The Darkest Side
The Middle East Lyrics
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Love was the air in your mother's lungs
When her father tore her fences down
Plastic bags and panadol was out
Love with your sold Gibson 335
And her father's dream died that night
Just to keep the electricity on
And it's the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me
And it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies
I hear the father's cry and the softest sigh when I'm empty
But if you leave me I'll hide in a game like SimCity
Oh when I die I'm alive
And when I lose I find
My identity
Son if I died on my bedroom floor
Would you cry on your bedroom floor?
And tattoo my name underneath your arm
Ooh, love that was alive in the olden days
And put to death in this golden age
By a colour TV
And it's the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me
And it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies
I hear the father's cry and the softest sigh when I'm empty
But if you leave me I'll get me gone and drowned face down muddy in the water
Oh when I die
When I die
Die I'm alive
When I lose I find
My identity
Love was those dark clouds on the Friday
It was a holy shaking earthquake
And you were stuck up in the tree
And it's the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me
Oh, and it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies
I hear the father's cry and the softest sigh when I'm empty
But if you leave me I'll hello goodbye I'm shining knight look I'm deadman
Oh when I die
When I die
When I die
When I die I'm alive
When I lose I find
My identity
The song "The Darkest Side" by The Middle East is a contemplation of the complexities of love and loss, and the struggles that come with them. The opening lines speak of the kinship between the air we breathe and the love that fuels us, yet this love is torn down by an oppressive figure, leaving pain and confusion. The reference to plastic bags and panadol portrays a sense of desperation and the notion of seeking a quick fix.
The following verse presents a contrast - the love expressed through a Gibson guitar that has been sold, symbolizing the loss of something cherished. The father's dream dying represents the sacrifices that a father makes to provide for his family, and the electricity reference relates to the struggle of day-to-day living. The chorus is where the true crux of the song lies. "It's the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me" speaks to the vulnerability that comes with opening up one's heart to another's love, which can transform even the darkest parts of oneself. The following line, "and it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies," aligns with the idea that love can provide a sense of security and protection, but it also speaks to the darker side of love, where jealousy and possessiveness can take hold. The final lines allude to the struggle of finding meaning and identity in a world that can be chaotic and unkind.
Overall, The Middle East's "The Darkest Side" is a deeply introspective account of love, loss, and the human condition, highlighting the tension between the light and dark aspects of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Love was the air in your mother's lungs
Love was everything that kept your mother alive and breathing
When her father tore her fences down
When her father took away her protection and security
Plastic bags and panadol was out
She had to resort to using plastic bags and painkillers to cope with the pain
Love with your sold Gibson 335
You sold your precious guitar for the sake of love
And her father's dream died that night
Her father's hopes and aspirations were shattered that night
Just to keep the electricity on
They had to make a tough sacrifice to keep the lights on
And it's the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me
Your love brings out the best in me and makes me a better person
And it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies
You are my hero when you protect me from my enemies
I hear the father's cry and the softest sigh when I'm empty
I can feel the pain of those who are suffering and it breaks my heart
But if you leave me I'll hide in a game like SimCity
If you leave me, I'll escape reality and hide in a virtual world
Oh when I die I'm alive
Even in death, my spirit will live on
And when I lose I find
I learn valuable lessons from my failures
My identity
I discover who I truly am
Son if I died on my bedroom floor
If I were to die alone in my own home
Would you cry on your bedroom floor?
Would you mourn my passing in the same place I took my last breath?
And tattoo my name underneath your arm
Would you permanently mark your body as a tribute to me?
Ooh, love that was alive in the olden days
Love used to thrive in the past when things were simpler
And put to death in this golden age
But now it has become rare and difficult to find
By a colour TV
All the technology and media has made love's authenticity fade away
But if you leave me I'll get me gone and drowned face down muddy in the water
If you leave me, I'll drown myself and end my pain
Oh, and it's the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies
My heart swells with gratitude when you stand up for me against those who wish me harm
But if you leave me I'll hello goodbye I'm shining knight look I'm deadman
But if you leave me, I'll appear to be valiant on the outside, but inside I'll be broken and dead
Love was those dark clouds on the Friday
Love was the only hope and light during the darkest times
It was a holy shaking earthquake
It was an overwhelming and awe-inspiring force
And you were stuck up in the tree
But eventually, you found yourself trapped and helpless
Oh when I die I'm alive
Even in death, my memory and legacy will live on
When I die
Death is an inevitable part of life
Die I'm alive
But even after death, I'll continue to exist in some form
When I lose I find
There's value in learning from our failures and setbacks
My identity
Discovering who we truly are is a lifelong journey
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bree Tranter, Jack Saltmiras, Jordan Ireland, Joseph Ireland, Mark Myers, Mike Haydon, Robin Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles Wong
Love was the air in your mother’s lungs,
When her father tore her fences down,
Plastic bags and panadol was out.
Love with your sold Gibson 335,
And her father’s dream died that night,
Just to keep the electricity on.
And it’s the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me,
And it’s the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies,
I hear the father’s cry and the softest sigh when I’m empty,
But if you leave me I’ll hide in a game like SimCity.
Oh when I die I’m alive,
And when I lose I find,
My identity.
Son if I died on my bedroom floor,
Would you cry on your bedroom floor?
And tattoo my name underneath your arm.
Love that was alive in the olden days,
And put to death in this golden age,
By a colour TV.
And it’s the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me,
And it’s the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies,
I hear the father’s cry and the softest sigh when I’m empty,
But if you leave me I’ll get me gone and drowned face down muddy in the water.
Oh when I die,
When I die,
Die I’m alive,
When I lose I find,
My identity.
Love was those dark clouds on the Friday,
It was a holy shaking earthquake,
And you were stuck up in the tree.
And it’s the darkest side of my heart that dies when you come to me,
And it’s the golden ticket I win when you kill my enemies,
I hear the father’s cry and the softest sigh when I’m empty,
But if you leave me I’ll hello goodbye I’m shining knight look I’m deadman.
Oh when I die,
When I die,
When I die,
When I die I’m alive,
When I lose I find,
My identity.
bs sb
this song always comes back to me.
I was 15 when I first heard it, I'm now 27, and I hadn't really thought about it for a few years, but it still grabs me so hard in such an understated way.
Logan Tait
how this band did not explode into hipster fame and instead quit after releasing something as amazing as "the recordings of..." is beyond me. insanely good musicians and performers.
Sithabiso Nxumalo
Honestly, I am sad as sh*t that they called it quits but I applaud them for doing that instead of continuing just for the sake of money and fame. Salute to them for staying true to themselves.
Nico Crinkleburg
Someone (I can’t remember) said “it’s impossible to keep this many amazing musicians in one band for a period of time” and I could not have said it better myself… an amazing performance and I will keep coming back for years to come!
Djura
Makes the record all the more tragic and beautiful imo. It's an extraordinary work.
Gwen Seal
Decent songwriting and interesting harmonics, but they are very underwhelming on stage.
Carrie Bradford
Am so glad that someone from my home town wrote something so beautiful and shared it with all :D so proud of these guys <3
Edith Gomez
This band was such a tease. It hurts that they stopped so soon because the little songs had such a huge impact on me life
MCandBjuice
this must actually be my favourite song of all time.
Anna-Lena
This song is pure love.It reminds me of a person I loved and for which I cried on my bedroom floor while listening to her incredible fragile voice! <3