The Other Side
Roger Whittaker Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I had spend the whole day lying on the sand,
Sifting tiny golden gains and dreaming I was tanned.
My eyelids closed, the burning sun high up in the sky.
Make swiftly moving scarlet patterns deep within my eye.

Then the red sun disappeared and a chill came on my skin.
I felt a shadow on my face and a coldness from within.
Through slits between my eyelids I saw a girl, kneeling down
And the sun, I think it was, formed a halo, or a crown.

I heard a week and croaking voice I recognize as mine.
Ask her where she came from, or for some other sign.
She smiled and closed my eyelids with two fingers of her hand.
Saying I'm from the other side and soon you'll understand.

Oh, she held my hands, as if to comfort me and said:
"Don't be afraid, I'm your lifelong guide.
I've come so I can show you how to set your spirit free.
So listen to the music, as I take you through,
To the other side. "

In that instant I seemed to rise and she holding my arm.
Entered a bright passageway that gave me no alarm.
Just a growing love, forgiveness and trust all mixed as one
And peace, above all, quit peace of something finished - done.

As we reached the place of comfort, the strongest point of light.
I felt her stop me, motionless, the end of headlong flight.
She entered in the brightness, spoke to others waiting there.
Then, returning to me, softly said: "Your time is not jet here."

Oh, she held my hands, as if to comfort me and said:
"Don't be afraid, I'm your lifelong guide.
I've come so I can show you how to set your spirit free.
So listen to the music, as I take you through,
To the other side. "

You must return and tell the others waiting to come through,
Of the love, forgiveness, peace and light that lie and store for you
And play to them, the music, play it strong and play with pride.
So that they won't be afraid to pass - to the other side.

Oh, she held my hands, as if to comfort me and said:
"Don't be afraid, I'm your lifelong guide.
I've come so I can show you how to set your spirit free.
So listen to the music, as I take you through,
To the other side. "





To the other side, to the other side.

Overall Meaning

The Roger Whittaker song "The Other Side" is a beautiful and mysterious ballad about a dreamlike encounter with a girl who takes the singer on a journey to the afterlife, and teaches him about love, forgiveness, and peace. The dream starts with the singer lying on the sand, feeling the warmth of the sun and dreaming of being tanned. Suddenly, a chill comes over him, and he sees a girl kneeling beside him. Though he recognizes his own voice as weak and croaking, he asks her where she came from. She responds by saying that she is from the other side and that she will show him how to set his spirit free.


The girl takes the singer on a journey through a bright passageway, and he experiences a sense of love, forgiveness, and trust, all mixed into one. As they reach the strongest point of light, the girl tells the singer that it is not yet his time to stay, and that he needs to go back and tell others about the love, forgiveness, peace, and light that await them on the other side. She encourages him to listen to the music and play it strong and with pride so that others won't be afraid to pass over.


Overall, "The Other Side" is a moving allegory about the journey to the afterlife, and the importance of love, forgiveness, and peace in our lives. The girl in the song represents a guide or an angel, helping the singer to overcome his fears and anxieties about death and the afterlife. The lyrics are poetic and atmospheric, with vivid descriptions of the sun, sand, and bright passage leading to the other side.


Line by Line Meaning

I had spend the whole day lying on the sand,
I spent a day relaxing on the beach, sifting sand and dreaming of getting a tan.


Sifting tiny golden gains and dreaming I was tanned.
I was searching for gold-colored specks in the sand and imagining myself with a tan.


My eyelids closed, the burning sun high up in the sky.
I had my eyes shut while the hot sun shone down from above.


Make swiftly moving scarlet patterns deep within my eye.
The bright light created patterns of red color when I closed my eyes.


Then the red sun disappeared and a chill came on my skin.
As the sun set, I felt a cold shiver run through my body.


I felt a shadow on my face and a coldness from within.
I perceived a darkness cast over me and a sense of coldness coming from inside.


Through slits between my eyelids I saw a girl, kneeling down
I noticed a girl bending over me through small openings in my eyelids.


And the sun, I think it was, formed a halo, or a crown.
I perceived a crown of light or a halo around the girl, possibly from the setting sun.


I heard a week and croaking voice I recognize as mine.
I recognized my own voice, weak and raspy.


Ask her where she came from, or for some other sign.
I wanted to know where the girl came from or for any other indication.


She smiled and closed my eyelids with two fingers of her hand.
The girl smiled and used her fingers to shut my eyelids.


Saying I'm from the other side and soon you'll understand.
She spoke and said she was from the other side and I would come to understand soon enough.


Oh, she held my hands, as if to comfort me and said:
The girl took hold of my hands in a comforting manner and said:


"Don't be afraid, I'm your lifelong guide.
"Do not be afraid, I am your lifelong guide.


I've come so I can show you how to set your spirit free.
I am here to teach you how to liberate your spirit.


So listen to the music, as I take you through,
Listen to the music as I guide you through.


To the other side. "
To the other side where she is from.


In that instant I seemed to rise and she holding my arm.
Suddenly, I felt myself lifted up, and the girl took hold of my arm.


Entered a bright passageway that gave me no alarm.
We went through a bright tunnel, which did not scare me at all.


Just a growing love, forgiveness and trust all mixed as one
I felt a blend of love, forgiveness, and trust growing inside me.


And peace, above all, quit peace of something finished - done.
Most importantly, I felt a great sense of peace that comes from knowing something has been completed.


As we reached the place of comfort, the strongest point of light.
When we arrived at a place of comfort, the center of a bright light.


I felt her stop me, motionless, the end of headlong flight.
She halted me suddenly and I came to a stop after an uncontrolled rush.


She entered in the brightness, spoke to others waiting there.
She went into the brightness and spoke with others who were waiting there.


Then, returning to me, softly said: "Your time is not jet here."
When she returned to me, she said softly: "Your time has not come yet."


You must return and tell the others waiting to come through,
You need to go back and inform the others who are waiting to come to this side,


Of the love, forgiveness, peace and light that lie and store for you
Tell them about the love, forgiveness, peace and light that await them.


And play to them, the music, play it strong and play with pride.
Make sure to play music for them, play it with strength, and play it with pride.


So that they won't be afraid to pass - to the other side.
This will help them be unafraid to come to the other side.


To the other side, to the other side.
To the other side, to the other side.




Contributed by Noah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@glynbirchall9146

Simply superb .

@eugenebarry5376

Great song, the music and words send a chill down my spine. Really good.

@andreah.681

Gänsehaut... 😊❤

@MrGrtx

im
,m

I'm 58 now and absolutely love this guy I grew up listening to him and I even sing his songs on karaoke. He is a legend.

@mattahern4959

WOW, that was powerful great song!

@chrisdurant7351

Wow, thats what I thought, good a what xxx

@thomashoffmann161

Great lyrics!

@user-lw7lv7xu8w

I wonder, was he a spiritualist. Absolutely beautiful.

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