The group was formed in 1988 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by vocalist Daniel Greaves, guitarist Joey Serlin, bassist Pete Loewen and drummer Sammy Kohn. Serlin was a comic fan and named the group after the DC comic. They released their debut album, McLaren Furnace Room, in 1992. (The album was named for one of the band's rehearsal spaces, the furnace room of the McLaren Hotel in Winnipeg.) The single "Cracked" garnered the band significant airplay on rock stations, but was quickly eclipsed by the anti-spousal abuse anthem "Run and Hide", which became the band's breakthrough hit.
Loewen left the band, and was replaced by Ken Tizzard. The band's 1994 album In the Trees confirmed their place in Canadian rock with the hit singles "Boneyard Tree", "All Uncovered" and "Lusitana".
Their 1996 album Brand New Day was not as well-received by critics or audiences -- "Zoom", "Incarnate" and "Shut Up" were moderately successful singles, but none achieved the kind of success that the band's earlier singles had. 1998's Silent Radar was the band's return to commercial success, with the hit singles "Stereo", "Any Day Now" and "Brighter Hell".
Their 2001 album Slomotion saw the exit of Sammy Kohn and the remaining members experimenting with more industrial textures. As if prepared for a bad reception, the band also packaged the album with a second greatest hits disc. The album was, indeed, poorly received by fans and critics, with only the single "Absolutely Anytime" gaining any radio airplay.
The band subsequently broke up. Greaves went on to form Doctor with Rob Higgins, Tizzard joined Thornley, and Serlin appeared on Ryan Malcolm's debut album before forming his own new band, Redline.
In 2009, the band reformed and started touring again.
The Other Side
The Watchmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the years I've been living strong and today
I'm not afraid of love a different shade
So much that light could never hope to travel through
Yeah and I said no but all the things around my feet
They point the other way and I'm afraid I could be wrong
Different kinds for different days
In this town I'm trying to live
The other side is easier still
Yeah and I said no but in my heart I've always been
A little in between the old and straight line family ways
Not long ago not long ago I do recall the uphill battle to today
Yeah when they said go and in their faces I could see
And all I thought of was suicide I'm nothing of a man
Put up walls around where you stay
Different kinds for different days
In this town I'm trying to live
The other side is easier still
You're still afraid of me
Yeah and I said no to all the men I've come across
Through the years I've been living strong and today
Salt water falls and falls and falls
And I've got scars to show I'm crying all the time
You're still afraid of me
The Watchmen's song "The Other Side" is a poignant reflection on the difficulties of navigating societal expectations and one's own sexual identity. With lines like "I said no to all the men I've come across / Through the years I've been living strong and today / I'm not afraid of love a different shade," the song speaks to a sense of resistance and empowerment against the pressures of conformity. The singer acknowledges the challenges they've faced in carving out a life that deviates from traditional norms, but remains unapologetic in their pursuit of love and fulfillment.
The lyrics also touch on themes of isolation and vulnerability, as the singer reflects on the personal toll of standing apart. They mention "walls" that they've put up, highlighting the ways in which they've had to protect themselves from judgment and rejection. Additionally, there are references to self-harm and thoughts of suicide, emphasizing the emotional weight of the struggles that the singer has faced. Through it all, however, the song remains a testament to the strength and resilience of those who choose to live their truth, in spite of the challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
And I said no to all the men I've come across
I rejected every man who approached me over the years.
Through the years I've been living strong and today
I have lived with strength and resilience for all these years.
I'm not afraid of love a different shade
I am open to love in different forms and from different kinds of people.
So much that light could never hope to travel through
My love is so intense that it cannot be expressed or understood by others.
Yeah and I said no but all the things around my feet
I have rejected love, but circumstances make me question whether I might be wrong.
They point the other way and I'm afraid I could be wrong
The signs around me suggest that I may have made the wrong choice in rejecting love.
Put up walls around where you stay
I have built protective barriers around my heart to keep out pain and hurt.
Different kinds for different days
I have different defenses to suit different situations and moods.
In this town I'm trying to live
I am trying to make a life for myself in this place.
The other side is easier still
It is easier to imagine a life without love than to risk pain and vulnerability.
Yeah and I said no but in my heart I've always been
I have refused love, but deep down I have always desired it.
A little in between the old and straight line family ways
I am torn between traditional family values and the desire to break free and live my own life.
Not long ago not long ago I do recall the uphill battle to today
It has been a long and difficult journey to reach where I am today.
Yeah when they said go and in their faces I could see
When people have told me to leave or given me disapproving looks, I have felt small and worthless.
And all I thought of was suicide I'm nothing of a man
During these moments, I have felt so low and hopeless that death seemed like the only way out. I have felt like less than a human being.
Salt water falls and falls and falls
I have cried and cried until I felt like there were no tears left.
And I've got scars to show I'm crying all the time
I bear emotional scars from the pain and struggles I have endured.
You're still afraid of me
Others are still hesitant to approach me because of my emotional walls and scars.
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Goddess
on Zoom
I would love to know the interpretation of this song.
I’m thinking it starts with his birth but now he is dying and he recalls how safe he was with his mother and she is smiling through the lights(in the starlight in heavens) and will carry him home because as he is on the earth her voice is a voice that he doesn’t love more(being the first loving voice he heard and will be the one that calls him to the other side or calls him home) .... calling to the other side of the river evokes the ferryman to me .....mid lyrics he said he’s done all he can met all he can and he is ready to let go