With a cult following, McCluskey is remembered for a car promotion: her voice is heard on Télépopmusik's song "Breathe" in a Mitsubishi ad.
The former lead singer of Wild Colonials released her debut solo CD, The Things We Do, in 2004. Recorded in only a few days in New York and Sweden, the album showcases McCluskey's extraordinary, raw vocals.
In 2009, McCluskey released her second solo album, You Could Start a Fight in an Empty House, including the track "Handle with Grace" (featuring Télépopmusik).
Wrong Side
Angela McCluskey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the law
For so long
I don't know which side I am on
And every hand I shake
Is shaking me down
For a hard-luck song
Is there no one I can ride beside?
You just came to mind
You can be my trigger
I can be your hanger-on
I've been digging at a ditch my dear
But I hit concrete
Late last year
The spade and the shovel
And all kinds of trouble
Came and stripped me of my natural cheer
This could be a grave site
Or we could make a garden here
You could plant gardenias
I could be released from fear
Don't the night grow cold
Sleeping in a garden
Don't the birds move slow
Their wings get frozen here
Lying on the wrong side of the bed
Since you've gone
I don't know which side I am on
And every stitch on the bedspread
Is doing my head in
All night long
Lord
Let this be the last time
I should have to suffer so
Hurry down the morning
And I will be prepared to go
The lyrics of Angela McCluskey's song "Wrong Side" are a reflection of one's life, where the singer confesses to have been living on the wrong side of the law for so long that they've lost track of which side they are on. The feeling of uncertainty is highlighted by the line "Is there no one I can ride beside?" indicating that they want to find someone to share their life with but feel isolated, and the only solace they have is their partner who can be their trigger as they are the hanger-on.
The singer has been digging a ditch for quite some time, and the metaphor denotes the challenges they've faced, but it's only recently that they've hit concrete, which has stripped them of their natural cheer. The concrete can be connected to an obstacle that they've been unable to overcome. The lyric "This could be a grave site or we could make a garden here" can have two interpretations - either it’s the end of the road, or it's a new beginning. The fear that has consumed them can be released if they have someone to share their life with, and they can make a garden of their life together.
The chorus is a lament of how life has been for the singer lying on the wrong side of the bed after their partner left. Every stitch on the bedspread is doing their head in, and they can't take it anymore. They want the night to end so that they can get up and move on with their life, and they desperately hope that they won't have to suffer like this again.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been living on the wrong side
I have been breaking the law and doing wrong for a long time now.
Of the law
Going against regulations and doing illegal activities.
For so long
It has been happening for an extended period, and it has become routine.
I don't know which side I am on
I have been doing both good and bad things for so long that I have lost a sense of where I stand.
And every hand I shake
Everyone I associate with is bringing me down.
Is shaking me down
They are pushing me to the breaking point for whatever I have left.
For a hard-luck song
For me to complain and talk about my depressing life.
Is there no one I can ride beside?
I am looking for someone to join me on my journey.
You just came to mind
I am thinking of you as a potential companion.
You can be my trigger
You could be what motivates me.
I can be your hanger-on
I could support you and follow you wherever you lead.
I've been digging at a ditch my dear
I have been working at something for a considerable period.
But I hit concrete
But I have been unable to make any substantial progress.
Late last year
Around twelve months ago.
The spade and the shovel
The tools I was using to dig.
And all kinds of trouble
I have been facing all kinds of issues related to my work.
Came and stripped me of my natural cheer
All these problems have made me lose all hope and enthusiasm.
This could be a grave site
The ditch could easily become something with more sinister implications.
Or we could make a garden here
Or we could transform it into something positive, like a garden.
You could plant gardenias
You could cultivate something beautiful here.
I could be released from fear
This new project could help me escape my worries.
Don't the night grow cold
The night can be a miserable and lonely place.
Sleeping in a garden
Sleeping outdoors, especially in a non-traditional place like a garden.
Don't the birds move slow
Even nature seems to slow down and die during harsh times.
Their wings get frozen here
The cold and sadness seem to be affecting all living things here.
Lying on the wrong side of the bed
Feeling miserable and sad after losing someone or something dear to me.
Since you've gone
Since you left me.
And every stitch on the bedspread
Every detail in my life seems to be bothering me.
Is doing my head in
It's causing me great stress and anxiety.
All night long
It has been happening for hours, and I can't seem to stop dwelling on it.
Lord
An expression of surprise and astonishment.
Let this be the last time
I am hoping that this is the final time I have to experience this pain.
I should have to suffer so
I don't want to have to endure this level of pain again.
Hurry down the morning
I am eager for daylight to arrive.
And I will be prepared to go
Once morning comes, I will be ready to face the new day and move forward.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NATHAN LARSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind