Both Sides Now
Clannad Lyrics


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Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughin' when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you, right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
But something's lost and something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow




It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Both Sides Now" describe the journey of life and how views and perspectives can change over time. When the singer was younger, they looked at clouds as a source of awe and wonder – with "bows and flows of angel hair" and "ice cream castles in the air." However, now as an adult, the clouds are seen as obstructions – blocking the sun and raining on everyone. Life was once filled with magic and fantasies, "Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel, as every fairy tale comes real." But now, love and relationships are seen as just another show – where you leave the audience laughing when you go, and you don't want to give yourself away. The final verse reflects on the measure of life as another journey, previously viewed with aspirations of success and achievement, but now bringing a sense of loss and gain with every experience.


Line by Line Meaning

Bows and flows of angel hair
Beautiful, flowing strands of hair like that of an angel


And ice cream castles in the air
Castle-like structures that look like they were made of ice cream, but exist only in the imagination


And feather canyons everywhere
Canyons filled with feathers


I've looked at clouds that way
I used to see the world as a beautiful and magical place filled with wonder and amazement


But now they only block the sun
Now, clouds are simply things that block the sun and prevent me from enjoying the warmth and light of the day


They rain and snow on everyone
Clouds are responsible for rain and snow that affects everyone, not just me


So many things I would have done
I feel like I have missed out on many opportunities because of these clouds


But clouds got in my way
The clouds were the obstacle preventing me from experiencing all that life had to offer


I've looked at clouds from both sides now
I've seen the beauty and magic of clouds but also their obstructive and hindering qualities


From up and down and still somehow
I've seen them from various angles and perspectives


It's cloud illusions I recall
My memories of clouds are often idealistic and fictional rather than realistic and accurate


I really don't know clouds at all
Despite my admiration for clouds, I don't truly understand them


Moons and Junes and ferris wheels
Romantic and whimsical things like the moon, June weddings, and amusement park rides


The dizzy dancing way you feel
The exhilarating and dizzying feeling of being in love


As every fairy tale comes real
When a long-held fantasy finally becomes a reality


I've looked at love that way
I used to see love as a magical and fantastical thing


But now it's just another show
Now, love seems like a routine or performance rather than something enchanting


You leave 'em laughin' when you go
When you leave someone you love, they may laugh in a sense of denial, rather than cry


And if you care, don't let them know
When you care about someone, you may not want to reveal your emotions to them


Don't give yourself away
Don't be too vulnerable or show emotional weakness


I've looked at love from both sides now
I've seen love from its idealistic, magical angle and its realistic, practical angle as well


From give and take and still somehow
I've seen the struggles of working to make love work, yet still have hope that it can be achieved


It's love's illusions I recall
My memories of love are often idealistic and reckless, even if they are not entirely realistic


I really don't know love at all
Despite my experiences with love, I don't fully understand it


Tears and fears and feeling proud
Emotions ranging from sorrow to happiness, all of which are powerful


To say I love you, right out loud
To confidently express one's love to someone, without reservation


Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Ambition and imagination contrasted with the clamoring of everyday life


I've looked at life that way
I've seen life as a combination of highs and lows, with both excitement and disappointment


But now old friends are acting strange
Now that I've changed, my old friends may not understand me or my perspective


They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Others view my transformation as negative or undesirable


But something's lost and something's gained
Although I've changed, some things have been lost and some things have been gained


In living every day
In the process of experiencing everyday life


I've looked at life from both sides now
I've seen life from its ups and downs


From win and lose and still somehow
In both successes and failures, there are valuable lessons to learn


It's life's illusions I recall
The memories of one's life can often be idealistic, rather than realistic


I really don't know life at all
Despite my years of living, I still feel like I have not grasped the true meaning of life




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Joni Mitchell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@septemberautumnleafmeadows6165

Bows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughin' when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you, right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
But something's lost and something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all



All comments from YouTube:

@colincook4773

Played this at Mams funeral. She loved this track. Always brings a tear to my eye. Miss you Mam.

@eightiesmusic1984

Sorry for your loss. It is a very moving song.

@lauramarymcculloch9388

My mum loved it too 💚

@scott72able

It is a beautiful song. Maybe the most beautiful song ever. And this is the best version.

@raymondsweeney8073

Beautiful song ❤ Maire Brennan lives about 20mins drive from where I am tonight & met Paul young early 90s and what a really nice person 👏👏👏

@genejohnson5530

I have just listened to this version of this classic song. Absolutely loved it. Joni owns this song but these version adds another dimension to it. It's just a great story.

@zeroair4

I cried at the end of Switch because of this song. I was 15 and CONVINCED that I experienced a piece of heaven. It's like blue sky and clouds with the lyrics softly written in white. I never forgot that feeling. Also, if you listen to the track all the way to the very end you can hear Clannad softly cooing as if lulling a baby to sleep but really reassuring us! Honest and loving with a happy ending to everyone's story. It almost makes this life make sense.

@anastasiabelyaeva3898

I was 3 or 4 when I obsessed over that movie, cried every single time, but loved it, Still wished for Amanda to stay alive. Now I think that watching that movie at a such young age had an impact on me, but I remember almost every detail. How crazy is that. And I absolutely agree with the piece of heaven, I think it shaped my perception of religion even.

@disastermaster1413

Indeed that was a good film. One of the best that was made for HBO in the 90s

@Kaymon7

I also remember crying while watching the movie.

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