Sidewalking
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics


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Chilled to the bone and five miles to home
I'm messing in the dark and feelin' all alone
I've got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
inject a little heat, I'm burnin' up the tires

Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking

Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
I'm making like I'm done and staring like a gun
and I gotta get a call and I gotta get a ride
gonna get a car got Jesus on my side

Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking

Messing in the dark and walking all alone
alone in the streets and I know just where I'm goin'

Sidewalking, sidewalking





Chilled to the bone, chilled to the bone
hot wired heat and all the way home

Overall Meaning

The Jesus and Mary Chain's Sidewalking is a captivating song that revolves around the themes of isolation, loneliness, and the need for companionship. The first verse sets the mood with the singer being "Chilled to the bone and five miles from home." He is walking alone in the dark and feeling isolated, with his only company being the coldness that surrounds him. However, he injects some heat into his life and starts walking faster and faster, burning up his tires. This signifies his need to escape his current situation that's causing him such despondency.


The chorus of the song "Sidewalking" is repeated multiple times throughout the track, signifying the repetition of the singer's situation. He is "Talking like he's on and he's the only one," but deep down, he knows that he's just pretending. His loneliness is so crushing that he equates his feeling of being "Chilled to the bone" with a need for warmth, even if it's just his tires that are burning.


The second verse highlights the singer's desperation to escape his loneliness. He needs to get a call or a ride, or he may even steal a car to feel some sense of companionship. The closing lines of the song once again reinforce the singer's need for heat and the loneliness that comes along with it. He is "chilled to the bone, chilled to the bone, hot-wired heat and all the way home."


Line by Line Meaning

Chilled to the bone and five miles to home
The singer is cold and exhausted, and has a long way to go before reaching home.


I'm messing in the dark and feelin' all alone
The singer is lost and feels isolated.


I've got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
The singer has a mix of emotions, both cool and hot.


inject a little heat, I'm burnin' up the tires
The artist is using their emotions as fuel to keep moving forward.


Sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking, sidewalking
The chorus repeats the word 'sidewalking,' which symbolizes moving forward with determination.


Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
The singer feels confident and like they are the only one who can do what they need to do.


I'm making like I'm done and staring like a gun
The singer is acting like they have already accomplished their goal and looking forward with intensity.


and I gotta get a call and I gotta get a ride
The artist needs help to reach their destination.


gonna get a car got Jesus on my side
The artist is relying on their faith to help them succeed.


Messing in the dark and walking all alone
The artist is still lost and alone.


alone in the streets and I know just where I'm goin'
Despite feeling lost and alone, the singer is confident in their direction.


Sidewalking, sidewalking
The final line of the song emphasizes the importance of determination and moving forward.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@slint69

Chilled to the bone and five miles to home
I'm messing in the dark and feeling all alone
I got ice in my fire got the heat in my wire
Inject a little heat I'm burning up the tyres

Sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking

Talking like I'm on and I'm the only one
I'm making like I'm done and staring like a gun
And I gotta get a car and I gotta get a ride
Gotta get a car got jesus on my side

Sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking sidewalking

Messing in the dark and walking all alone
Alone in the streets I know just where I'm going

Sidewalking sidewalking

Chilled to the bone Chilled to the bone
Hot wired heat all the way home



All comments from YouTube:

@putter9198

Today is 2 months since my big brother passed away due to cancer, here i sit and remember the song from when we where younger... and he was the one who got me listening to JAMC , so at the age of 52 i sit here listen to sidewalking with tears in my eyes.. thanks for bringing a piece of him back to me...

@pissed555

Beklagar :-( :-(

@putter9198

@dekrepitus Tack!

@longlivedubitout7535

and we lived our lives in black 🖤🖤🖤

@richardb8080

Nice post , bud. RIP to your brother.

@tmc1372

That’s so sad. I’m so sorry.

This band has been instrumental in my life, in a very weird way. I’m not going to get into it. But this is the first time I’ve have the nerve, guts, desire to listen to this.

In fact, my first purchase of artwork was from the
Innovative, graphic design, his name is David Carson. I bought a piece of artwork from him that he created back in the day, when this song hit radio, and it was in the day that cut and paste, or actually was scissors and glue and marketing was at its pre tech height. sidewalking. Jesus and Mary chain. that hangs on my wall and I’ll never let it go.

1 More Replies...

@andriejuslasys1761

Pure evil and malevolence...there was a time when JAMC were the greatest band on the planet bar none...and lucky (old) me got to see them several times in their heyday...all the stories you hear are true....relentlessly aggressive and sure of their own superiority they were iconic and iconoclastic.

@PaulHunter-ih1ye

Simply the Greatest Record in the history of Rock Music ❤❤

@sheilae.7506

I saw them in concert around 1992 (?). They were great. A girl that came with us jumped on the stage (small venue) and grabbed the sunglasses off James Reid, the lead singer, and he was not happy. She gave them back.

@kurtdahlke9526

You can be 'anything you want' cool, but you'll never be JAMC cool ...

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