
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Jcraveiro - Lisbon, Portugal
The song used advanced effects for the time both in the keyboard and the guitar. The VCS 3 synthesizer was fed through a long tape loop to create the rising and falling keyboard solo. David Gilmour used 2 guitars with the UniVibe guitar effect to create the harmonizing guitar solo for the rest of the song. >>>
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Dylan - Regin, Canada
Roger Waters, in an interview with the author Phil Rose, stated: "In Cambridge where I lived, people would come from London in a van - a truck - open the back and stand on the tailboard of the truck, and the truck's full of stuff that they're trying to sell. And they have a very quick and slick patter, and they're selling things like crockery, china, sets of knives and forks. All kinds of different things, and they sell it very cheap with a patter. They tell you what it is, and they say 'It's ten plates, lady, and it's this, that, and the other, and eight cups and saucers, and for the lot I'm asking NOT ten pounds, NOT five pounds, NOT three pounds... fifty bob to you!,' and they get rid of this stuff like this. If they had sets of china, and they were all the same colour, they would say, 'You can 'ave 'em, ten bob to you, love. Any colour you like, they're all blue.' And that was just part of that patter. So, metaphorically, 'Any Colour You Like' is interesting, in that sense, because it denotes offering a choice where there is none. And it's also interesting that in the phrase, 'Any colour you like, they're all blue,' I don't know why, but in my mind it's always 'they're all blue', which, if you think about it, relates very much to the light and dark, sun and moon, good and evil. You make your choice but it's always blue." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Felipe - Guayaquil, Ecuador

Comments: 25

Dipesh from IndiaChill out!!! Choice is not yours as it's all blue!!!
Drake from Huntington Beach, CaMusic with noise these days are dirty and jagged. Music with noise back then was a new concept and it sounded a lot more crystal clear then it does now.
Adrian from Los Angeles, Caits a really good song but i want to know if there are any other instrumental songs that are similar or have this type of sound to them
Malcolm from Glasgow, United KingdomAs a budding Sound Engineer in the 70s, this song meant so much to me. Great use of the technology they had, and way ahead of it's time.

But away from the nuts and bolts, some 35 years later this to me is still the perfect album. Musicianship, some real meaning, and a willingness to push the boundaries, in many ways. I know I'm getting old and cynical but my view is that the industry doesn't allow that today, and can't understand why sales are down? I think it was a golden age. But the great music is still out there - why would any generation be less talented than others? So lets hope the real musicians of today can get their music heard.
Oldpink from New Castle, InThe working title for this during the "Eclipsed" sets in 1972, before it became a part of "Dark Side of the Moon," was "Dave's Scat" or simply "Scat."
Listening to the finished version, you can clearly hear Dave Gilmour scatting along.
Some of the live versions, especially September 22, 1972, Hollywood Bowl, have Dave's voice even more prominently audible.
This is a perfect transition song, and it also is the only real opportunity for the band to improvise when performing it live, given the strictures of performing the rest of the music to coincide with the backdrop films played behind them on "Mr. Screen."
Trey from Kalamazoo, MtGreat song. I love how Us and Them flows so well into it. They're completely different songs in every way, but they go so good together.
Todd from Any Colour You Like, NyIt is indirectly derived from the "Any colour you like, theyre all black". The road manager when asked what guitar he wanted he would say "Any colour you like theyre all blue" which probably came from the commercial. But the song is about how you are what you make yourself. Your colour being who you are and if you want to be someone you can choose to be like that, as stated in the Pink Floyd encyclopdia. But this is such a sick song anyway, especially live on the PULSE album.
Michael from Sofia, BulgariaThere is just no other song like this one. It has that guitar sound, yet it's so light and a bit joyful. No matter the fact that there aren't lyrics on this track everything comes into place. You can just feel the idea, the messages. Subconsciously it makes you feel every piece of the track. It has been my favorite song ever since I heard it when I was a small child and my dad played it to me on a vinyl player...
Steveb from Spokane, WaI think just stating it comes from a Ford commercial doesn't do it much justice... Its stated in several interviews it comes from either a roadie or sound engineer(can't remember which) who is giving them the choices for sound and says "You can have it any color you like." which might be a reference to that commercial on his part. It is about perspective, and despite all the horribly depressing aspects involved in Dark side(and life in general) how you can find joy through your own eyes. Which is why it is really the only upbeat song with a happy vibe(except money, which does so satirically anyways).
Andreas from Melbourne, Australiathis song is great for when you want to chill out
Cam from Cambridge, CanadaOn the t.v. show " Classic Albums" they do a little documentary about Dark Side, they go through all the songs and fail to mention about Any Colour You Like, which to me is my favourite song on the album
Matt from Downers Grove, IlI think this is an important part of the album-it's very cool to listen to and a great transition into Brain Damage. By the way, Steven- look up what "garnish" means.
Kim from Trondheim, NorwayYeah, i don't really like speak to me. but I love this song, and all the other songs on this album. Pink Floyd are great!
Matt from Downers Grove, IlActually, Steve, I think that every song made this a phenomenal album. Except maybe 'speak to me...'
Joanna from Kielcegrooooooovyyyyyy........but furthermore great,great,great song!!!!!!!
Steven from West Carrollton, OhClay... (tsk-tsk) it's obvious that you are NOT an observer and, consequently, can't hear. "Brain Damage/Eclipse" is what made it rock. That and "Money".
Clay from Medicine Hat, Canadathe album was amazing, and this is the tune that garnished dark side of the moon.
John from Dallas, TxThis song is great when you are rolling. Try it. Its frickin great!
Evan from Paramus, United StatesAm I the only one who hears this song in the background of the 2pac song Violent?
Ashley Jade from Cleveland, GaThe most underrated song on the album
Lauren from Some Place, DeLove it. This song hasn't got words, yet it speaks for itself.
Gary from Harrisburg, PaAccording to wikipedia, "The title came from an answer frequently given by a studio technician to questions put to him: 'You can have it any colour you like.'"
Joey from Hw, United Statesseems to me like not a very popular song; 2 comments and 2 facts but i like it
Helen from Oxford, Englandi love the intro
Mustafa from Cairo, EgyptOne of my favourite songs ever. Just love the guitar and all the effects in it

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