"Paint It Black" (originally released as "Paint It, Black") is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Jointly credited to the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was first released as a single on 7 May 1966, and later included as the opening track to the US version of their 1966 album Aftermath. The song reached No. 1 in both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's third No.1 hit single in the US and sixth in the UK.

Since its initial release, the song has remained influential as the first number-one hit featuring a sitar, particularly in the UK, where it has charted on two other occasions, and has been the subject of multiple cover versions, compilation albums and film appearances.

It is one of the band's most popular songs and is on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018 and it is the 79th best ranked song on critics' all-time lists according to Acclaimed Music.

Lyrics

I see a red door and I want it painted black

No colors anymore, I want them to turn black

I see the girls walk by, dressed in their summer clothes

I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they're all painted black

With flowers and my love both never to come back

I see people turn their heads and quickly look away

Like a newborn baby, it just happens everyday

I look inside myself and see my heart is black

I see my red door and must have it painted black

Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts

It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue

I could not foresee this thing happening to you

If I look hard enough into the setting sun

My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black

No colors anymore, I want them to turn black

I see the girls walk by, dressed in their summer clothes

I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Hmm, hmm, hmm...

I wanna see it painted, painted black

Black as night, black as coal

I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky

I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black