#i spent like an hour writing this up + research + cross-referencing my boot validate me

[elizabethvaughns]

colour symbolism in if/then

long (1150 words), so i put a line break :)

the verses:

in liz-verse, there are two main colour palettes. the first is a pale yellow-yellow ochre gradient.

pale yellow symbolizes joy and new beginnings. yellow ochre is an earthy yellow that is one of the oldest pigments in existence. while not specifically yellow ochre, the closest symbolism i could find for it is creation and life. it is evident enough why such a colour palette would be used in liz-verse, especially act one liz-verse. before "i hate you", liz-verse is, objectively, the happier timeline of the two.

the second dominating colour palette is a sunset sort of gradient (yellow, pink, and purple), which is seen starting "this day" and also at the beginning of "hey, kid".

as previously asserted, yellow symbolizes joy and new beginnings. pink symbolizes love. purple symbolizes devotion. the sunset as a whole symbolizes beauty, love, and calmness. these symbolisms add up since this color gradient first makes an appearance at liz and josh's wedding. moreover, the events leading up to "i hate you" could be considered "the calm before the storm".

in the common verse, the most dominant colour palette is purple (as seen in the "do i go there with lucas or stay here with kate?" interlude). purple is a secondary colour and a mix of red (mainly liz-verse palette) and blue (mainly beth-verse palette). the common verse is one completely outside the influence of either of the two verses and yet still intermediate to the two of them. hence, its colour palette is intermediate as well. moreover, purple also symbolizes ambition, which is a key character trait of elizabeth.

in beth-verse, there are again two dominant colour palettes.

the first is a blue colour palette. blue symbolizes intuition, intelligence, confidence, and wisdom. this colour palette is mostly prevalent in act 1 when beth begins to rise in her career.

the second is a sky blue-green gradient which is seen once in "a map of new york" when beth goes on the blind date, and, most iconically, throughout "some other me". sky blue symbolizes tranquility and reliability. green can symbolize a need for growth. these meanings, taken in the context of "some other me", indicate two things: one, the "reliability" is ironic because lucas was far from a reliable friend to beth, and two, lucas does need growth.

specific songs:

"what if?", pre-timeline split + "what if? (reprise)", park set up: the colour gradient in the background of these scenes is a lavender and mint-green (-ish) gradient. lavender has feminine and romantic connotations. mint green can represent freshness and tranquility. both timelines have romance in them, to varying degrees. moreover, elizabeth's move back to new york is a sort of "fresh start" for her. the repetition of this colour palette in "what if? (reprise)" is a callback to "what if?" as indicated by the lyrics of the song during the presence of that colour palette: "here's how it starts and here's how it ends"

"what if?", elizabeth's entrance: this is a gradient of light green and leaf green. as previously mentioned, greens represent new beginnings.

"ain't no man manhattan": several colour palettes take effect here. the first verse has a sort of subway map in the background in pinks and purples. moreover, in the scene where lucas meets david, the background is a mix of pinks, purples (and some blues). while pink evidently symbolizes romance, pink, purple, and blue are also the colours of the bisexual flag. another colour palette in this song is seen in the second anmm refrain (lucas, josh + the rest at the baseball game). this colour palette, in specific, is a gradient of lime green and cantaloupe/light orange. lime green represents high energy and liveliness. light orange represents enthusiasm, change, and determination. the aforementioned symbolisms represent lucas to a t.

"no more wasted time", the final scene right before the press conference: there is a green background. green symbolizes new beginnings and growth. and beth certainly grows in terms of her character and her career.

"hey, kid": the most dominant colour palettes in this song are turquoise and green. while blue-green shades are mainly reserved for beth-verse, green symbolizes new beginnings (jake's birth). turquoise symbolizes protection and hope: "i will watch you / and protect you / i promise, kid / we'll be okay".

"best worst mistake": while the colour palette is initially that of early act 2 liz-verse (sunset), it shifts to a red-orange palette. red symbolizes love and excitement. orange represents enthusiasm and happiness. this is an incredibly enthusiastic and happy song, and it definitely fits the scene as lucas and david profess their love for each other (and enthusiastically as well). moreover, these hues resemble a sunrise, indicating the dawn of something new for the two.

"i hate you", liz sings to jake and coop: during this scene, the background is not the standard yellow. instead, it's the characteristic blue of act 1 beth-verse. however, it symbolizes something different here. here, blue symbolizes sadness and loss. both of which liz has experienced prior to this specific verse. despite that, the blue may, at the same time, also represent reflection and loyalty ("whatever comes / whatever i must do / it's me and you, me and you / it's me and you")

"the moment explodes" just prior to the song: when beth and the other passengers have to brace, red lights flash. fairly self-intuitive, but (flashing) red generally represents danger.

"love while you can", before beth comes in: the colour palette is a gradient of, by my best estimation, navy blue and gray. navy blue symbolizes seriousness (like anne was not "serious enough" about their relationship). gray symbolizes neutrality and dullness. as how their relationship has "dulled out" over time.

"love while you can", "i believe that fate will find us": the dominant colour in this verse is red. red symbolizes anger (that kate feels toward anne's cheating) but it can also represent love and passion.

"love while you can", end: the background is a sort of sunset gradient, except more vivid than the one in liz-verse. sunsets can symbolize the end of something. this song represents the end of one particular chapter in kate and anne's relationship and, overall, the start of something new.

"what would you do?" + "hey it's me" monologue: the background is predominantly gray. gray symbolizes loss (of josh and maybe even anne) and depression (liz).

"what if? (reprise)", liz-verse: this scene, like "best worst mistake" has sunrise hues. the sunrise can represent new beginnings. a new beginning for liz is her new job at the DCP.

"what if? (reprise)", beth-verse: this scene, while maintaining its characteristic blue colours, has a sort of light blue-teal gradient. light blue symbolizes healing (emotional for basically all the beth-verse characters?) and teal represents clarity of thought. it is fairly clear how this plays into the scene, as beth (and even liz, for that matter) has a greater clarity when it comes to decisiveness.