In 2000, Ferrick founded her own record label, Right On Records. The first studio album released on her own label was Valentine Heartache.
Her 2011 album was entitled "Still Right Here".
Website: www.melissaferrick.com
other side
Melissa Ferrick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey I don't know what I want
To have come this far
To just go back again
To have been loved so much
To actually want to love again
But I forget to ask myself
I forget to check in
See the devil's got my hand
And I've been out here wandering this whole time
Pretending I've got me a grand plan
But I told you
I don't know
What I'm doing
It's like I'm drifting out
The current's got my body
But I'm too tired to swim or shout
But I can see you waving
At the shoreline
You're calling me home
But the biggest part of me
Knows that I need to be out here alone and I'm
Floating out here
Waiting for the moon to push the tide
Floating out here waiting for the ocean to carry me
To the other side
Get me to the other side
And I'm forcing inspiration
Out of fear I'll never write again
But I'm out here giving away
More than my body can
Bluffing the whole table
Holding me a pair of threes
I'm dreaming drinking will fix me
Thinking sleeping with you is gonna free me
That my smoking won't kill me
And in the meantime
Look at life out there happening
Cause I don't know
What I'm doing
It's like I'm just drifting out
The current has got my body
But I'm too tired to swim or shout
But I can see you waving
At the shoreline
You're calling me home
But the biggest part of me
Knows that I need to be out here alone
Floating out here
Waiting for the moon to push the tide
Floating out here
Waiting for the ocean to carry me
To the other side
Get me to the other side
Floating out here
Waiting for the moon to push the tide Come on and carry me
To the other side get me to the other side
Melissa Ferrick’s song Other Side honestly portrays the inner thoughts of a lost and confused individual who is struggling to find their own identity and purpose in life. The opening line “like electricity scattered” portrays the feeling of being overwhelmed and disconnected from oneself. The individual expresses their confusion about what they want in life despite having come so far and being loved by others. However, they can’t seem to find the answers within themselves and feel like the devil has their hand, leading them astray.
The individual acknowledges their lack of direction in life and their inability to make decisions. They dream of drinking and smoking as a form of escape, but deep down they know that these things won’t solve their problems. The individual can see someone waving at the shoreline, calling them home, but they feel like they need to be alone to find themselves.
The repeated line “floating out here waiting for the moon to push the tide, waiting for the ocean to carry me to the other side” portrays the feeling of being lost but also having hope that things will get better. The individual is waiting for something to happen to push them in the right direction towards finding themselves, but at the same time, they realize they need to take control of their own life.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt and relatable expression of the struggles of finding oneself and the desire for both connection and independence.
Line by Line Meaning
Like electricity scattered
I feel scattered and disconnected, like the electricity in my body is all over the place.
Hey I don't know what I want
I'm feeling lost and confused about what I really want in life.
To have come this far
I've come a long way in my life, but I wonder if it's worth it.
To just go back again
I have this fear that I might end up back where I started, despite all of my progress.
To have been loved so much
I've been loved deeply by someone before, but it's hard for me to open up to love again.
To actually want to love again
Despite my fear, I do want to love again one day.
But I forget to ask myself
I tend to neglect my own needs and desires.
Hey what do I want to do?
I need to take the time to figure out what I really want.
See the devil's got my hand
I feel like I'm being pulled in the wrong direction or misled by something negative.
And I've been out here wandering this whole time
I've been lost and aimless for a while now.
Pretending I've got me a grand plan
I've been acting like I have everything under control and a clear direction, even though I don't.
But I told you
I've been open and honest about my confusion and struggles with someone.
I don't know What I'm doing
I still don't have a clear idea of what I'm doing with my life.
It's like I'm drifting out
I feel like I'm being pulled away by outside forces and not in control of my own direction.
The current's got my body
I'm being carried away by something bigger than me, like a strong current in the ocean.
But I'm too tired to swim or shout
I'm too exhausted and drained to fight back against the force carrying me away.
But I can see you waving At the shoreline
Despite my exhaustion and confusion, I can see someone trying to guide me back to safety.
You're calling me home
This person wants me to come home and find my way back to stability and direction.
But the biggest part of me Knows that I need to be out here alone
I'm conflicted because while I desire guidance and stability, I also feel like I need to figure things out on my own.
Floating out here
I feel like I'm just drifting and not making any progress.
Waiting for the moon to push the tide
I'm waiting for some outside force to come and help me move on from this feeling of being lost and aimless.
Waiting for the ocean to carry me To the other side
I'm hoping that by surrendering myself to the unknown and the bigger picture, I'll be carried to a better place.
And I'm forcing inspiration Out of fear I'll never write again
I'm trying to force my creativity out of fear that I won't be able to write or create anything again otherwise.
But I'm out here giving away More than my body can
I'm putting more energy and effort into creating and expressing myself than I have to give.
Bluffing the whole table
I'm pretending like I have more to offer than I actually do.
Holding me a pair of threes
I don't have a lot to work with, but I'm still trying to make it work as best as I can.
I'm dreaming drinking will fix me Thinking sleeping with you is gonna free me That my smoking won't kill me And in the meantime
I'm trying to fix my problems with temporary solutions, rather than addressing the root cause.
Look at life out there happening
I'm too focused on my own problems and solutions to notice the rest of the world moving on around me.
Floating out here Waiting for the moon to push the tide
I'm still lost and wandering, waiting for something to change my direction.
Come on and carry me To the other side get me to the other side
I'm desperate for something bigger than myself to come and move me to a better place.
Contributed by Eli B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.