Both Sides Now
Sarah Morrau Lyrics
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And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
The song "Both Sides Now" by Sarah Morrau is essentially about the idea of looking at life from different perspectives. The singer in the song reminisces about their past experiences with clouds, love, and life, describing the way they used to view things and then contrasting it with how they see things now. The line "I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now" is particularly interesting because it suggests that there are multiple ways to look at the world and that our perception can change over time.
The first verse of the song talks about how the singer used to view clouds as beautiful and majestic, but now they see them as something that blocks the sun and rains on everyone. The second verse discusses a similar shift in perspective with regards to love, wherein the singer remembers the intense emotions of new love but realizes that it sometimes ends in heartache. The final verse is about life itself, with the singer acknowledging the loss of some things in their life but also recognizing the gains that have come from living every day.
Line by Line Meaning
Rows and flows of angel hair
I used to see beauty in everything, like delicate angel hair.
And ice cream castles in the air
I used to dream of magical castles made of ice cream.
And feather canyons everywhere
I used to envision canyons filled with soft feathers.
I've looked at clouds that way
This is how I used to see the world, always finding beauty where it lay.
But now they only block the sun
Now the clouds only get in the way of the sunshine.
They rain and snow on everyone
The clouds are no longer something beautiful, they just bring rain and snow to everyone.
So many things I would have done
The clouds got in the way of so many things I wanted to do.
But clouds got in my way
The clouds have become an obstacle in my life.
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
I've seen clouds both as beautiful and as an obstacle in life.
From up and down, and still somehow
No matter how I've seen clouds, from different perspectives, they always seem to block the sunlight.
It's cloud illusions I recall
My memories of clouds are illusions of something that was once beautiful.
I really don't know clouds at all
Despite my past experiences, I don't really understand clouds anymore.
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
I once saw romance in everything, even in the moon, June, and Ferris wheels.
The dizzy dancing way you feel
I once felt so in love that it was like being dizzy and light-headed.
As every fairy tale comes real
My life was like a fairy tale and everything seemed possible.
I've looked at love that way
This is how I saw love in the past, as something magical and fairy-tale like.
But now it's just another show
Love is now just a game or performance.
You leave 'em laughing when you go
People will laugh when you leave and not take the relationship seriously.
And if you care, don't let them know
If you care about someone, don't show it or they will take advantage of you.
Don't give yourself away
Don't give up your true feelings or love because people might hurt you.
I've looked at love from both sides now
I have experienced love in both its romantic and cynical sides.
From give and take, and still somehow
Love is a balance of giving and taking and I'm still learning how to navigate this balance.
It's love's illusions I recall
My previous experiences of love are just illusions of what I thought love was.
I really don't know love at all
Despite my experiences, I still don't truly understand what love is.
Tears and fears and feeling proud
My emotions have been a mix of sadness, fear, and pride.
To say "I love you" right out loud
I have learned to express my love verbally, even when it's scary to do so.
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
My life has been full of dreams, plans, and interesting people.
I've looked at life that way
This is how I used to view life, with excitement and wonder.
But now old friends are acting strange
Old friends no longer recognize me, since I no longer see the world in the same way.
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Friends think I've changed because of the way I now view life.
Well something's lost, but something's gained
I have lost my previous innocence and naivety, but gained new experiences and wisdom.
In living every day
Despite the changes in my outlook, I still live my life every day.
From win and lose and still somehow
Life is a balance of winning and losing, and I'm still trying to find that balance.
I've looked at life from both sides now
I've experienced life both as something wondrous and as something that has many challenges.
From up and down and still somehow
No matter how I've looked at life, there have been ups and downs, but I'm still trying to find my way.
It's life's illusions I recall
My memories of life are just illusions that I have created.
I really don't know life at all
Despite my experiences, I still don't fully grasp the meaning of life.
Writer(s): JONI MITCHELL
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.