Though not officially broken up, the band has not performed together in public since the early 1990s. In 2005, they were invited by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties but respectfully declined the invitation.
The band met while attending The Evergreen State College and began recording in 1983. The band's basic lineup was drums, guitar and vocals, though when they formed their only instruments were a pair of maracas and a Sears Silvertone guitar purchased at a thrift shop. Heather once joked in an interview that the history of the band could be told through a list of the various people they'd borrowed drums from. Heather and Calvin had been members of a previous band and approached Bret, who had no musical experience at the time, saying they ought to start a band and go to Japan. Indeed, it was on a trip to Tokyo that the band members recorded Three Tea Breakfast, an EP that established the band's reputation.
Calvin Johnson was one of the founders of seminal indie rock label K Records. The label achieved modest success and continues to hold its independent integrity, claiming to have been "exploding the teenage underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982."
Beat Happening (1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was Jamboree (1988). By the release of Dreamy in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. Their last full-length album was 1992's You Turn Me On, which represented the band breaking many of their established conventions from earlier albums, most notably on Godsend, which runs 9 minutes in length and features blatant use of multitrack recording. The album was described by allmusic.com as "A masterpiece." Though never announcing a break-up and claiming at one point to still practice once a month, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various other projects. In 2000 they released the Angel Gone single, their first new release in eight years.
A Beat Happening box set, Crashing Through, which collects all of the band's officially released music except for two of their tracks from a live cassette split with The Vaselines, was released in 2002. The box set included a booklet containing a lengthy essay on the history and impact of the band by Lois Maffeo, as well as rare photos of members Calvin, Heather and Bret.
http://www.krecs.com
Other Side
Beat Happening Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's fly away to the other side,
Wipe the slate clean for the umpteenth time.
Start in again on a life of crime,
On the other side, other side.
Let's find a place on the other side,
We'll live on bread crusts and lemon rind...
To the other side, other side...
On this side, the leaves are changing colors...
On this side, the grass is turning brown...
You make me go to the cellar,
You're like a bell turned upside down.
Let's build a gate to the other side,
Then hesitate to carry the bride.
Over a threshold shotgun-shy,
To the other side, other side.
Other side, other side...
Your side has a favorite color,
Your side is turning toolbox brown.
Our side wants to call them over,
And keep you from running out of bounds.
Other side, other side, other side, other side,
Other side, other side, other side, other side,
This side, that side, let's count down!
Let's find a way to the other side,
Hop on a sled and go for a ride.
Let the trail of bread crumbs be our guide,
To the other side, other side.
Other side, other side, other side, other side...
The song "Other Side" by Beat Happening seems to be a whimsical and playful invitation to escape to a different reality. The repeated phrase "let's fly away to the other side" implies a desire for change or a fresh start, as the lyrics mention wiping the slate clean and starting over on a life of crime. This desire for change is further emphasized by the imagery of leaves changing colors and grass turning brown on "this side" of things, as well as the suggestion of living on "bread crusts and lemon rind" on the other side.
The theme of duality is also present in the song, as the lyrics contrast "this side" with "the other side" and mention building a gate to cross over to the other side. The use of the phrase "your side" also suggests a divide or separation between the singer and the person they are addressing. However, this divide is not necessarily negative, as the lyrics also suggest a desire to keep the other person from "running out of bounds."
Overall, "Other Side" is a fun and whimsical song that captures the desire for change and a fresh start, while also acknowledging the presence of duality and the importance of boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's fly away to the other side,
The singer is inviting someone to escape their current situation and start a new adventure on the other side.
Wipe the slate clean for the umpteenth time.
The singer wants to forget about past mistakes and begin fresh on the other side.
Start in again on a life of crime,
The singer is jokingly suggesting they will do something daring and adventurous on the other side.
On the other side, other side.
Repetition of the phrase emphasizes the idea of escaping and starting anew.
Let's find a place on the other side,
The artist wants to find a new, perhaps unknown place on the other side to settle in.
A cozy shack full of turpentine.
The singer is imagining a unique and unconventional living space on the other side.
We'll live on bread crusts and lemon rind...
The singer is ready for a frugal and simple lifestyle on the other side, emphasizing the adventure and change they want to experience.
On this side, the leaves are changing colors...
The artist is possibly observing their current surroundings before suggesting a change.
You make me go to the cellar,
The artist is suggesting that the person they are addressing is causing them to hide away from the world and not explore beyond their current situation.
You're like a bell turned upside down.
The person they are addressing is compared to a bell because they are causing unpleasant noise and disharmony.
Let's build a gate to the other side,
The singer wants to construct a physical portal that will take them to the other side.
Then hesitate to carry the bride.
The artist is not sure whether they want to bring someone else (the bride) on their journey to the other side.
Over a threshold shotgun-shy,
The singer is nervous or hesitant about taking the step to cross a threshold or barrier to reach the other side.
Your side has a favorite color,
The singer is addressing someone who has their own preferences and opinions that are different from their own.
Your side is turning toolbox brown.
The person the singer is addressing is possibly stuck in a mundane or uninteresting life on their side.
Our side wants to call them over,
The artist wants to persuade the person they are addressing to come over to their side.
And keep you from running out of bounds.
The artist wants to provide a support system and possibly keep the person they are addressing from making poor decisions or going too far.
Other side, other side, other side, other side...
The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the idea of escaping and starting anew.
Let's find a way to the other side,
The singer is restating their desire to find a way to the other side.
Hop on a sled and go for a ride.
The artist is suggesting taking an unconventional, wintery mode of transportation to get to the other side.
Let the trail of bread crumbs be our guide,
The artist is suggesting a traditional fairy tale motif of using a trail of bread crumbs to guide them to their destination.
Contributed by Matthew C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.