Moby – Southside

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  Song Meaning:OK, everyone here has had a good shot at what this song is about and I can TOTALLY see where you all are coming from, however, I happen to have personal experience that explains this song to me to a tee. Yes, where you grew up may have something to do with it, I grew up in the suburbs but was constantly in bad neighborhoods or the ghetto by my own choice. This song is all about the choices you choose and need to make for daily survival... Survival of opiate/heroin addiction. You NEVER know what is going to happen or quite WHERE you may end up, but you know you are going and going to back whoever is with you. May be dangerous, may be worse, but YOU are there for better (scoring) or for worse (anything but scoring). I am from the heroin capital of the US and probably the World, but it does NOT matter, all Opiate addicts go through the same sketchy troubles because they need to survive. ESPECIALLY if they are functional addicts like I was. I was and am still a Project Manager in IT for a very good company, but my whole life was a sham, a gamble, a simple ruse to score heroin. Being smart was easy if it meant getting the ultimate goal. This song is all about going through whatever B.S. or sketchiness you need to go through to avoid the sickness of withdrawal. "weapons in hand" and "ride all night we ride all day" and don't forget "looking out for a sunny day" these are all very, VERY obvious references to the existence of trying to score opiates or heroin. I lived that life for a LONG time and there are many songs that speak to this lifestyle. Gwen or Moby or their band member(s) must have had this experience as well. Just watching their interaction in the music video is reminiscent of any heroin/opiate couple. Complete soullessness and hopeless heedless devotion to an unseen chemical. I COULD be wrong, but if I am, this song has not much meaning at all...and is otherwise nothing worth listening too...but i love it because i identify with it in my former self...(thank god I am clean now, OPIATES are a HARD thing to deal with.)

  Flag austinprodon November 03, 2012   Link

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    Yes, the verse lyrics seem to describe a hopeless yet comfortable lifestyle, supported by this constant exploration. I may just be wrong, but there are some songs that feel just quite right in what they mean and this is one of them. Does not matter WHERE you go or WHAT you have to do to get there. Some may come love and some may stay. But what does it matter when you are the devoted one who is there to score for better or worse. Some may NOT come, but you surely will if it all means the precious high that will keep you moving and not sick for life. Who wants to be sick for life? Not me. Opiates sure will control your life, through heaven and hell it matters little as long as you score in the end. Pouring rain, ghetto, risk, time, relationships, nothing matters you see? weapons in hand is a side effect. East Side? West Side? North Side? South Side? Who the F*** cares??? It all ends the same. Some may die (OD) some may not because they know better control. Your love for them is very much not dependent on this control, it is random, unfair, fate at is most unpredictable moment. You could loose your smartest, dumbest, best, worst friend to this disease, you just NEVER know. " Love and darkness and my sidearm." Totally numb, "I look at my friends" but very little emotion is drawn from this line. My friends (the junkies) are just alike, we hope we wont die but we ride through heaven and hell with little regard as we all have the same goal. I almost forgot to mention... "comin back love I feel so well" the score was a success, now the sickness of withdrawal is gone, on your way back (shooting, smoking, or snorting) you feel much better and all the troubles of the sober past are gone as you repeat the vicious cycle of addiction. Even if you didn't take the hit on your way home, the drug is in your possession and this creates respite for your mind as you know now that the horrors of withdrawal will be kept at bay for yet another night.

    Flag austinprodon November 03, 2012  

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    Even though I identify with this song perfectly in terms of opiate/heroin addiction, I would love to hear other opinions, especially if you think I am wrong! I would LOVE to hear people who completely agree with me but it is a beautiful some and I would LOVE to hear other interpretations. Throw me a line!!!

    Flag austinprodon November 03, 2012  

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    You got it man, as a Ex-addict you got this song 100%. I live 30 minutes outside of Chicago and I've been clean for half a year now. This song is about the experience of picking up. My friend was a DJ in the 90's and said the House scene was phenominal, which probably had to do alot with drugs, mainly Heroin. I'd be willing to bet all the money I have thats what Moby is talking about. In the beggining of the video moby is holding a wilted sun flower rubbing his hands, obviously anxious. He moves in to kiss Gwen. Then they break off akwardly, because he's having second thoughts about the lifestyle he's leading, not because he doesnt want to. In the first verse of the chorus he talks about picking up your friends on the east side. In the video everyone gets dressed up in preperation for the glamour of the night life. Some may come some may stay refers to the fact that your inviting people to come pick up with you. The video follow's to Moby into a car surrounded by women, and a close up of Gwen in bright Flourescent light. Her pupil's are constricted(sign being under the influence) and her features are pale light. When moby talks about light moving on a screen, he's refering to the lights on the highway blur as they pass by. In the video you see a gigantic flourescent light structure in the shape of an iris. When moby say's "I watch the light come over me" you see the reflection of the flourescent Iris in his Glasses. Gwen also appears in the center of the iris, bright like she's been staring into the sun. This refers to the warmth and rush of the Heroin and again, the constriction of the eye's. After that it follows to the 2nd chorus verse, we see moby talking about the West Side(mostly drug dealing) obviously concerned and conflicted. Gwen is distanced from him on the bed, she rolls her eyes but follows him with a look of concern, because she knows he's having trouble dealing with the lie they are living (represented by the producers that keep trying to dress them up and make them look glamourous.) Then it starts to talk about the North Side (mostly college kids and yuppies) thats when the video flashes to Gwen and Moby all dressed up again. Then it starts to talk about the South Side(mostly gangbanging). We see moby's face under the Flourescent light, pupils constricted, pale, concerned look again, "hope we wont die." Riding through heaven and hell refers to when you go to pickup knowing your not safe and your worried about who's out there, but you dont care, as long as you reach that high. "Coming back and feeling so well" You got your Gear/Rig your feeling happy and satisfied because you got the drug. You reach the highway exit and bang/snort your dope, feeling satisfied and relieved again. The song mainly talks about the fakeness and duality of living the life of a drug addict. You can justify it however you want with your hollow and fake friends, you can pretend it's ok by dressing up and having a good time. Every time you go to pick up your risking your life, with hollow friends and shallow connections. Even though you can admit this, and acknowledge this and know it's wrong, you continue anyway. Because your addicted, and your life is now the drug itself. Remember the Sun Flower? between each scene it grew like pinochio's nose a reference to the lie. In my opinion the brick's represent the cheap living and apartments in downtown. When your a junkie it's about all you can afford to keep up your drug habit. Gwen isnt a good guy in this video either, she does a excellent job. She's a GF who although love's Moby has no intentions of quitting, you can see this in what she takes seriously in the video and a general lack of concern for the lifestyle, she see's it as all glamour. That's just my oppinion, I'm 95% sure this is correct though, my situation was the same. An amazing song, of your looking for anything based on a similar subject check out, "Low - Cracker, The Real Thing - Faith No More, Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers." Peace People.

