Polly Paulusma is a critically acclaimed, English singer-songwriter. In rec… Read Full Bio ↴Polly Paulusma is a critically acclaimed, English singer-songwriter. In recent years, Paulusma has toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Coldplay, Gary Jules, Jamie Cullum, Joseph Arthur, and Marianne Faithfull.

Throughout her 20s, Paulusma flirted with a number of occupations, from scholar (she embarked on a PhD after graduation from Cambridge University) to novelist (she was talented enough to bag a literary agent). But raised on a diet of Joni Mitchell and Carole King, music was always Paulusma’s first love. She wrote her first song aged ten, but it took 18 years of denial before she finally listened to her heart and recorded her debut album.

“Music had always been part of my life,” she says. “I’d been in bands, writing songs all along, but I’d just been doing it for the hell of it. It never crossed my mind to try and do it properly.”

It wasn’t until she recorded backing vocals for friends Ben & Jason’s last album that the penny finally dropped. “I had one of these earth shattering moments when I suddenly realised that everything I was doing was wrong and that I should be doing this instead,” she says. “It was like I got hit with an electric current – maybe I did – it was a pretty lo-fi studio so there was always that possibility! I just started crying. I thought, oh buggery fuck, here we go again.”

Dark Side
Polly Paulusma Lyrics

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Come and ask me if I want to dance with you;
I think you will
It gets cold and lonely on my dark side of the moon
The thin air and chill
Come and show me
What the grey world looks like
When it's blue;
I think you can

You've got golden lips
And I have got a silver spoon;
We don't need romance

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos
Philosophers and slackers
Vagabonds and cambridge dons
The king of cool's heir apparent
Infidels and jezebels
And poets with no talent
But they've never shone
On the dark side of my moon

I was thinking love was just
A complicated game you play in the dark
No-one told me strategy was only for defence
And winners thank luck
Take my hand and show me how
To spin around this floor;
I don't know how!
Come unlearn me
Everything I've ever learned before
I'm ready now

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos
Philosophers and slackers
Vagabonds and cambridge dons
The king of cool's heir apparent
Infidels and jezebels
And poets with no talent
But they've never shone
On the dark side of my moon

now that you've warmed me
I never want to be that cold again
Cold may be easy, but
Nothing comes of nothing in the end
Take my hand and lead me
Where the music is alive;
I think you can
You've got golden lips
And a whole lifetime in your eyes;
We don't need no plan
Come and ask me
If I want to dance with you;
I think you will
And when a thousand moons
Have spun around this earth of ours
We'll be dancing still

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos
Philosophers and slackers
Vagabonds and cambridge dons
The king of cool's heir apparent
Infidels and jezebels
And poets with no talent

But they've never shone
On the dark side of my moon

Overall Meaning

"Polly Paulusma's song "Dark Side" is a plea from someone who has been hurt before to be shown something better. The lyrics start with an invitation to dance, but soon it becomes clear that the singer is asking for more than that. She's searching for someone who can take her out of her lonely, cold world and show her what it's like to be happy again. She notes the differences between their lives - he has "golden lips" and she has "a silver spoon" - but says that they don't need romance because they have something more important than that.

The chorus emphasizes the singer's experience with different kinds of people but also notes that none of them have been able to reach her on her "dark side of the moon." She's been hurt, disappointed, and let down before, but she's looking for someone who can change that. As the song goes on, she becomes more hopeful that this person might be able to do that for her. She notes that she's ready to unlearn everything she's ever known about love and that she trusts him to lead her somewhere where the music is alive. The final verse is a declaration of hope and commitment to this person - they'll be dancing for years to come.

Overall, the song is a beautiful plea for hope in the face of loneliness and pain. It's a reminder that it's possible to find someone who can change your life and who can take you out of the darkness and into the light. Despite the pain the singer has experienced, she remains hopeful, and that's a beautiful thing."

Line by Line Meaning

Come and ask me if I want to dance with you;
I am waiting for your invitation to dance with you

I think you will
I am expecting you to ask me to dance

It gets cold and lonely on my dark side of the moon
I feel isolated and unloved in my current circumstance

The thin air and chill
My situation is difficult to bear and unpleasant

Come and show me What the grey world looks like When it's blue;
I want you to help me see life in a more positive light

I think you can
I believe that you have the ability to show me a better way

You've got golden lips And I have got a silver spoon;
You have charisma and charm, while I come from a privileged background

We don't need romance
Our connection does not need to be romantic to be meaningful

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos Philosophers and slackers Vagabonds and cambridge dons The king of cool's heir apparent Infidels and jezebels And poets with no talent But they've never shone On the dark side of my moon
I have experienced relationships with different types of people, but they have never truly understood me

I was thinking love was just A complicated game you play in the dark No-one told me strategy was only for defence And winners thank luck
I used to believe love was a game with hidden rules and strategies, but now I know success is based on chance and being defensive

Take my hand and show me how To spin around this floor;
Teach me how to dance with you

I don't know how!
I need your guidance to learn how to dance

Come unlearn me Everything I've ever learned before I'm ready now
I am willing to let go of my past and embrace something new

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos Philosophers and slackers Vagabonds and cambridge dons The king of cool's heir apparent Infidels and jezebels And poets with no talent But they've never shone On the dark side of my moon
I have had relationships with different types of people, but they have never truly connected with me

now that you've warmed me I never want to be that cold again
You have brought warmth and love into my life, and I do not want to go back to feeling lonely and isolated

Cold may be easy, but Nothing comes of nothing in the end
It may be easy to stay isolated and cold, but it leads to nothing in the end

Take my hand and lead me Where the music is alive; I think you can You've got golden lips And a whole lifetime in your eyes; We don't need no plan
Lead me to where the music is playing and where life is vibrant. I trust you because you are charming and have a bright future ahead. We do not need a specific plan or agenda to enjoy each other's company

Come and ask me if I want to dance with you; I think you will
I am waiting and hoping for you to ask me to dance

And when a thousand moons Have spun around this earth of ours We'll be dancing still
No matter how much time passes, we will still be dancing together

'cause I've danced with romeos and gigolos Philosophers and slackers Vagabonds and cambridge dons The king of cool's heir apparent Infidels and jezebels And poets with no talent But they've never shone On the dark side of my moon
I have had different relationships, but none of them have truly understood me and my struggles

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAULUSMA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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