Thread: by the color of his paint

Как понимать последнюю строку?

Well, I was low on money and my truck broke down
I was on my way to the lost and found
So I took it to a dealer, I said make it run
Well, I ain't got no money, but I got me a gun.

I said you robbed me before so I'm robbing you back
And if it don't put you straight it'll put you on the right track
Well, I ain't no devil and I ain't no saint
But I can tell a dealer by the color of his paint.

«Я могу оценить характер продавца машин по цвету его краски.»

That last bit, by the color of his paint, doesn't really make much sense. It's just there to rhyme.

Seems like a metaphor for implying the dealer isn't an honest person. That is my interpretation at least.

the whole thing's alot of nonsense, I wouldn't try to make sense of it.

Originally Posted by BappaBa

I said you robbed me before so I'm robbing you back
...
But I can tell a dealer by the color of his paint.

Taking into account the first line of the second part, my first thought was that this is some sort of russian "отплатить той-же монетой" т.е. "Я буду разговариравть с дилером с помощью краски того же цвета (что и он со мной)".

Не залезая в Гугл точно скажу, что Макартни, кажись London Town, там ещё должно быть в припеве:
Deliver your children to the good good life
Give them piece and shelter and a fork and knife
Было время, я знал наизусть весь этот альбом и не только этот.
Мы, было дело, возвращались с югов домой на машине, я поставил МР3 сборник Маккартни и на одном этом МР3 диске добрались до дома ни разу, наверное, не включая радио. Волшебная сила искусcтва, в общем.

Спасибо всем! =)

Originally Posted by BappaBa

Как понимать последнюю строку?
But I can tell a dealer by the color of his paint.

I believe, I recognize the country music. Is it not?

I love this last line, sounds very impressive to me. I think, it means "I can read a person by their looks." It is a general meaning, but, since we are talking about a car dealer, it may mean "I can tell what the dealer is up to (what he has in mind) by his manners, by how he acts, what he says."