Other Side Of Summer
Elvis Costello Lyrics
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And I felt glad in my own suspicious way
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Despite the contradiction and confusion
Felt tragic without reason
There's malice and there's magic in every season
From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer
The automatic gates close up between the shanties and the palace
The blowtorch amusements, the voodoo chalice
The pale pathetic promises that everybody swallows
A teenage girl is crying 'cause she don't look like a million dollars
So help her if you can
'Cause she don't seem to have the attention span
From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer
Was it a millionaire who said "Imagine no possessions"?
A poor little schoolboy who said "We don't need no lessons"?
The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop
The pop princess is downtown shooting up
And if that goddess if fit for burning
The sun will struggle up the world will still keep turning
Madman standing by the side of the road saying
"Look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Now you can't afford to fake all the drugs your parents used to take
Because of their mistakes you'd better be wide awake
From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The other side of summer
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
The other side of summer
The mightiest rose
The absence of perfume
The casual killers
The military curfew
The cardboard city
An unwanted birthday
The other side of summer
The dancing was desperate, the music was worse
They bury your dreams and dig up the worthless
Goodnight
God bless
And kiss "Goodbye" to the earth
The other side of summer
The other side of summer
The other side of summer
The other side of summer
The other side of summer
The other side of summer
The other side
The other side
The other side, oh
In the song "The Other Side of Summer," Elvis Costello reflects on the many contradictions and complexities of life in the modern world. The opening stanza begins by describing a beautiful morning, but the singer's gladness is tempered by a sense of suspicion and a recognition of the inherent contradictions and confusion in life. The line "there's malice and there's magic in every season" highlights the idea that life is never straightforward or easy - even in moments of joy and beauty, there can be darkness and pain.
From there, the song takes a dark turn, describing everything from the "poisonous surf" to the "burning forests in the hills of Astroturf." The lyrics depict a world in which the rich and the poor are separated by "automatic gates," and where young girls are taught to measure their worth by their looks. Costello also references John Lennon's famous song "Imagine" and questions its relevance in a world where rebellion can lead to violent destruction and pop stars fall prey to addiction.
The song ends with a series of bleak images, including "the absence of perfume," "the casual killers," and "the military curfew." The final lines, "goodnight, god bless, and kiss 'goodbye' to the earth," suggest a resignation to the fact that life is full of pain and suffering, but perhaps also a hint of hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun struggles up another beautiful day
Although it's a gorgeous day, it's hard to get up and face it
And I felt glad in my own suspicious way
Despite reservations, there's still a sense of happiness
Despite the contradiction and confusion
Despite things seeming like they don't make sense
Felt tragic without reason
Feeling sad without a clear cause
There's malice and there's magic in every season
Good and bad things happen all year round
From the foaming breakers of the poisonous surf
The beach is not safe
To the burning forests in the hills of Astroturf
Man-made landscapes are not always ideal
The automatic gates close up between the shanties and the palace
The poor and wealthy live very different lives
The blowtorch amusements, the voodoo chalice
The things people do for entertainment are sometimes dangerous
The pale pathetic promises that everybody swallows
People tend to believe in false promises
A teenage girl is crying 'cause she don't look like a million dollars
Society puts a lot of pressure on young women to look a certain way
So help her if you can
If possible, try to assist her
'Cause she don't seem to have the attention span
People often don't have enough focus to get help
Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions"?
The idea of not having material possessions is easier for the wealthy to propose
A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons"?
The idea of not needing an education is more harmful to those without resources
The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop
People who think they're fighting against the status quo can still be harmful
The pop princess is downtown shooting up
Even those who seem to have it all can struggle with addiction
And if that goddess if fit for burning
Even the most beautiful things can be destroyed
The sun will struggle up the world will still keep turning
Life goes on despite difficulties
Madman standing by the side of the road saying
A person who's mentally ill can make others uncomfortable
"Look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes, look at my eyes"
Someone who's mentally ill may try to get others to take notice
Now you can't afford to fake all the drugs your parents used to take
Drugs are often glamorized by the media, but people can't afford to emulate them
Because of their mistakes you'd better be wide awake
It's important to learn from the mistakes of others
The mightiest rose
The most impressive things are often fragile
The absence of perfume
Things that should be there aren't
The casual killers
People who commit murder without thinking
The military curfew
The government can limit people's movements
The cardboard city
Homelessness is a major issue in many cities
An unwanted birthday
Not everyone is happy to get older
The dancing was desperate, the music was worse
People try to escape their problems through escapism, but it often doesn't work
They bury your dreams and dig up the worthless
Society can be harsh and unforgiving
Goodnight
The end of the day
God bless
Wishing someone well
And kiss "goodbye" to the earth
We only have one life to live
The other side of summer
The darker parts of life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DECLAN MACMANUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason Skorik
Probably the best example of Costello's brilliantly perceptive, bitter, funny & still very relevant lyrics. Great tune too. Obviously it was virtually ignored at the time, like all great songs, but the advent of the internet turns out to be a way of keeping music alive in a way that nobody could foresee years ago.
Marcin Piskorz
Nooo, It wasn't. I remember hearing it regulary as a kid, on the radio.
Kosi!
It reached number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart
James Calbraith
Ignored? I remember it was one of the hits of summer 1991, a few months before Nevermind came out.
idan willenchik
I remember seeing this video quite a bit on MTV at the time.
Jason Skorik
Ok maybe it did better in the US than the UK
Mike Gould Scripts
Hugely underrated song with a great tune & lyrics. Never understood why this hasn’t had more attention.
James Brady
Elvis Costello has a great knack for composing dark/complex lyrics on top of melodic/cheerful pop music. This song, "Veronica," and "Oliver's Army" are great examples. Genius!
jollytunes
Aka lyrical dissonance 😉
Matthew L. Weiss
A late masterpiece from Mr. MacManus. The perfect balance of genius lyrics, point of view, and musical brilliance.... and now my #1 song to set as my wake-up alarm.