Formed in 1982 in Santa Cruz, CA Eddie and the Tide dominated the San Franc… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1982 in Santa Cruz, CA Eddie and the Tide dominated the San Francisco Bay Area club circuit during the mid 80's building a dedicated fan base along the way with their radio friendly AOR sound.

Eddie and the Tide were a fixture on Bay Area rock radio (a rarity for an indie band) scoring many local hits including Running Wild, Running Free, One In A Million, Maybe I'll Get Lucky, Just Need A Little Rock and 'Till I Can't Run No More. Their video for Running Wild, Running Free won the MTV Basement Tapes and their LP I Do It For You won a Bammie for best independent release.

With sold out shows and local radio support The Tide were always seemingly one step from breaking out as a national act. They eventually did sign a major label deal with Atco Records and released two LP's before being dropped by the label. They released two more indie records before eventually breaking up in 1990.

It's My Job
Eddie and the Tide Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once I laughed when I heard you saying
That I'd be playing solitaire
Uneasy in my easy chair
It never entered my mind

And once you told me I was mistaken
That I'd awaken with the sun
And ordered orange juice for one

It never entered my mind
You had what I lack, myself
Now I even have to scratch my back myself

Once you warned me that if you scorned me
I'd say a lonely prayer again
And wish that you were there again
To get into my hair again
It never entered my mind

Once you warned me that if you scorned me
I'd say a lonely prayer again
And wish that you were there again

To get into my hair again
It never entered my mind

Overall Meaning

"It's My Job" by Eddie and the Tide is a song that explores the aftermath of a break-up. The lyrics communicate the emotional journey and realization that the singer experiences when they realize that they took their former partner for granted. The opening stanza begins with the singer laughing when they hear their partner warn about them sitting alone and playing solitaire, which signifies a sense of carelessness and disregard towards their partner. The following stanza relates to the singer's realization that they never took their partner's warning seriously about waking up with the sun or ordering orange juice for one. These lines emphasize how the singer was unable to comprehend or acknowledge the possible consequences of the decisions they made.

The chorus delves into the regrets and deeper consequences of this break-up. The singer acknowledges that they took their partner's presence for granted, and now that they have left, the singer is left to fend for themselves. The lines, "You had what I lack, myself, now I even have to scratch my back myself," indicate the sense of loneliness and lack of support the singer now feels. The second verse repeats the previous stanza and highlights how the singer's partner had warned them that if they scorned them, the singer would be left to feel lonely and miserable, wishing that their partner was there to provide the support they needed.

Line by Line Meaning

Once I laughed when I heard you saying
I used to disregard your warnings and advice as if they were a joke

That I'd be playing solitaire
That I would end up alone and lonely

Uneasy in my easy chair
Feeling uneasy and restless even in the comfort of my home

It never entered my mind
I never considered that it could happen to me

And once you told me I was mistaken
You tried to correct me and tell me I was wrong

That I'd awaken with the sun
That I would wake up early and be full of energy

And ordered orange juice for one
And order only one juice instead of two

You had what I lack, myself
You had something that I was missing, which was self-sufficiency

Now I even have to scratch my back myself
Now I have to do things alone that I used to rely on someone else to do for me

Once you warned me that if you scorned me
You once warned me that if I didn't take your advice seriously or if you left me, I would be in trouble

I'd say a lonely prayer again
I would be praying to be reunited with you