The Other Side
Smile Empty Soul Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I walk into the room
You don't have to scream I can hear you
Bad trip, the needle sticks
You get your kicks from confrontation
I try to make it past
I don't want to get into it right now
Can't this family have one day
To get away from all the pain

And through the night I see the light
Shining from the neighbor's windows
I dream of life where I'm safe
In a home where I am not alone
Some day I will lay me down
On the grass where everything is greener
It always seems so good on the other side

I'm sick of all the heat
You can taste the hate in the air
Running through this family, uncomfortably
It's burning me
Is anybody there
In your eyes there's nothing to see
Just because your dreams have died
Don't drag me down, I've still got mine

[Chorus]

Neighbor boy runs up to me, his eyes all black and blue
I say what happened to you boy, he said my daddy flew
Off the hook 'cause I was playin too loud
I guess he couldn't hear the tv
He said son I'm a teach you a lesson
And then he and then he

Maybe it's not so good on the other side
Maybe it's not so good on the other side




But it always seems so good, on the other side
It always looks so good it always seems so good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song ‘The Other Side’ by Smile Empty Soul is a poignant reflection of a dysfunctional family that is plagued by pain, hate, and violence. The singer of the song enters the room as the tension in the family is palpable, and his/her presence is enough to aggravate the situation. The family is dealing with addiction, as hinted in the line “Bad trip, the needle sticks”, and they rely on confrontation to release their aggression. The singer wants to avoid the conflict, but he/she realizes that it is inevitable. At this moment, the singer yearns for a life where he/she is safe and loved, which is not the case in his/her present household.


The chorus of the song highlights the theme of the grass being greener on the other side. The singer imagines a life that is better than the one he/she currently leads, a life free of pain, hate, and violence. The singer is desperate for a safe space, and the light shining through the neighbor’s window represents a beacon of hope. The singer wants to escape from his/her current situation, but he/she knows that life might not be as good as it seems from the outside. The lyrics are a reflection of the restlessness, anger, and despair that haunt many people living in dysfunctional families.


Line by Line Meaning

I walk into the room
The singer has entered a room


You don't have to scream I can hear you
Someone in the room is screaming but the singer can already hear them without the noise


Bad trip, the needle sticks
The situation is unpleasant and the singer feels trapped in it


You get your kicks from confrontation
The person causing the unpleasant situation enjoys causing conflicts with others


I try to make it past
The artist is attempting to move on from the situation


I don't want to get into it right now
The singer does not want to engage in a confrontation at the moment


Can't this family have one day
The singer wishes that their family could have at least one day where they don't experience pain or conflict


To get away from all the pain
The family is constantly experiencing pain and the artist wants a break from it


And through the night I see the light
At night the artist sees light from their neighbor's house


Shining from the neighbor's windows
The light is coming from the windows of the neighbor's house


I dream of life where I'm safe
The singer imagines a life where they feel secure and protected


In a home where I am not alone
The artist desires a home where they feel like they belong and are surrounded by loved ones


Some day I will lay me down
One day the singer plans to rest


On the grass where everything is greener
The singer wants to be in a place where everything feels fresh and new


It always seems so good on the other side
The singer is aware that things can appear much better from a distance than they actually are


I'm sick of all the heat
The artist is tired of the tension and hostility in their current situation


You can taste the hate in the air
The negative emotions in the atmosphere are very strong and palpable to the artist


Running through this family, uncomfortably
The negative emotions are affecting the entire family and it is uncomfortable for the singer


It's burning me
The negative emotions are causing distress to the singer


Is anybody there
The artist is questioning if anyone around them is truly present or listening


In your eyes there's nothing to see
The artist is not finding any comfort in the eyes of the people around them


Just because your dreams have died
The artist is not giving up on their own dreams, even if others around them have already given up on their own


Don't drag me down, I've still got mine
The singer is insisting that they do not want anyone else's negative emotions to interfere with their own goals and aspirations


[Chorus]
Repeats the conclusion that things may appear better on the other side


Neighbor boy runs up to me, his eyes all black and blue
A boy from the singer's neighbor's house comes to them with visible injuries


I say what happened to you boy, he said my daddy flew
The singer asks the boy what caused his injuries and the boy explains his father's violent behavior


Off the hook 'cause I was playin too loud
The father's violent behavior was triggered by the boy playing music too loudly


I guess he couldn't hear the tv
The father's inability to hear the TV due to the loud music escalated the situation


He said son I'm a teach you a lesson
The father used the violent behavior as a form of punishment for his son's actions


And then he and then he
The singer leaves the rest of the encounter to the listener's imagination


Maybe it's not so good on the other side
The singer is questioning if things are truly better in other situations


But it always seems so good, on the other side
Despite the doubts, the artist acknowledges that things can appear much better from afar




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RANDY VANWARMER, J MARTIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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M4ND1NG0X

I walk into the room
You don't have to scream I can hear you
Bad trip, the needle sticks
You get your kicks from confrontation
I try to make it past
I don't want to get into it right now
Can't this family have one day
To get away from all the pain

Chorus:
And through the night I see the light
Shining from the neighbor's windows
I dream of life where I'm safe
In a home where I am not alone
Some day I will lay me down
On the grass where everything is greener
It always seems so good on the other side

I'm sick of all the heat
You can taste the hate in the air
Running through this family, uncomfortably
It's burning me
Is anybody there
In your eyes there's nothing to see
Just because your dreams have died
Don't drag me down, I've still got mine

Chorus

Neighbor boy runs up to me, his eyes all black and blue
I say what happened to you boy, he said my daddy flew
Off the hook 'cause I was playin too loud
I guess he couldn't hear the tv
He said son I'm a teach you a lesson
And then he and then he ...

Maybe it's not so good on the other side
Maybe it's not so good on the other side
But it always seems so good, on the other side
It always looks so good it always seems so good



sally c

SMILE EMPTY SOUL (2003) – THE OTHER SIDE (Traducción)
I walk into the room
Entro en la habitación
You don't have to scream I can hear you
No tienes que gritar para que pueda oírte
Bad trip, the needle sticks
Un mal viaje, la aguja clavada
You get your fix from confrontation
Consigues tu chute (/ solución) desde la confrontación
I try to make it past
Trato de pasar del tema
I don't wanna get into it right now
No quiero entrar en eso ahora mismo
Can't this family have one day
¿No puede esta familia tener un día
To get away from all the pain
Para huir de todo el dolor?

And through the night I see the light
Y durante la noche veo la luz
Shining from the neighbor's windows
Brillando desde las ventanas del vecino
I dream of life where I'm safe
Sueño con una vida donde esté a salvo
In a home where I am not alone
En un hogar donde no esté solo
Some day I will lay me down
Algún día me tumbaré
On the grass where everything is greener
Sobre el césped donde todo es más verde
It always seems so good on the other side
Siempre parece tan bueno el otro lado

I'm sick of all the heat
Estoy harto de todo el calor
You can taste the hate in the air
Puedes notar el odio en el aire
Running through this family, uncomfortably
Atravesando a esta familia, incómodamente
It's burning me
Me está consumiendo
Is anybody there
¿Hay alguien ahí?
In your eyes there's nothing to see
En tus ojos no hay nada que ver
Just because your dreams have died
Sencillamente porque tus sueños han muerto
Don't drag me down, I've still got mine
No me hundas, aún tengo lo mío

And through the night I see the light
Y durante la noche veo la luz
Shining from the neighbor's windows
Brillando desde las ventanas del vecino
I dream of life where I'm safe
Sueño con una vida donde esté a salvo
In a home where I am not alone
En un hogar donde no esté solo
Some day I will lay me down
Algún día me tumbaré
On the grass where everything is greener
Sobre el césped donde todo es más verde
It always seems so good on the other side
Siempre parece tan bueno el otro lado

Neighbor boy runs up to me, his eyes all black and blue
El chico vecino corre hacia mí, sus ojos totalmente amoratados
I say what happened to you boy, he said my daddy flew
Le dije, qué te ocurrió chaval, él dijo, mi papi
Off the hook 'cause I was playin' too loud
Perdió los estribos porque estaba jugando demasiado alto
I guess he couldn't hear the TV
Supongo que no podia oír la tele
He said son I'm a teach you a lesson
Él dijo, hijo te voy a dar una lección
And then he .... and then he....
Y luego él…, y luego él …

Maybe it's not so good on the other side
Quizás no es tan bueno el otro lado
Maybe it's not so good on the other side
Quizás no es tan bueno el otro lado
But it always seems so good, on the other side
Pero siempre parece tan bueno, el otro lado
It always looks so good .... it always seems so good
Siempre parece tan bueno … parece tan bueno



All comments from YouTube:

Witha Kay

Sean is one of the most under rated lyricists ever. Dude's a musical genius

Jessica Hartley

Sooo agree. Loved them for soooo long. Guy needs a music award.

Music Genius32

I agree 😁

Joe Joe

A Lyricist is somebody that writes rhymes but I do agree with you he's one of the best songwriters that is so underrated

Marc Alan

@Jon Kirbo Damn HAHAHA

Sean Randall

And he actually spells his name correctly

7 More Replies...

BrokenZen

"Just because your dreams have died don't drag me down. I've still got mine."

This line never ceases to give me chills. 17 years later.

S i n c r o n í a

A mi el grito en la versión original

James Knott

i know i still have that

Angela

I’ve been listening to these guys since I was 17. I’m 31 now, still love their music ❤️

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