All My Colours by Echo and the Bunnymen is 65 BPM — Adagio (slow).
Half-time 33 BPM · Double-time 130 BPM · released 1981
Song DNA
Misophonia Triggers
A prog-influenced dirge from Echo and the Bunnymen's second album, featuring poetic, non-sensical lyrics and a dramatic instrumental buildup.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: contemplative, heavy, intense, introspective, melancholy
Traditions: post-punk, progressive rock, psychedelic rock
"All My Colours" is in our intense band.
At least one of our five sensory dimensions crosses the threshold that means "this can be a lot." Most commonly: dynamic vocals or layered texture, or a dynamic range of 8/10. The full breakdown is below. If you arrived here looking for a calmer alternative, our use-case verdicts section flags songs with similar mood but lower intensity.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 8/10 is in the upper band of our library. This song has a significant quiet-to-loud arc. For sensory-sensitive listening, set the opening volume well below your comfortable top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Sudden changes: present. This song uses surprise as a feature. For focus or background listening, it's likely to pull your attention away; for active listening, that's often the point.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Echo and the Bunnymen's catalog
We have 4 songs from Echo and the Bunnymen in the library. Of those, 0 are rated Safe, 3 Moderate, and 1 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 8/10 sits above the artist average of 7.3, making it the #1 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
1981 context
Released in 1981. We have 194 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.4/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1980s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "All My Colours"?
65 BPM — Very slow (ballad / ambient)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Sleep, meditation, reading, focus work.
Browse more songs at 65 BPM.
When "All My Colours" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
No — 65 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Maybe — the intensity / sudden changes are fine for solo highway driving but skip for city or rainy-weather driving.
No — too active to function as background; will pull attention away from what you're doing.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Why this rating
We rate this song Intense. Our rule is deliberately conservative: any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, harsh texture, or a strained/screamed vocal is enough to trigger Intense on its own. Full scoring rubric: methodology.
See how “All My Colours” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-14. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 77% of songs, calmer than the other 23%. Its intensity reading of 60/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 97% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1981 in context
The 194 songs we’ve measured from 1981 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 8/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "All My Colours"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "All My Colours" by Echo and the Bunnymen?
"All My Colours" by Echo and the Bunnymen has a tempo of 65 BPM (Adagio (slow)). At half-time that is 33 BPM, and at double-time 130 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "All My Colours" by Echo and the Bunnymen?
"All My Colours" by Echo and the Bunnymen rates as Intense. Dynamic range 8/10, moderate sudden changes, layered texture, dynamic vocals vocal style. Any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, or harsh texture triggers the Intense rating.
How loud is "All My Colours" — what is its dynamic range?
"All My Colours" has a dynamic range of 8/10. Substantial quiet-to-loud arc. Start at a volume well below your top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Does "All My Colours" have sudden or surprising changes?
Yes. "All My Colours" uses surprise as a compositional feature. Expect unsignaled transitions.
What is "All My Colours" best for?
In our library "All My Colours" is recommended for: deep listening, emotional release, meditation. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "All My Colours" released?
"All My Colours" is from 1981, on the album "Heaven Up Here". It appears in our 1980s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "All My Colours"?
We tag "All My Colours" as contemplative, heavy, intense, introspective, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "All My Colours"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "All My Colours" good for running?
Not really — at 65 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "All My Colours" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (8/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "All My Colours" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Too intense overall.
Should I listen to "All My Colours"?
"All My Colours" is Intense in our ratings — dramatic dynamics, possible sudden changes, or strong vocal or textural energy. Best with intention rather than ambient use. If you are sensory-sensitive, the alternatives section surfaces calmer songs in the same mood family.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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