Pearl Jam – Other Side

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Other Side" Ringtone to Cell

It's not the same without you up here
Can't find my wheels
Your absence is what breeds this fear
Warm breath and all it steals

You can't know how it feels to be in here
All the dark horse fields, befriendin' me

Playin' ain't the same without you here
We've come to hate the golden rule
Cannot seem to make the dots connect
The morning light don't show you near

You can't know what it's like to bleed from here
The blackened world grows white, it goes nowhere

Death ain't the same without you, dear
I make the others run and hide
New york streets seem to make it worse
All this noise inside the quiet

I can't hold on, the weight you bear
My body's broken fast, please lift me up
You can't know what it's like to be inside
The fading melodies can't beat my need

I'm not the same without you here
How can i quit to be there
Sit and stare
Stare..
Begging for a prayer

Send "Other Side" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Stoney

Track duration: 04:03


Other Side song meanings
Add your thoughts

11 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:Don't really care exactly what the song is about right now actually. I just lost my 10 year old choc lab/best friend to cancer, and of all PJ's songs that reference death, this one immedietly came to mind. I didn't listen to it until over a week later (couldn't deal - I'm such a pussy) and realised that "warm breath and all it steals" and the reference to black and white (dog vision) are probably what drew me to it. He was also bleeding from several nodules on his liver so, it's like every word of the song fits. We also went to see PJ in NYC a day after he was diagnosed so the NY reference gets me too. I am struggling to let him go.
    Flag MFGon July 30, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:is the song good
    Flag knot22on March 31, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Jeff Ament wrote this amazing song and according to the Lost Dogs booklet it was about his parents when he began writing it but it turned into a song about him and P. My guess is P. is his girlfriend Pandora. And I definitely believe it's a song about being away from the one you love.
    Flag rockteaon March 31, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Pearl Jam is awesome. Stone wrote this right? I think he did...anyway it's amazing writing and no one could sing it like Eddie. His voice is just amazing. It haunts me...
    Flag HardToImagineon February 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:wow. The quote in the first post is exactly on point with how i read these lyrics. I really think the first person in this song is a dead person. That person is looking down on earth seeing a loved one struggle with the death of the other. The dead person is also trying to say ( i think ) 'release me, continue your life so that i can go to the light'. It is said that when people can't find closure after someone dying they can really hold on to someone's soul and in that way not allow someone to find the light and move on to the real heaven.
    Flag CCDevlinon May 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:maybe death was diferent thing to him when he was alive, and now (when he's dead) he realised that he don't want to be dead because she is not with him. He makes the others run and hide because in that case the streets will be empty and he can see her.
    I think that is it. Sorry, but i don't speak english well
    Flag drovsapon April 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Death ain't the same without you, dear
    I make the others run and hide

    those lines confuse me, they don't seem to fit with the gentle longing in the rest of the song. anyone have an idea?
    Flag sortileguson April 02, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is amazing I cannot believe that there have only been 3 comments on it so far....Stoney basically nailed it with eddie's quote....
    Flag N0 C0DE 79on August 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song talks about a man who went to the"otherside", but he ain`t happy,because his darling ain`t with him.Just my opinion. CARPE DIEM EVERY DAY
    Flag mojo risinon August 15, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:of all the great, emotional pj songs out there and all that those songs mean to me, this is the one that stops me in my tracks everytime......
    Flag ed_satxon April 13, 2004   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain