The Other Side
Tiny Tim Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One nigh is brown
the other is brown
I am a fish
I swim around
You say I'm lost
I disagree
The map has changed
and with it, me

Gliding through the seaweed
what strange things I see below
Cars are waiting
windshields wiping
Nowhere left to go!

Oh…

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in
All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin

The seagull flies
in search of land
The children hide
beneath the sand
As golden toys
come floating down
I play the fish
I swim around

Gliding through the seaweed
what strange things I see below
Cars are waiting
windshields wiping
Nowhere left to go!

Oh…

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in
All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin

Now everybody sing!
I tell you, my dear friend…
Oh how wonderful it is!
Know that whoever you are
we can all be happy and singing!

No matter if you're out there parked to that car along the highway
Or whether you're at home, sitting by the radio
Or whether you're having them good meals
Or whether you're by the TV set
Let everyone sing about those melting ice caps
how they're coming down into the sea
and let us all have a swimming time, as we sing;

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in




All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tiny Tim's song The Other Side are a poetic and somewhat cryptic commentary on the state of the world and the impending environmental crisis. The first verses seem to portray a fish swimming in the ocean, but the lyrics suggest a metaphor for the feeling of being lost and out of place in a changing world. The fish disagrees with the idea of being lost, claiming that the map has changed, and with it, its place, highlighting the underlying theme of change and adaptation.


The following verses portray a surreal scene of underwater cars with windshields wiping, symbolizing the absurdity of human progress that has led to environmental destruction. The fish observes and glides through the seaweed, witnessing the destruction of the world. In the chorus, Tiny Tim explicitly addresses the environmental crisis as he sings about the melting ice caps and the rising tide that threatens to wash away the sin of humanity.


The last verse seems to be a call for hope and optimism, with Tiny Tim encouraging everyone to sing and be happy, irrespective of their circumstances. The song's lyrics are a subtle and poetic commentary on the current state of the world and the need for change and action to bring about a better future for all.


Line by Line Meaning

One nigh is brown
One night is just like any other and seems unremarkable


the other is brown
Another night is also unremarkable and indistinguishable from the first


I am a fish
The singer feels at home or at ease in water


I swim around
The artist is exploring their surroundings or simply enjoying themselves


You say I'm lost
Someone is questioning the artist's purpose or direction


I disagree
The singer has confidence in their own path or purpose


The map has changed
The world or situation has shifted, altering the path or purpose of the singer


and with it, me
The artist has been forced to adapt or change along with their circumstances


Gliding through the seaweed
The artist is still happily exploring their surroundings


what strange things I see below
The artist encounters surprising or unexpected sights


Cars are waiting
The singer sees cars submerged in water, likely due to rising sea levels


windshields wiping
The cars are still partially visible, as their wipers continue to move


Nowhere left to go!
The cars are trapped and cannot find higher ground


The ice caps are melting
The song shifts from the singer's personal observations to a global perspective on climate change


Oh, ho, ho ho
A repetitive refrain used to emphasize the dire nature of the situation


All the world is drowning
As sea levels rise, entire regions are at risk of flooding


to wash away the sin
A metaphorical interpretation of washing away the damage humans have done to the environment


The seagull flies
Nature's creatures are also affected by climate change


in search of land
The seagull is looking for a place to roost or rest, but finds less and less dry land available


The children hide
Even younger generations understand the danger posed by environmental damage


beneath the sand
Children are using creativity and imagination to cope with a frightening problem


As golden toys
A bittersweet image of carefree play in the face of a larger disaster


come floating down
The toys are casualties of the rising waters


Let everyone sing about those melting ice caps
The song encourages everyone to pay attention to the issues facing our planet


how they're coming down into the sea
The song relies on clear, straightforward language to convey its themes


and let us all have a swimming time, as we sing;
Even in the face of disaster, the song seeks to maintain a spirit of playfulness and joy


I tell you, my dear friend…
The song takes on a preachy or exhortative tone at times


Oh how wonderful it is!
The song ultimately aims to inspire hope and optimism for the future


Know that whoever you are
The song is inclusive and speaks to people of all backgrounds and identities


we can all be happy and singing!
By raising awareness of climate change and its potential effects, the song hopes to inspire positive change




Contributed by Kaitlyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Ana T.G

One nigh is brown
the other is brown
I am a fish
I swim around
You say I'm lost
I disagree
The map has changed
and with it, me

Gliding through the seaweed
what strange things I see below
Cars are waiting
windshields wiping
Nowhere left to go!

Oh…

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in
All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin

The seagull flies
in search of land
The children hide
beneath the sand
As golden toys
come floating down
I play the fish
I swim around

Gliding through the seaweed
what strange things I see below
Cars are waiting
windshields wiping
Nowhere left to go!

Oh…

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in
All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin

Now everybody sing!
I tell you, my dear friend…
Oh how wonderful it is!
Know that whoever you are
we can all be happy and singing!

No matter if you're out there parked to that car along the highway
Or whether you're at home, sitting by the radio
Or whether you're having them good meals
Or whether you're by the TV set
Let everyone sing about those melting ice caps
how they're coming down into the sea
and let us all have a swimming time, as we sing;

The ice caps are melting
Oh, ho, ho ho
All the world is drowning
Ho, ho ho, ho ho
The ice caps are melting
the tide is rushing in
All the world is drowning
to wash away the sin



All comments from YouTube:

Paul Bridgemans

I absolutely love Tiny Tim, why don't we encourage eccentricity and individuality anymore! So entertaining and so vulnerable, just lovely a one off. God Bless Tiny TIm! RIP Sweety

Doctor Feinstone

Paul Bridgemans because conformity is what everyone seems to want

Don Z Dryver

Individuality is coming back now in 2019!

HarryJones345

True and his voice is different cause all musicians have the same voice these days

Mohammed Al Musawi

@Don Z Dryver where

Jesse Hummel

This is a good song. The way how Tiny Tim kicks in at the end. Genious

Rice Bean

IKR!

Edward Winters

People don't know this but this man was Brilliant.

Don Z Dryver

I have this album on vinyl and it is really out there. God bless Tiny Tim indeed!

Kirk Bingham

I had this album around 1970; Tim might have been weird but his music was not far off. I loved this album.

More Comments

More Versions