Upon the release of their debut album, Is This It, in 2001, the group was met with much critical acclaim, being hailed by some as the "saviors of rock and roll." NME made Is This It their Album of the Year. Since then, the band has maintained a large fan base, notably in the UK, US and Australia. As of 2007, Is This It has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide.
They released their second album Room on Fire in October 2003, to good reviews, but to less success commercially, although it still went gold. The album's sound maintained the Strokes' familiar reference points, while also evoking groups such as The Cars, Bob Marley, and Blondie. In the process, they made the cover of Spin Magazine for the second time, with each member receiving his own cover. They also made the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. Additional media coverage of the band came from the relationship between Moretti and actress Drew Barrymore, which ended in January 2007.
In late September 2005, "Juicebox", the first single from The Strokes then unreleased third album, was leaked online, forcing the single's release date to be advanced. The single was then released as an exclusive on online download services. "Juicebox" became The Strokes' second UK Top 10 hit, as well as their second US Modern Rock Top 10 success. During November and December 2005 the Strokes did a promotional tour for the still unreleased album, which involved doing one-off shows in major cities around the world.
Their third album, First Impressions of Earth, was released in January 2006 to mixed reviews and debuted at number four in the US and number one in the UK, a first for the band. In Japan it went gold within the first week of release. It was also the most downloaded album for two weeks on iTunes. Fraiture claimed that the album was "like a scientific breakthrough". In January 2006, the band then made their second appearance on Saturday Night Live playing "Juicebox" and "You Only Live Once".
The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas and guitarist Nick Valensi started writing new material for their band's forthcoming new album in the latter stages of January 2009, which they were set to go in the studio to finalize in February of the same year. In February 2010, Julian Casablancas told NME that the band's fourth album was set to be released in September 2010. The release date has been pushed back again, and the album, titled "Angles" will now be released March 22, 2011 in America. The album's first single, "Under Cover of Darkness" was made available as a free download from the band's website on February 9, 2011 for a 48 hour period.
The Strokes' fifth album is called "Comedown Machine" and was released on March 26th 2013 In North America and March 25th in the U.K. The first single is called "All the Time".
They released their first collection of material after their departure from RCA, the Future Present Past EP, in June 2016 through Casablancas' independent Cult Records label.
Later that decade, the Strokes began working with Rick Rubin on a new album. In April 2020 they released their first studio album in seven years, The New Abnormal, through Cult and RCA. Critics generally considered the album a return to form.
Official website: http://www.thestrokes.com
The Other Side
The Strokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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