Paint By Numbers - Al Stewart

When all the help in the world won’t get you by

When all the friends that you lean on let you down

You’ll wonder why

I see you there with your painting box

And your oils and brushes and your artist’s smocks

What’ll you do if the Muse gets lost

When I’m gone?

You painted me in the way you said you knew

I don’t believe that I saw myself

In anything you drew

I say you never quite caught it right

You say you see me in a different light

What’ll you do with your black and white

When I’m gone

You paint by numbers

I never noticed it before

You paint by numbers

It’s just a closing of an open door

When you’re looking round

You won’t see me no more

You paint by numbers

Staying here in this room just makes me pale

I never really could fit into your geometric scale

I see you measure my profile up

And you mix your paints in a broken cup

What’ll you do if the brush gets stuck

When I’m gone

You paint by numbers

I never noticed it before

You paint by numbers

It’s just a closing of an open door

When you’re looking round

You won’t see me no more

You paint by numbers