    Flag Diacetylon March 05, 2013  
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  Song Meaning:Moby has said this song was inspired by his visits to Chicago. I live there, and for me this song is just a simple tribute to the 4 sides of the city (Yes, there is an East Side, it's not just Lake Michigan). The South and West sides can be dangerous; that's why he describes weapons and death in those verses. I'm from the North side. The lyrics are sparse, but pretty accurate.

  Flag sXe LEXXIon December 09, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:I think people put too much into this song. It could loosely be about anything. One of my friends, she is a BIIIIIIIG Moby fan, she said a lot of his songs are built on irony and contradictions. So I dont think his songs are MEANT to be taken TOO seriously.

  Flag RowanRavensongon July 17, 2011   Link

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  My Interpretation:The whole thing reminds me of a drive by shooting. I'm probably way off, but here are my ideas.
  
  "here we are now, going to the east side
  i pick up my friends and we start to ride
  ride all night, we ride all day
  some may come and some may stay"
  
  East side is the territory of the driver.
  
  here we are now going to the west side
  weapons in hand as we go for a ride
  some may come and some may stay
  watching out for a sunny day where there's
  
  love and darkness and my sidearm
  "Love" would be loyalty to friends and the "darkness" the hatred for enemies.
  
  here we are now going to the south side
  i pick up my friends and we hope we won't die
  ride at night, ride through heaven and hell
  come back and feel so well
  
  Why would the driver be concerned about dying? Furthermore if this was literally about driving, what could be hellish about it? The reason I'm disinclined to think this song is about drugs is partly from the line "come back and feel so well", since "coming back" isn't a good feeling.

  Flag Deuteronomyon May 02, 2011   Link

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  General Comment: To me it's just about picking up your buddies on a weekend night and cruising to the city...And seein where the night takes you.

  Flag bearfan34on November 28, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:I get the image of "A Clockwork Orange"

  Flag AsiaHoBoomon July 28, 2009   Link

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  Memory:The song perfectly describes the Detroit underground electronic music scene in the 1990's.
  If not for the lyrics, i would have no special attraction to this song, but, growing up in the Detroit area, this song re-creates the feeling of when i used to go out with friends, often with weapons (for protection only) driving at midnight through a forgotten wasteland of a city, and there was always that mixture of having fun with your friends while simultaneously trying to stay alive, always aware of how bleak your surroundings were. Its an amazing feeling, because you really value and cherish your time with your friends, when you have a heightened awareness of death and survival.
  The references to "light come over me" make me think of finally getting to the place, usually an abandoned warehouse literally in the middle of desolation. Inside is a secret dance party, and everyone is bathed in moving light and love. Its an absolute mix of love and darkness. Then you leave some friends, maybe pick up some friends, and head out again for another secret place. When morning finally comes, there is an eerie calm, and you just feel "really well"
  I also believe the reference "looking out for a sunny day" is more metaphorical than literal, and the sunny day is really finding moments of happiness, when darkness is all around.
  I've never seen the video, and from what i've read here i guess i don't want to. I think the one that plays in my head is really fantastic.

  Flag system9on December 09, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Reply to:
  
  "I would think that it's about getting high. I don't do drugs, but that sounds like a high to me."
  
  ----
  
  I had done drugs at a 17-19 year old age. To me, it sounds exactly to me like those days. The 3rd person sort of 'Here we are now...' bits to me makes it especially seem disconnected, furthering this thought.
  
  However, I'm a person that listens to only a part of a song, ignores the rest and makes up my own meaning.
  
  To me, that is exactly what it means, driving around because some deal fell through, or simply cruising after the fact.

  Flag kp1139on September 19, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I honestly have no clue what the song is about, but damn it is catchy. I find myself playing it over and over again on my Ipod. The version without Gwen Stefani is much better.

  Flag lizzie_aprilon August 27, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Yea, Moby said an interview, that the song was about a couple of kids cruising in their post-apoltlyptic world. Leave it to Moby. Its a great song, though. And I thought the music video was pretty cool, I thought they could have done better, but I like the parody, on celebrities selling themselves to product names though. This is also a greeat make-out song, and I absolutely love it.

  Flag Maya15on August 03, 2008   Link

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