Grant Lee Buffalo has an Americana-tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music, and often tackled political and social issues in their lyrics (for example, "Lone Star Song" from Mighty Joe Moon references the infamous Waco siege). They toured with major bands of the early-to-mid 1990s such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Side by Side
Grant Lee Buffalo Lyrics
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From a place high above my stars well I would
Be a liar to say I'm not scared anymore
With a fear of falling on down to the floor
To the floor these have-nots
And haves divide for table scraps
And lantern light and on this spot
A fear of losing this war is enough
That I hold my head some days in my gloves
And I wait for this Stone Age to slow to a stall
But I fear we're nowhere near to a crawl
To a crawl these have-nots
And haves divide for table scraps
And lantern light and on this spot
At last unite side by side by side
By side
Side by side
I gotta tell you there's dissension in the soup lines
For they don't have much to show
And if you don't believe you're standing on a land mine
You'll just have to wait till it blows
You'll just have to wait till it blows
Blows
To the floor these have-nots
And haves divide for table scraps
And lantern light and on this spot
At last unite side by side by side
By side
Side by side by side
By side
Side by side by side
By side
Side by side by side
I gotta tell you
I gotta tell you
I gotta tell you
Side by side by side
Side by side by side
Side by side by side
Side by side by side
Side by side
In Grant Lee Buffalo's song Side by Side, the lyrics suggest a fear of falling, both literally and metaphorically. The singer acknowledges their own fear and uncertainty, expressed in the line "Be a liar to say I'm not scared anymore." They describe a world that is divided into "haves" and "have-nots" who fight for basic necessities like "table scraps and lantern light." However, the singer also expresses hope that these groups can come together, side by side, regardless of their differences.
As the song progresses, the focus shifts to the fear of losing a greater battle or war. The singer describes feeling helpless in the face of societal problems, like a "Stone Age" that won't slow down. The chorus repeats the image of the "haves" and "have-nots" uniting side by side. The final lines suggest that even if some people don't believe in the dangers around them, they will have to experience them firsthand.
Overall, the lyrics of Side by Side convey a sense of unease and concern about the state of the world, but with an underlying message of hope that people can come together to create positive change and stand "side by side."
Line by Line Meaning
A fear of falling a fear that I could
I am afraid of falling from a high place.
From a place high above my stars well I would
I am afraid to fall from a great height, above the stars.
Be a liar to say I'm not scared anymore
I cannot lie and say that I am no longer scared.
With a fear of falling on down to the floor
I am scared of falling all the way down to the floor.
To the floor these have-nots
Those who have nothing are falling all the way to the floor.
And haves divide for table scraps
The haves are dividing the table scraps among themselves.
And lantern light and on this spot
In the dim light of the lanterns, they meet on this spot.
At last unite side by side by side
Finally, they unite side by side by side.
A fear of losing this war is enough
I am afraid of losing this war.
That I hold my head some days in my gloves
Some days I am so afraid that I keep my head inside my gloves.
And I wait for this Stone Age to slow to a stall
I am waiting for this primitive time to come to a stop.
But I fear we're nowhere near to a crawl
But I am afraid we are not even close to that point yet.
I gotta tell you there's dissension in the soup lines
I must inform you that there is dissent among the people in the soup lines.
For they don't have much to show
They have very little to show for their efforts.
And if you don't believe you're standing on a land mine
If you do not believe you are standing on a land mine,
You'll just have to wait till it blows
You will have to wait until it explodes.
To the floor these have-nots
Those who have nothing are falling all the way to the floor.
And haves divide for table scraps
The haves are dividing the table scraps among themselves.
And lantern light and on this spot
In the dim light of the lanterns, they meet on this spot.
At last unite side by side by side
Finally, they unite side by side by side.
By side
Next to each other.
Side by side
Next to each other.
I gotta tell you
I have to tell you.
Side by side by side
Next to each other, three in a row.
By side
Next to each other.
Side by side by side
Next to each other, three in a row.
By side
Next to each other.
Side by side by side
Next to each other, three in a row.
I gotta tell you
I have to tell you.
Side by side
Next to each other.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY WOODS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind