After recording and self-releasing two EPs in 2002, Newsom was signed to the independent label Drag City. Her debut album, The Milk-Eyed Mender, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim and garnered Newsom an underground following. She would receive wider exposure with the release of Ys (2006), which charted at number 134 on the Billboard 200.
She released two further albums: Have One on Me (2010) and Divers (2015), the latter of which outsold all of her previous albums. Newsom has been noted by critics for her unique musical style, sometimes characterized as psychedelic folk, and for her prominent use of harp instrumentation. She has also appeared as an actress with roles in the television series Portlandia and in the 2014 film Inherent Vice.
This Side of the Blue
Joanna Newsom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I am progressing abominably
And I do not know my own way to the sea
But the saltiest sea knows its own way to me
And the city that turns, turns protracted and slow
And I find myself toeing th'Embarcadero
And I find myself knowing
Which is all that you can know
On this side of the blue
And Jaime has eyes
Black and shiny as boots
And they march at you two-by-two
(Re-loo re-loo);
When she looks at you
You know she's nowhere near through:
It's the kindest heart beating
This side of the blue
And the signifieds butt heads
With the signifiers
And we all fall down slack-jawed
To marvel at words!
When across the sky sheet
The Impossible birds
In a steady illiterate movement homewards
And Gabriel stands beneath forest and moon
See them rattle & boo
See them shake and see them loom
See him fashion a cap from a page of Camus;
See him navigate deftly this side of the blue
And the rest of our lives
Will the moments accrue
When the shape of their goneness
Will flare up anew
Then we do what we have to do
(Re-loo re-loo)
Which is all that you can do
On this side of the blue
Oh it's all that you can do
On this side of the blue
The song "This Side of the Blue" by Joanna Newsom is a deeply introspective piece that explores the complexity of life and the human experience. In the first verse, the singer speaks of Svetlana, who is sucking lemons across from her. The lyric "And I am progressing abominably, and I do not know my own way to the sea, but the saltiest sea knows its own way to me" suggests a feeling of being lost and unsure of oneself, but also a sense of trust in the universe to lead us where we need to go. The city is described as turning "protracted and slow," which mirrors the singer's own struggles with finding direction in life. However, she finds herself on th'Embarcadero, and realizing that she knows the things that she knew before, which is all that we can truly know "on this side of the blue." The reference to "this side of the blue" is a poetic metaphor for the limitations of our knowledge and understanding, and the vastness of the unknown.
The second verse introduces Jaime, whose black and shiny eyes march at you "two-by-two." When she looks at you, you know that she's nowhere near through with her kindness. The third verse begins with "And the signifieds butt heads with the signifiers," which suggests that language itself can be contradictory and confusing. The lyric "we all fall down slack-jawed to marvel at words" points to the phenomenon of language's power to captivate and elude us simultaneously. The lyric "when across the sky sheet the impossible birds, in a steady illiterate movement homewards" suggests the limits of language to describe the beauty and awe of nature.
The fourth and final verse speaks of Gabriel, who stands beneath the forest and moon. The lyric "see him fashion a cap from a page of Camus" suggests a playful or creative spirit, one that is not bound by convention or tradition. The singer acknowledges that "the rest of our lives will the moments accrue when the shape of their goneness will flare up anew," which suggests an acceptance of the transience of life and the inevitability of losing loved ones. In the end, the singer sings "we do what we have to do," which represents a resignation to the fact that we can only do what we can, "on this side of the blue."
Line by Line Meaning
Svetlana sucks lemons across from me
I am sitting across from Svetlana who is sucking lemons, while I am not doing well in my situation.
And I am progressing abominably
I am not doing well in whatever I am doing.
And I do not know my own way to the sea
I am lost and do not know how to get to where I want to be.
But the saltiest sea knows its own way to me
Even though I am lost and unsure of my direction, the sea will eventually lead me where I am meant to go.
And the city that turns, turns protracted and slow
The city is constantly moving, but in a slow and drawn-out way.
And I find myself toeing th'Embarcadero
I find myself standing at the Embarcadero, a well-known promenade in San Francisco.
And I find myself knowing
I realize that I already know what I need to know.
The things that I knew
The knowledge I have gained in my life so far.
Which is all that you can know
All you can really know is what you have experienced in your own life.
On this side of the blue
This refers to the world we live in, which is limited to what we can see and experience.
And Jaime has eyes
Jaime has a striking pair of eyes that stand out.
Black and shiny as boots
Her eyes are dark and have a glossy shine to them.
And they march at you two-by-two
Her eyes look focused and determined when they look at you.
(Re-loo re-loo)
This is a playful, nonsensical phrase.
When she looks at you
When Jaime looks at you with her intense eyes.
You know she's nowhere near through
You can tell she has a strong and kind heart that is not easily deterred.
It's the kindest heart beating
Jaime has a very kind heart that shines through in her actions and interactions with others.
This side of the blue
Again, referencing the limited world we experience in our lives.
And the signifieds butt heads
Abstract concepts and ideas are constantly at odds with each other, creating conflict in our minds.
With the signifiers
Symbols and words that represent these abstract ideas are also in conflict with each other.
And we all fall down slack-jawed
We are left feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by these conflicts and contradictions.
To marvel at words!
Despite our confusion, we are fascinated by language and its power.
When across the sky sheet
When a sheet of birds flies through the sky.
The Impossible birds
These birds may represent ideals or goals that seem impossible to reach.
In a steady illiterate movement homewards
The birds move in a graceful, instinctual way without needing human language to guide them.
And Gabriel stands beneath forest and moon
Gabriel, some unknown person, is standing in the midst of a forest at nighttime.
See them rattle & boo
Gabriel is not afraid of the spooky sounds in the forest and instead finds them interesting.
See them shake and see them loom
The shadows and movement in the trees and bushes around Gabriel create a sense of looming danger.
See him fashion a cap from a page of Camus;
Gabriel uses a page from a book by Albert Camus to fashion a hat for himself.
See him navigate deftly this side of the blue
Gabriel is able to move through life with skill and confidence even in the midst of challenging situations.
And the rest of our lives
The an unspecified amount of time we have left in our lives.
Will the moments accrue
Will moments continue to add up throughout our lives.
When the shape of their goneness
When the fact that others have left or died becomes more clear.
Will flare up anew
These moments will continue to hit us emotionally and strongly throughout our lives.
Then we do what we have to do
We have to continue on with our lives despite the pain of loss.
(Re-loo re-loo)
Same playful and nonsensical phrase as before.
Which is all that you can do
We can only try our best to keep living in the midst of grief and loss.
On this side of the blue
In the limited world of human existence.
Oh it's all that you can do
This repeats the idea that we can only do our best in the midst of pain and loss.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Joanna Newsom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind