Singer/ guitarist Boyer and bassist Resende formed the pop combo as students at the University of Rouen, sharing an affinity for indie music, new wave and sixties pop. Taking their name from a souvenir t-shirt given to Boyer's father in 1980, the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier, and with the addition of drummer Sylvain Marchand a year later, the lineup was complete. The foursome released a self-produced and self-financed EP, "20 Minutes" (Bobby Records 1996) which resulted in them signing a deal with French label Atmospheriques.
In 1998, the band flew to NYC to record their first album “Puzzle” with Andy Chase. Featuring contributions from Eric Matthews and Adam Schlesinger, "Puzzle" was mixed in Sweden with Tore Johansson. The record, released between the end of 1999 & early 2000 received much praise from the press (band of the week in Melody Maker in Spring 1999), and saw the band touring the world to promote it. “Puzzle” eventually went gold in Japan. Of all the singles taken from the album, "Heartbeat" was the most successful. Tahiti 80's US label, Minty Fresh, released a mini LP called "Extra Pieces", which included B-sides, remixes & other rarities.
In 2001, the band re-united with Andy Chase to record a more experimental follow up album: “Wallpaper For The Soul”. The sessions took place in Rouen, NYC, Etretat, London & Portland (Oregon). Collaborators on this effort include mixer Tony Lash and Let It Be arranger Richard Hewson. “Wallpaper For The Soul” was released in 2002, garnered good reviews (it was selected as one of Uncut’s top 10 albums of the year) and was followed by another mini album "A piece of Sunshine" made up of out-takes from the prolific album sessions.
Following that, Xavier Boyer selected songs for a compilation called "A Piece of Gold” on behalf of the band. Featuring various artists such as Todd Rundgren, The Small Faces, Donald Byrd....) it was only released in Japan for copywrite reasons.
For their third album, from 2003 – 2004, Tahiti 80 spent several months at their own recording studio, the Tahitilab. The way of working was different this time: as opposed to "Puzzle" & "WFTS", the songs were mostly improvised and written in the studio. The soul journey which began on songs like "Heartbeat" and "1,000 Times" matured on "Fosbury". They collaborated with Neal Pogue (co-production & mix) and Serban Ghenea (mix), respectively Outkast’s and NERD’s sound engineers, with British singer Linda Lewis duetting on "Your Love Shines". And "Better Days Will Come" was featured in the first episode of the fourth season of Smallville (an American television series) in September, 2004.
Between tours, Boyer & Resende produced a couple of albums by friends (Fugu, Calc) whilst Xavier Boyer - under the anagram pseudonym Axe Riverboy - recorded the somewhat folk-influenced solo album "Tutu To Tango".
In 2007, the band transferred to Universal's Barclay label and in 2008, they went back to the Tahitilab to record "Activity Center". It was described by the critics as a back to basics album, with a rawer sound and a rock production style. Sylvain Marchand wasn't involved as a drummer as ear problems which had plagued him for years, prevented him from recording his drum parts. Drums were subsequently played by Julien Barbagallo with percussion by Raphael Leger (respectively Tahiti 80's live keyboardist/percussionist and drummer). To promote the album, the band explored new territories (Taiwan, South America) and they even licensed the album for release in the US on their own imprint "Human Sounds" (a reference to "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys).
In 2010, Tahiti 80 will record their 5th album for release on their own label.
The Other Side
Tahiti 80 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before it all turn black
Remember the other side
It's hard to go against the tide
Or walk if your step's behind
You can't make up your tired mind
Bring new stars
Close your eyes
Throw one more dart
A king is a landslide
And you feel trapped inside
Here comes another day
You are just too tired
Anyway
It goes on and on, still
You don't know what to choose
Between good and bad
You're not sure what you want to know
What do you want?
Mother take back pains
All the color is black
If something we shouldn't talk about
What do you want?
Mother take back pains
All the color is black
If something you shouldn't think about
A king is a landslide
And you feel trapped inside
Here comes another day
You are just too tired
Anyway
It goes on and on
Still
You don't know what to choose
Between good and bad
You're not sure what you want to know
And it feels like you lost yourself away [Repeat x2]
Into the other side
And it feels like you lost yourself away
Into the other side
And it feels like you lost yourself away
Between good and bad
You're not sure what you want to know
Between good and bad
You're not sure what you want to choose
And it feels like you lost yourself away [Repeat x2]
Into the other side
And it feels like you lost yourself away
Into the other side
The lyrics of Tahiti 80's song The Other Side speak to feelings of uncertainty and confusion in life. The chorus repeats the line "And it feels like you lost yourself away into the other side," which suggests a feeling of being lost, overwhelmed, or disconnected from oneself. The song encourages the listener to remember "the other side," implying that there is a different, better reality that can be reached.
Throughout the verses, the lyrics offer different scenarios that could lead someone to feel lost or trapped: going against the tide, feeling unsure of what to choose, being too tired to keep going. The line "A king is a landslide" is particularly interesting. It could refer to the idea that people in power often have a lot of influence that can rapidly change people's lives, or that personal success can quickly become overwhelming and difficult to manage.
The song's lyrics suggest that these experiences can lead to a sense of confusion and disorientation. However, the chorus's repetition of "the other side" suggests that there may be a way through this. It's not clear what "the other side" represents – it could be a physical place, a state of mind, or something else entirely – but the fact that it is mentioned several times throughout the song implies that it's an important concept to the writer.
Overall, The Other Side's lyrics speak to the universal experience of feeling lost or trapped. The repeated refrain of "And it feels like you lost yourself away into the other side" is both haunting and hopeful, suggesting that even in moments of confusion and uncertainty, there may be a way to find oneself again.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you like to go back
Do you have the desire to return to a previous time?
Before it all turn black
Before everything turned negative or painful.
Remember the other side
Remember the positive aspect of things.
It's hard to go against the tide
It's difficult to oppose what everyone else is doing or thinking.
Or walk if your step's behind
It's also hard to make progress if you're trailing behind others.
You can't make up your tired mind
Your mind is fatigued or confused and you can't come to a decision.
Could you like to take care
Would you like to be careful or cautious?
Bring new stars
Create new opportunities or prospects.
Close your eyes
Shut out distractions.
Throw one more dart
Take one more chance.
A king is a landslide
Those in power have a great influence or effect.
And you feel trapped inside
You feel confined or restricted.
Here comes another day
Another day has arrived.
You are just too tired
You're too exhausted or drained.
Anyway
Regardless or nonetheless.
It goes on and on, still
The situation continues for an indefinite period.
You don't know what to choose
You're unsure of which direction to take.
Between good and bad
Between positive and negative outcomes.
You're not sure what you want to know
You're uncertain what information will help you decide.
What do you want?
What is your desire?
Mother take back pains
Seeking comfort or relief.
All the color is black
Everything feels dark or negative.
If something we shouldn't talk about
If a topic is taboo or sensitive.
And it feels like you lost yourself away
You feel disconnected from yourself or your values.
Into the other side
Into the positive aspect of things.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MEDERIC CHARLES DENIS GONTIER, RESENDE PEDRO CARLOS DA SILVA, SYLVAIN EDMOND MARCEL MARCHAND, XAVIER ANDRE MARIE BOYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind