“Kodachrome” by Paul Simon was released in 1973 as the lead single from There Goes Rhyminโ Simon. With its bright melody and vivid imagery, the song might seem like a tribute to photography at first, but thereโs more going on. The songโs meaning cuts deeper, using nostalgia, fantasy, and humor to question how we see the past.
Below is a breakdown of the lyrics in “Kodachrome,” unpacking what they say about memory, escapism, and what we choose to remember.
“Kodachrome” Lyrics Meaning: Line by Line
Verse 1: School, Memory, and Mocking Authority
When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school
It’s a wonder I can think at all
This opens with a sharp, funny take on education.
The word โcrapโ instantly sets a casual tone and shows a lack of respect for traditional learning.
He isnโt only complaining that school was dull. Heโs questioning whether it had any value at all.
He not only disliked class but also saw it as irrelevant to real life.
And though my lack of education hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall
Heโs not just shrugging off school, heโs mocking it.
The phrase โhasnโt hurt me noneโ is grammatically wrong on purpose.
Heโs playing with the idea that heโs uneducated, then undercuts that by saying he can still โread the writing on the wall.โ
That line has a double meaning: literally being able to read, and figuratively understanding whatโs going on in life. He doesnโt need school to see the truth.
Chorus: Escaping Into Color
Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
The name โKodachromeโ sets the tone right away. Itโs not just a film brand. It represents the idea of turning everyday life into something brighter, easier to enjoy, and maybe even fake.
The โnice bright colorsโ show that whatโs captured on film can be more appealing than reality.
Give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day
He paints a picture of carefree moments and warm weather.
The deeper point is that Kodachrome tricks you into thinking everything is perfect. It doesnโt just capture memories, it edits them.
Even the hard parts of life start to look like a dream once theyโre softened by color.
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away
Heโs not just taking pictures. Heโs holding onto the version of the world that makes him feel good.
The plea to โmamaโ sounds light, but it carries weight. Itโs a warning not to mess with the comforting illusions heโs built.
The camera lets him freeze a version of reality that fits his memory, not necessarily the truth.
Itโs nostalgia used as armor. Heโs choosing happiness, even if it means ignoring whatโs real.
Verse 2: Sex, Fantasy, and the Real World
If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
And brought ’em all together for one night
I know they’d never match my sweet imagination
This is about fantasy beating reality. Heโs being honest here. Real women from his past canโt live up to the women in his head.
Thereโs a sexual tone to this setup, but also a confession: he prefers his own fantasy to anything that actually happened.
That fantasy lives in his imagination, and maybe in his photos too.
And everything looks worse in black and white
Black and white is more realistic, but itโs dull. This line ties the whole song together.
Color isnโt just prettier. Itโs a way to rewrite the truth
Kodachrome, and what it represents, lets him choose a version of the past that feels better than the truth.
Itโs not reality, itโs a better version of it.
“Kodachrome” Song Meaning: Memory, Fantasy, and Choosing Illusion
โKodachromeโ is a song about memory, but not honest memory. Itโs about turning the past into something funnier, sexier, and more colorful than it really was. The lyrics mock education, real relationships, and realism itself. What he wants isnโt truth, itโs pleasure. And Kodachrome film becomes a stand-in for anything that helps him avoid hard reality.
Thereโs also a strong undercurrent of sarcasm in how he talks about education and relationships. Heโs not being deep or sentimental. Heโs poking fun.
But underneath the jokes is a sharp point: memory isnโt trustworthy. It can be manipulated, polished, and filtered. And maybe thatโs the point. Reality might be black and white, but heโd rather live in color.
Songs Like “Kodachrome”
Here are a few songs that play with memory, illusion, or the ways we shape the past to suit our needs:
1. “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen
“Glory Days” looks back at youth with humor and regret. The songโs full of people stuck in their own highlight reels, trying to laugh through the sadness of time moving on.
2. “Penny Lane” by The Beatles
“Penny Lane” turns ordinary moments into surreal, colorful images. Itโs a fantasy version of a real place, told with playful language that makes everything feel brighter than it probably was.
3. “Photograph” by Def Leppard
“Photograph” is about longing for someone who exists more in the imagination than in real life. The photo becomes a symbol of obsession with an ideal that may not be real.
4. “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins
“1979” captures the feeling of youth fading away. The lyrics are vague but emotional, like flashes of memory you canโt quite hold onto but still chase.
5. “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley
“Boys of Summer” shows how even the most intense moments of young love can turn into haunting memories. The past here is beautiful and painful at the same time.
Related: Best Songs About Summer
Conclusion: A Song About Colorful Lies and Willful Amnesia
“Kodachrome” may sound sunny and upbeat, but itโs really about avoiding the truth. It celebrates fantasy over facts, color over clarity. Whether heโs talking about school, women, or photography, heโs saying the same thing: real life is a letdown, so why not dress it up?
This song laughs at itself but also makes a serious point. We all do this: edit the past, highlight the best moments, and apply a filter to the truth. “Kodachrome” just owns it.
You can listen to “Kodachrome” on Spotify and Amazon.
Be sure to check out more of our Pop Song Interpretations.