in 2011 Magazine returned with their first new recorded material from the band in 30 years, though Adamson had left the reunion by this point.
Magazine's music continues to be an influence in modern music today. While having roots in the punk and new-wave movements, Magazine combined elements of avant-garde and pop. Radiohead in particular draws on the lyrical style of the group, and have performed "Shot By Both Sides" in concert. What's more, Radiohead's 1995 single "Just", with its ascending guitar hook, bears a passing resemblance to "Shot By Both Sides". Former Smiths singer Morrissey, a fan and acquaintance of Devoto's, covered "A Song From Under The Floorboards" as a B-side to his 2006 single "The Youngest Was the Most Loved". "Floorboards" was covered by My Friend The Chocolate Cake on their 1994 album Brood. Half Man Half Biscuit have performed live covers of a number of Magazine songs. "The Light Pours Out Of Me", from the album Real Life, has been covered by both Peter Murphy and Ministry. Swedish punk band No Fun At All did a cover of "Shot By Both Sides" on their record "And Now For Something Completely Different". Devoto co-wrote two songs with Mansun, "Everyone Must Win" and "Railings", contributing vocals to the latter, and the band later covered "Shot By Both Sides" for John Peel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_%28band%29
http://www.discogs.com/artist/26054-Magazine
http://www.wire-sound.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/officialmagazine
Upside Down
Magazine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Between you and me,
Which doesn't explain
Why the strangest places
Still call my name.
I don't know how to live,
I only know how to disappear.
And I don't want to travel,
They speak of destiny and fate,
And powers that move unseen.
And I get these pictures,
Of how my life might have been.
I hear home is where the heart is,
But I never get to learn
Where my heart is.
Upside down.
Upside down.
I'm always turning things
Upside down.
The timing was right.
But it was still a surprise,
To find my heart had followed my eyes.
I was just another man
With his eyes on you.
And a need for agony,
That he had to subdue.
Upside down...
In your eyes.
In the lyrics to Magazine's song "Upside Down," the singer reflects on his feelings of disconnection and confusion in a world that calls to him but ultimately leaves him lost. He contemplates the distance between himself and others, the strangeness of the places that capture his attention, and the fact that he doesn't know how to truly live - only how to disappear. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea of destiny and fate, imagining different paths his life might have taken and feeling as though he never truly understands where his heart lies. Despite his uncertainty, the singer seems to be drawn to someone ('you') with whom he shares a deep connection; he follows his heart to this person, even though it surprises him.
To me, these lyrics evoke a sense of longing and uncertainty. The singer seems to be searching for meaning and purpose, grappling with his own identity and the role he plays in the world around him. He wants to belong somewhere, to understand who he is and what his purpose is - but he is constantly thrown off balance by the strangeness of the world around him. He is drawn to something (or someone) that he can't quite explain, but he isn't sure what to do with this connection or how to make sense of it. The repetition of "upside down" in the chorus reinforces this sense of disorientation and confusion, as though the singer is constantly being spun around by the whims of fate and the world around him.
Line by Line Meaning
I think of the distance
I often think about how far apart we are.
Between you and me,
I ponder about the space between us.
Which doesn't explain
But it doesn't clarify or justify why...
Why the strangest places
...I still feel drawn to peculiar locations.
Still call my name.
Places that inexplicably tantalize me.
I don't know how to live,
I have no real perception of how to live a fulfilling life.
I only know how to disappear.
I'm only privy to fading away and disappearing from the spotlight.
And I don't want to travel,
That's why I don't have a desire to travel anywhere.
And I don't want to stay here.
But I also feel like I can't remain in my present situation either.
They speak of destiny and fate,
People talk about some predetermined plan or force at work in our lives.
And powers that move unseen.
Undetectable powers that shift the course of our lives.
And I get these pictures,
And I begin to imagine these scenes or snapshots...
Of how my life might have been.
...of how things may have transpired differently in my life.
I hear home is where the heart is,
They say 'Home is where you feel most at peace and happy,'
But I never get to learn
However, I never get to grasp or fathom...
Where my heart is.
...where I truly belong and where my heart resides.
Upside down.
Everything feels like it's flipped around and uncertain.
Upside down.
My life seems to be always turned on its head.
I'm always turning things
I'm always trying to switch things up to find clarity.
Upside down.
It's like I'm always upside down and topsy-turvy.
The timing was right.
The occasion was suitable and timely.
But it was still a surprise,
But it came as an unexpected shock...
To find my heart had followed my eyes.
...to realise that my heart had fallen in love with what I saw before me.
I was just another man
I was no different from any other guy...
With his eyes on you.
...who couldn't take their eyes off of you.
And a need for agony,
With some kind of desire or yearning for pain...
That he had to subdue.
...that he had to suppress or conquer.
Upside down...
It's just another situation where everything is turned on its head.
In your eyes.
Perhaps it's all because of the way you look at me.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BARRY ADAMSON, DAVID TOMLINSON, HOWARD DEVOTO, JOHN MC GEOGH, JOHN E DOYLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Bruce
Very underrated Magazine track in my humble opinion!
Il fumettaro Vetusto Channel
John mc geoch and your siouxie guitar!
Eck Static
Brown sleeve single only in 'UK'.
Paul Huerta
It was on correct use of soap
Casey Kane
@SoulStylistJukeBox It was actually on the Canadian version of the album, which they titled, "An Alternative Use of Soap." The running order is different and "Model Worker" and "I'm A Party," were replaced by "The Light Pours Out of Me" and Upside Down."
SoulStylistJukeBox
Not the UK version of the album. Was it added to the overseas edition of the album?
Almost.Video
"elevation" by television, anyone?
Paul Bruce
@Almost.Video That's actually quite intriguing ! I hear it where you say, AND John McGeoch (Magazine guitarist) loved Television and knew all the guitar off (i think) the album that track came from 'backwards' - he loved it, and had memorised it all!
Mr. Technique
It's subtle because they sound almost nothing alike.
Almost.Video
it's subtle. you guys need to listen harder, the vocal melody for the verse starting @ 00:14 vs. verlaine's vocal @ 00:50 = totally lifted from "elevation." it's why i like this song; otherwise it's pretty awful