Planning; Lyrics of the song Red

Daniel Merriweather - Red Lyrics;

And I’m alright
Standing in the streetlights here
Is this meant for me
My time on the outside is over
We don’t know how you’re spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn’t here
You see the pictures
But you don’t know their names
'Cause love isn’t here

[Chorus]
And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red

No sympathy
When shouting out is all you know
Behind your lies
I can see the secrets you don’t show
We don’t know how you’re spending
All of your days
Knowing that love isn’t here
You see the pictures
But you don’t know their names oh'
Cause love isn’t here

[Chorus]
And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When - you took something perfect
And painted it red


You take the best things from me
Then everything gets empty
That’s not a world that I need
Oh, you take the best things from me
Then everything gets empty
That’s not a world that I need
Oh

[Chorus]
And I can’t do this by myself
All of these problems, they’re all in your head
And I can’t be somebody else
You took something perfect
And painted it red
When - you took something perfect
And painted it red
When - you took something perfect
And painted it red
You took something perfect
And painted it red

Merriweather himself said that this song is about the blindness of war and the absence of compassion displayed by western administrations, but there are many different views to what the song could actually be about
I believe that the song is about him being in a relationship where he knows that she doesn't love him, whereas he loves her. This is further supported by "We don't know how you're spending all of your days knowing love isn't here". I believe that this line is questioning her as to why is she staying with him even though she doesn't love him. 
"You see the pictures but you don't know their names". I believe that this line could be about his friends or family that she doesn't have any idea who they are because she doesn't show any interest in his life. 
"And I can't do this by myself". I believe that this line suggests that he may be going through a break up or has lost someone because of problems they may have had in their relationship, as the line below suggests. 
"All of these problems, they're all in your head". This line could suggest that someone in his life is paranoid about something, when they shouldn't be. 
"Behind your lies I can see the secrets you don't show". I believe that this line could be suggesting that she may be cheating on him, or doesn't tell him anything. Or she may just be pretending that she loves him and tells him she loves him, even though he sees through that and knows she doesn't love him. 
"You take the best things from me". I think that this line could suggest that she is using him for the things he has, even though she doesn't love him. 
"I can't be somebody else". I believe that this line is suggesting that she wishes that he was someone else, possibly an ex, and he can't be them. 
Finally, the main lyrics of the song and the title of it. "You took something perfect and painted it red". I think that the meaning behind this is self explanatory. I think that it is that something that was once ruined, has now been ruined because of something. So he may have worked out that she doesn't love him, even though he saw everything as perfect and seeing that nothing could go wrong.