I'm tired
Of everyone
I know
Of everyone
I see
On the street
And on TV, yeah

On the other side
On the other side
Nobody's waitin' for me
On the other side

I hate them all
I hate them all
I hate myself
For hating them
So I'll drink some more
I'll love them all
I'll drink even more
I'll hate them even more than I did before

On the other side
On the other side
Nobody's waitin' for me
On the other side

(Here we go)

I remember when you came
You taught me how to sing
Now it seems so far away
You taught me how to sing

I'm tired
Of being
So judgmental
Of everyone
I will not go to sleep
I will train my eyes to see
That my mind is as blind
As a branch on a tree

On the other side
On the other side
I know what's waiting for me
On the other side
On the other side
On the other side
I know you're waiting for me
On the other side


Lyrics submitted by mojo_pin

On the Other Side Lyrics as written by Julian Casablancas

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

On The Other Side song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

70 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +7
    General Comment

    My interpretation of this song is that its about feeling alienated from your friends; even though you have your social circle, you dont feel emotionally attached to anyone. I also think that the "I remember when you came" etc describes the start of a new friendship, and how interesting the new person seems, only for the protagonist to become tierd of the new friend, bringing it back to the first line, "Im tired of everyone i know.".

    velvettomon November 03, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I think in this song Julian feels alienated and is trying to convince himself he's different from everyone else and doesn't belong, and that he's completly alone and no one cares about him. He talks about how he hates everyone so he drinks excessively, and that they in turn hate him too ("Nobodys waiting for me, on the other side") He repeats that line the whole song. At the end he gives in and says "I know you're waiting for me, on the other side", which just shows he knew all along he is really like everyone else and there is someone waiting for him.

    alanna07on February 06, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Simple melody, simple lyrics, simply amazing. If you know enough about Jules, you know the meaning of the song is pretty clear.

    All right, he's tired of everyone. They bore him; he's just not satisfied with them.

    At first, the other side isn't very clear, but we can infer that later.

    Next verse is his little cycle/routine. He hates them all when he's sober. He loves them all in a drunk state. He then drinks himself into a depressed-drunk state & hates them more than he would when he's sober.

    Now, the other side? It's like the recovery side. The side he knows he should be on, but doesn't bother to go. The reason why he doesn't isn't because he doesn't want to; recovering from alcoholism isn't easy, so why go through the efforts if there's nobody even waiting for him "on the other side"?

    It's totally Juliet! She was their manager at the time. Maybe it's just more obvious now because it's 2011 & they've been married for 6 years, but y'know..

    Now that Julian's introduced her to the song, his attitude takes a turn up. Now, Jules is actually wanting to change & be better for her.

    That's why he says he knows she's waiting for him. She makes him want to get to the other side.

    lucifordon February 09, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Personally, I love it.

    Juicebox:

    "I will train my eyes to see" Obviously, he's judgemental, so...forcing himself to be open minded

    "And my mind is as blind as the birds on a tree" Now that I look at it again, this just seems like a struggle to rhyme, but I think it could be taken one of two ways:

    1> Birds are extremely specific creatures, so his "mind being blind" could again be him being close-minded and overly specified, like a bird.

    2> Unless one bird is a predator of another, different types of birds will sit on any given tree in harmony and their songs kind of mix together until it's a loud chatter. Again, with the closed/open mindedness thing, once he "trains his eyes to see," he won't notice people's specificities and they'll mesh with the beauty of everything....insert more flowery, cheesy sentences here...

    freethegoldfishon January 08, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Clearly, this song is referring to alcoholism / excessive drinking. Julian is expressing his anger and frustration with the difficulties of living in our modern-day society. He is sick and "tired" of having to deal with the everyday drama, complications, and difficulties of human interaction and, as a solution, turns to the bottle ("so i'll drink some more"). The song expresses the realization that when one drinks, he can escape his discontent with the world to the point where he "loves them all." Inevitably, however, it will come down to the point where he will "hate them even more." The phrase, "on the other side," is clearly referring to being drunk, or "on the other side" of the harsh reality of his existence. This "other side" is portrayed as a solution to dealing with life's problems, yet the song seems to suggest that drinking only provides a temporary solution (if it even is a solution at all) to such issues. I absolutely love this album and I think this song successfully displays the anxt and frustration of having to always pretend to please everyone. The song, in a sense, is almost the expression of Julian's experience with drinking--it provides us with the extremely polarized thoughts of an intoxicated person ("I love them all" to "I hate them all"; "Nobody's waiting for me" to "I know you're waiting for me"). Overall, the lyrics suggest a lack of resolution; yes, alcohol can be an escape, but it can also lead to further confusions, frustrations, and anger... ...brilliant song...

    emanfenaon January 15, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i actually like this song

    ViOtechon January 08, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    God that makes your eyes bleed man!! Why do that? it must take ages to write too..

    ANYway, I'm pretty sure this is about Julian's drinking habit. He didnt really like all the hype and media attention he got in the first place. and then there was the stress and pressure from his record label to make a really good second album in a very short amount of time, which took it out of him. And then he ended up getting a lot of flak from the critics and some 'fans' (on the streets and on TV) which he apparently took to heart. He didnt really have very good relations with the media and certain magazines (I hate them all). During this time he drank a lot (I'll drink some more)and developed drinking habit. I think this fits with most of the song: "nobody's waiting for me on the other side" - no one can save him if he carries on like this.

    What I dont get though is when he starts talking to someone "I remember when you came.." and then, "I know you're waiting for me, on the other side". Who is this? Juliet maybe?

    citizenerased19on February 21, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    oh, and im completely in love with this song :]

    JustKillTheHeroeson February 02, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    one of their best songs, i dont understand why they don't perform it. Julian's voice is amazing in here

    mangasoon November 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    not quite sure about the last verse...its kinda hard to hear what he is saying

    mojo_pinon November 05, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.