Red, as Wikipedia notes, is “the color at the end of the spectrum of visible light next to orange and opposite violet.”
It’s also both one of the “additive primary colors of visible light, along with green and blue”… AND “one of the subtractive primary colors, along with yellow and blue, of the.. traditional color wheel used by painters and artists.
“Since red is the color of blood, it has historically been associated with sacrifice, danger, and courage.
“Modern surveys in the United States and Europe show red is also the color most commonly associated with heat, activity, passion, sexuality, anger, love, and joy.
“In China and many other Asian countries, it is the color of happiness.”
Of course, most STOP lights and stop signs are red. This means that RED is a contradiction. Action and stopping. Anger and joy.
I thought I’d list some RED songs. The links to the titles are descriptions of the songs; the links to the artists are the recordings. The chart action refers to the Billboard (US) pop charts.
Red and Blue
Dave Clark Five (#89 in 1967)
Red Red Wine
Neil Diamond (#62 in 1968)
UB40 (#34 in 1984, #1 in 1988)
Red Roses for a Blue Lady
Vic Dana (#10 in 1965)
Dean Martin
Red Rubber Ball
Cyrkle (#2 in 1966)
Seekers
Red Sails in the Sunset
Bing Crosby (1935)
Nat King Cole (#24 in 1951)
Tab Hunter (#57 in 1957)
Platters (#36 in 1960)
Fats Domino (#35 – and #24 soul – in 1963)
Great post – I never thought about the contradictions in the meanings of the colour and its symbolism, but you’re right. I will have to remember this with my students.
Leslie
abcw TEam
Wonderful choise Roger…. as is the color, one of my favorites, my closet has lots of it in it.. To me it is the color of love in the most broad way one can imagine
I don’t see it as a warning sign… maybe i should, at least a little?
I hadn’t thought of RED being a topic..great choice. How interesting the juxiposition of the meanings.
Yes, I was surprised when visiting our son when he lived in China that red was the happy color! You forgot (bright red) for Christmas. I would wear that the end of Dec-Jan, but would not be caught with it in the rest of the months:) Have a happy week!
And red for Pentecost.
Red is my favorite color.
Even sneakers I bought in red 🙂
Red is one of my favorite colors!
I wore nothing on my feet but red Chuck Taylor hightops for years!
Another well researched post and well written too! Fascinating.
Happy Week to you ~ ^_^
My ’75 Toyota Celica was a color I called Arrest Me Red.
Love red. I wear it for happiness (not particularly passion). Recognize and love some of those old songs – Red Sails in the Sunset, etc, etc….
Well, now, I’m well read on red! Very creative, Roger!
Janis
GDP
There must also be an explanation for the “red tops”, the colour used for the mastheads of downmarket newspapers.
Great choice for R!
There is always a lot to say about the colour red. Did you. know that a redhead in Australia is called Bluey?
Thanks for your comment. You are right: a president is not the same as a king. T hey have different tasks.
I’d throw in Simply Red as well although I don’t remember any of their songs containing the colour, I suppose Mick Hucknall’s hair was enough.
The song by Chris De Berg….Lady in Red, is one of my all time favourite songs,
It has some very special memories for me when I first met my husband and guess what ? I was wearing a red dress! We married five years later!
The colour red is a rather warm colour I like your slant on it Roger, most interesting… I’m back btw,,,all is well albeit a day late !
Di.
ABCW team.
Hmmmm. That’s interesting about the stop sign. Now, I’m going to think of the contradiction when I come to a stop sign. Hope not too long. There are quite a few stop signs in my neighborhood.
When I hear politicians giving speeches they many times wear red “power” ties.
Ann
And women often wear red power suits.
Red is my favorite color ! I have a lot of red clothes, my kitchen is red and orange and red is dominating in the whole house. Blood or happiness, everything is there …