The Other Side
The Shamen Lyrics


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if this day got any worse i'd be dropping a verse
about a doctor and a nurse and a cop and hearse
but if its like a rehearsed where the meek get the earth
and the last shall be first i'll be the front of the damn line
its time i find just how i resign go for yours cuz i don't even want mine
elated at being sedated a chillum of sativa and glass of wine
i just try to get mine
smoke so much that i don't know why
on the way down high passed me by and i found that
high is high
try to get higher but high is high
hand in the fire and you don't know why
look him in the eye just look him in the eye and i found that
high is high

good and plenty ripped and munching on some Ramen
on the couch next to me appeared the spirit of a shaman
saying, "the key's to be a monk, not just be a monkey,
pissing away your bliss you're going to be a Bliss Junky"
so i fill her up a chillum and she takes a little hit and says,
"haven't you had enough of this shit,
you're going to huff and puff and blow your mind down"
and i said shut up and keep passing that pipe around

high is high is high is high... and high just passed me by

almost had a bad trip fell down
swimming in the silence drowning in the sound
of the voices in the other side of that curtain i'm certain
it's a bad place i've found
grab it by the horns ride it all around
umbilical cord tied me to the ground




but i took to much and cut it got so high
that i can't come down

Overall Meaning

The Shamen's song The Other Side is a deep reflection of the singer's state of mind. The first paragraph talks about how the day seems to be getting worse, and how the singer would write a song about a doctor, nurse, cop, and an hearse if things don't get better. However, the singer also talks about how the meek will inherit the earth and how even he could be in front of the line. The singer is resigned to whatever outcome, and he's going after what he wants. He wants to feel elated and guides himself with a chillum of sativa and a glass of wine to try and forget the troubles he's facing.


The chorus starts with the line "smoke so much that I don't know why," indicating the singer's addiction to marijuana. He's high, and the feeling seems to pass him by rather than enhancing his experience. The singer sees high as high and can't seem to differentiate it anymore. His actions demonstrate that he doesn't care about being grounded, which is why he puts his hand in the fire, and we find that high is high.


The second paragraph is a conversation between the singer and the spirit of a shaman who appears beside him on the couch. The shaman advises him to be a monk and not a monkey, which means not to piss away his bliss by being an addict. The shaman shows him the negative side effects of being high all the time and how it can destroy a person's mind. The singer reacts negatively to the shaman's advice and tells her to pass the chillum. The singer then says that high is high, indicating that he doesn't care about the shaman's advice.


Line by Line Meaning

if this day got any worse i'd be dropping a verse
If things don't improve, I'll start complaining about my day through musical expression.


about a doctor and a nurse and a cop and hearse
Lyrically fantasizing about suffering severe enough to warrant medical attention or death.


but if its like a rehearsed where the meek get the earth
Imagining a world that seems predetermined so that the humble inherit wealth and success.


and the last shall be first i'll be the front of the damn line
If it turns out that the meek are rewarded, I want to be among them and lead them.


its time i find just how i resign go for yours cuz i don't even want mine
Feeling like it's time to figure out what I really want in life and make moves to attain it, because I no longer care about what others have.


elated at being sedated a chillum of sativa and glass of wine
Happily enjoying the sensation of being high thanks to smoking a chillum and drinking wine.


i just try to get mine
I focus on trying to find and maintain my own happiness.


smoke so much that i don't know why
Having consumed so much that it's difficult to understand my motives for getting high.


on the way down high passed me by and i found that
As I descend from my high, I realize that the feeling of being high has escaped me.


high is high
Asserting that the sensation of being high is the same, regardless of the substance or method by which it's experienced.


try to get higher but high is high
Attempting to increase the amount or intensity of the high will not produce any additional benefit.


hand in the fire and you don't know why
Suggesting reckless behavior or a lack of control over one's actions while under the influence of drugs.


look him in the eye just look him in the eye and i found that
Observing someone closely reveals certain truths or insights.


good and plenty ripped and munching on some Ramen
Currently high and snacking on Ramen noodles.


on the couch next to me appeared the spirit of a shaman
Experiencing a hallucination or vision of a spiritual figure.


saying, "the key's to be a monk, not just be a monkey,
The spirit advises to seek a more ascetic, spiritual existence rather than remaining focused on material possessions and base desires.


pissing away your bliss you're going to be a Bliss Junky"
Wasting one's potential for spiritual growth by indulging in fleeting pleasures will lead to an addiction to those pleasures and unfulfillment.


so i fill her up a chillum and she takes a little hit and says,
Sharing my pipe of marijuana with the shaman and she responds.


"haven't you had enough of this shit,
The shaman suggests that I may be engaging in excess and urges me to stop.


you're going to huff and puff and blow your mind down"
Continuing to consume drugs in excess will have negative impacts on mental health.


and i said shut up and keep passing that pipe around
Brushing off the shaman's warning and returning to smoking marijuana.


almost had a bad trip fell down
Almost had a negative or frightening experience while hallucinating or getting high.


swimming in the silence drowning in the sound
Feeling overwhelmed by an internal emptiness while being inundated by outside stimuli.


of the voices in the other side of that curtain i'm certain
Hearing indistinct and possibly sinister voices on the other side of a physical or metaphorical barrier.


it's a bad place i've found
The voices or a sense of fear suggest that I've arrived in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation.


grab it by the horns ride it all around
Facing fears and challenges head-on and with enthusiasm, rather than shying away.


umbilical cord tied me to the ground
A metaphorical umbilical cord has been cut, allowing me to escape mundane, limiting existence.


but i took to much and cut it got so high
Consuming an excess of drugs resulted in becoming dangerously high.


that i can't come down
Ingesting too much has led to a state in which the person cannot regain sobriety.




Writer(s): Colin Gilbert Angus, Derek John Mckenzie, Peter William Stephenson, Keith Alan Mckenzie

Contributed by Adrian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Rocket Scientist

One of the best songs from their very best - and hard to find - album.

I Love Cyber Goth

Indie Shamen...

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