Del Amitri are a guitar-driven pop rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotla… Read Full Bio ↴Del Amitri are a guitar-driven pop rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980, internationally known for the 1995 melodic rock hit "Roll to Me". They came together at school as teenagers when Justin Currie (bass and vocals), James Scobbie (guitar and vocals) and Donald Bentley (guitar) formed a band in reaction against the rest of the 'rockers' in the school. The name was chosen deliberately because it didn't mean anything but sounded a bit like someone's name. Early Del Amitri did not want to be classified and their existence was kept secret from the rest of the school.

Early rehearsals in Justin's parents house were followed by a move to secret rehearsal space behind some storage cartons in the basement of Glasgow Art Centre (now defunct). Later on the band secured official rehearsal space at the Art Centre in a proper room with a cupboard to keep their gear in. Postcard Record signing and future megastars Aztec Camera rehearsed in the room next door. At this time Paul Tyagi (drums) joined the band as its first drummer. The first recorded Del Amitri track "What she Calls it" was the B side of a flexi-disc given away free with Stand and Deliver fanzine - the A side was given to another future Glasgow megaband The Bluebells. Unable to read music, early Del tracks were arranged and remembered according to 'bits' named after musical influences that included from Genesis, Captain Beefheart and Orange Juice.

Guitarists Bentley and Scobbie left in 1982 for university and the band faced a brief uncertain future until Justin Currie placed an advert in the window of a music store asking for people who could play to contact him, and the new line-up was formed with Currie (bass and vocals), Iain Harvie (lead guitar), Bryan Tolland (guitar) and Paul Tyagi (drums). The first non-flexi 45 single was 'Crows in the Wheatfield' with cover design by artist Laura Michael. Tyagi left after the release of the first album three years later becoming a successful photographer. Currie and Harvie were the only members of the band to remain present throughout its history – they were also the main songwriters of the group.

Jon McLoughlin (recorded and toured with the band during 'Some Other Suckers Parade') passed away in March 2005 from complications of Diabetes. He was 42.

This Side Of The Morning
Del Amitri Lyrics

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Nobody's perfect, and that's something that
I'm sure she'll know
'Cause trying to tell her lies from the truth at times
Is like trying to divide ice from snow
When I knew it was over, I jumped into a taxi
And said, Just guess where to go
And the driver turned about and said,
Finding what you want is like

Trying to divide ice from snow

So here I sit, rolling back to bed
Knowing love is a hazard
That I'd never guessed
But from this side of the morning
I couldn't care less

Nobody's helpless, although
I've never felt this helpless before
And trying to persuade myself not to think about her
Is like trying to tell the clouds not to pour
So I put down the bottle
While in my head time is collapsing
And the currents run cold
So I can curse her memory
But don't try telling me that she was not
An emerald in a mountain of coal
Or that there's a crock of cures for cancer
At the end of the rainbow

So here I sit, rolling back to bed
Knowing love is a hazard
That I'd never guessed
But from this side of the morning
I couldn't care less

And she's the kind of girl who won't forgive
But will forget
So take me from this party, driver,
Put me back to bed
I wanted to be loved but just got laughed at instead
So if this taxi is for hire
I'll get in the back
Just to hear the friction of the tarmac and the tires

So nobody's perfect, and that's something that
I'm sure she'll know
And trying to persuade myself
Not to think about her is like
Trying to tell the cockerels not to crow
Or like trying to tell the striker
Not to think about the goal

So here I sit, rolling back to bed
Knowing love is a hazard
That'd I'd never guessed

But from this side of the morning
I couldn't care less

Overall Meaning

In Del Amitri's song "This Side of the Morning," the singer is coming to terms with a failed relationship. The song is melancholic yet hopeful, with the singer acknowledging that nobody is perfect and that trying to move on from heartbreak is like trying to divide ice from snow. The song's lyrics are full of vivid metaphors that create powerful images, such as the clouds pouring and the current running cold.

The singer is still struggling to forget about his former love, and trying not to think about her is described as being as difficult as telling the cockerels not to crow or the striker not to think about the goal. Amidst the sadness, there is a sense that the singer is slowly coming to terms with the situation and is no longer feeling helpless. By the end of the song, he is resigned to the fact that love is a hazard but is able to move forward without caring so much.

Line by Line Meaning

Nobody's perfect, and that's something that I'm sure she'll know
The singer acknowledges that everyone has flaws, and assumes that the person they are referring to understands this as well.

'Cause trying to tell her lies from the truth at times Is like trying to divide ice from snow
The singer finds it difficult to tell the difference between falsehoods and reality when it comes to the person they are referring to. It's a challenge akin to trying to distinguish between two nearly identical things.

When I knew it was over, I jumped into a taxi And said, Just guess where to go And the driver turned about and said, Finding what you want is like Trying to divide ice from snow
After realizing that their relationship was over, the singer tried to escape. The taxi driver said that finding what you truly want is as hard as figuring out the difference between two very similar things, like ice and snow.

So here I sit, rolling back to bed Knowing love is a hazard That I'd never guessed But from this side of the morning I couldn't care less
The artist has given up on trying to navigate love, as it's shown itself to be unpredictable and dangerous. Despite this realization, the artist feels unconcerned about it while looking back on it from a distance.

Nobody's helpless, although I've never felt this helpless before And trying to persuade myself not to think about her Is like trying to tell the clouds not to pour
Even though the artist feels lost and powerless, they know that it's not a permanent or all-encompassing state. The artist tries to distract themselves from thinking of the person they miss, but finds it futile.

So I put down the bottle While in my head time is collapsing And the currents run cold So I can curse her memory But don't try telling me that she was not An emerald in a mountain of coal Or that there's a crock of cures for cancer At the end of the rainbow
The singer tries to cope with their feelings by drinking, but is aware that time is slipping away from them. They embrace their anger at the person they miss, and refuse to believe that they weren't a rare find. The singer is also aware that some things, like a cure for cancer or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, simply don't exist.

And she's the kind of girl who won't forgive But will forget So take me from this party, driver, Put me back to bed I wanted to be loved but just got laughed at instead So if this taxi is for hire I'll get in the back Just to hear the friction of the tarmac and the tires
The singer describes the person they miss as someone who can hold a grudge fiercely, but is also capable of completely letting go. The singer tries to leave a party, as they feel rejected and unloved. They take comfort in mundane sounds, and seeks solace by getting back into a taxi.

So nobody's perfect, and that's something that I'm sure she'll know And trying to persuade myself Not to think about her is like Trying to tell the cockerels not to crow Or like trying to tell the striker Not to think about the goal
The artist closes the song with the same phrases as at the beginning, emphasizing that imperfection is universal. They admit that trying to forget the person they miss is an impossible task, as impossible as silencing a loud rooster or a goal-driven soccer player.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUSTIN CURRIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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