These lines signify the beginning of the anger and self-loathing that seems to permeate the back half of First Impressions.
"I wish I could write a song where all the parts work. When you hear a song like that, it’s like finding a new friend. Maybe you’ve been fucking alone and looking for someone, and when you find them, it’s like everything seems better. I feel like sometimes great artists — it won’t politically affect anything, but it can make a crack in the ceiling and you can see a bit of light. You don’t know what’s gonna come, but you try. I think eighty-five percent of the fun is just going for it. And not going for it for your own gratification, but making personal sacrifices to do it right." - Julian Casablancas
On the Other Side
The Strokes Lyrics
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Of everyone
I know
Of everyone
I see
On the street
And on TV, yeah
On the other side
Nobody's waitin' for me
On the other side
I hate them all
I hate them all
I hate myself
For hating them
So I'll drink some more
I'll love them all
I'll drink even more
I'll hate them even more than I did before
On the other side
On the other side
Nobody's waitin' for me
On the other side
(Here we go)
I remember when you came
You taught me how to sing
Now it seems so far away
You taught me how to sing
I'm tired
Of being
So judgmental
Of everyone
I will not go to sleep
I will train my eyes to see
That my mind is as blind
As a branch on a tree
On the other side
On the other side
I know what's waiting for me
On the other side
On the other side
On the other side
I know you're waiting for me
On the other side
The lyrics of The Strokes's song On the Other Side convey the feeling of alienation and detachment from society. The singer is tired of the people he knows and sees around him, both in person and on TV. He hates them all, including himself for hating them. He turns to drinking to cope with his feelings, but the more he drinks, the more he hates them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "on the other side," where nobody is waiting for him. It's unclear what this other side represents, but it could be death, a different reality, or simply a feeling of disconnection from the rest of the world. The singer remembers someone who taught him how to sing, but that memory now seems distant and irrelevant.
The second half of the song reflects the singer's desire to change his perspective. He realizes that his judgmental attitude is making him blind to the world around him. He resolves to train his eyes to see beyond his own biases and prejudices. In the end, he acknowledges that someone is waiting for him on the other side, who may represent hope or redemption.
Overall, the song captures the paradoxical nature of feeling isolated while surrounded by people. The singer's struggle to connect with others and himself is a universal theme that resonates with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm tired of everyone I know
I'm exhausted by the people I'm acquainted with
Of everyone I see on the street and on TV yeah
Of every person I come across, both in person and in media
On the other side, on the other side
At a different place or state, a contrasting situation
Nobody's waiting for me on the other side
There's nobody anticipating my arrival or presence in that different place
I hate them all, I hate them all
I despise everybody, each one of them
I hate myself for hating them
I loathe myself for feeling intense hatred for others
So I'll drink some more, I love them all
Therefore, I'll consume more alcohol to suppress my feelings, since I actually love those people
I'll drink even more
I shall consume even more liquor
I'll hate them even more than I did before
I'll augment my already intense hatred towards them
I remember when you came
I recollect when you arrived
You taught me how to sing
You instructed me how to sing
Now it seems so far away
It now appears quite distant
I'm tired of being so judgmental of everyone
I'm fatigued by my habit of constantly passing critical opinions on others
I will not go to sleep, I will train my eyes to see
I'll stay awake, and endeavor to change my perspective
That my mind is as blind as a branch on a tree
My mind is as ignorant and oblivious as a branch on a tree
I know what's waiting for me on the other side
I'm aware of the situation that awaits me in the contrasting place
I know you're waiting for me on the other side
I'm aware that you're anticipating my arrival at that contrasting place
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Julian Casablancas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind