King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal band formed in 1985 by vocalist King D… Read Full Bio ↴King Diamond is a Danish heavy metal band formed in 1985 by vocalist King Diamond, guitarists Andy LaRocque and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen and drummer Mikkey Dee. Diamond, Denner and Hansen had recently departed the group Mercyful Fate, and decided to form a new band under the King Diamond moniker, as it was already known from the Mercyful Fate days. In 1986, King Diamond released their debut album Fatal Portrait. Since then the band have released a total of twelve studio albums (most of them concept albums), two live albums, two extended plays, five compilations and five singles.

Since the band's inception, there have been over fifteen musicians in and out of King Diamond, with the only two mainstays being vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Andy LaRocque. In 1987 the band released their second studio release Abigail (their first concept album). Throughout the 1980s, King Diamond released a total of four studio albums. In the early 1990s, the band was put on hold when King Diamond reunited with his former outfit Mercyful Fate. After reforming King Diamond in 1994, Diamond would balance recording and touring with both Mercyful Fate and his eponymous band throughout the 90's. Since the early 2000s, King Diamond have kept recording and touring and, since 2014, the band has been composed of vocalist King Diamond, guitarist Andy LaRocque, guitarist Mike Wead, drummer Matt Thompson, and bassist Pontus Egberg.

From The Other Side
King Diamond Lyrics

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I don't know if I'm dead or alive
All I know is I'm running out of time
Oh, I'm leaving my body... Oh, leaving it behind

From the other side, looking down I know that it's me
From the other side, looking fown it's the devil I see

Someone down there is saving my life

I see a tear being shed by THE EYE
Oh, I'm drifting much higher... Oh, into the light

From the other side, looking down I know that it's me
From the other side, looking fown it's the devil I see

I see the strangest faces
Faces that I've never seen before
They see me through empty spaces
Spaces that do not exist no more

I swear by the moon and the devil
I'll be their guardian if they will be mine

There's a demon with red glowing eyes
He's invading the body that was mine
Oh, is there still time... Oh, Time to return

From the other side, looking down I know that it's me
From the other side, looking fown it's the devil I see

I guess I wasn't ready yet
'Cause someone there is calling me back from the dead

Demon, demon, are you there
Demon, demon, leave my lair

From the other side, looking down I know that it's me

From the other side, looking fown it's the devil I see
WAKE UP!

Overall Meaning

From The Other Side by King Diamond is a haunting ballad about someone who is uncertain whether they are dead or alive. The lyrics suggest that the singer is undergoing some sort of near-death experience or out-of-body experience. The singer sees their own body and feels like they are running out of time, but simultaneously sees the devil looking up at them, implying that they might not return to the land of the living.

In addition, the singer sees strange and unfamiliar faces, seemingly unable to interact with them fully as they have left their body behind. They then vow to be the guardian of the moon and the devil if they will guard them in return. Moreover, there is a warning that a demon is taking over the body that was previously theirs, signaling some sort of spiritual danger. Ultimately, the singer wakes up, suggesting that they have returned to the world of living, although still unsure.

The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it feels like the song portrays a sense of uncertainty about the afterlife and spiritual world. It’s both mystical and unsettling. The element of the demonic hints at a confrontation between good and evil, while acknowledging the inherent darkness in humanity.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know if I'm dead or alive
Uncertainty of being alive or dead

All I know is I'm running out of time
Sense of urgency and impending doom

Oh, I'm leaving my body... Oh, leaving it behind
Out of body experience

From the other side, looking down I know that it's me
Observing oneself from a metaphysical perspective

From the other side, looking down it's the devil I see
Distortion of reality, heightened anxiety

Someone down there is saving my life
A guardian figure looking out for the singer

I see a tear being shed by THE EYE
Symbolic gesture of mourning or regret

Oh, I'm drifting much higher... Oh, into the light
Ascending towards an unknown destiny

I see the strangest faces
Hallucinatory experience, unfamiliar surroundings

Faces that I've never seen before
Disorientation and confusion

They see me through empty spaces
A sense of being watched or monitored