“The Other Side of Paradise” is a track by the British indie rock band Glass Animals, found on their second album, “How to Be a Human Being,” released on August 26th, 2016. This title cleverly plays off F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “This Side of Paradise,” and the album cover features a basketball player.
Now, let’s break down the phrase “the other side of paradise.” Typically, “paradise” suggests an ideal and perfect state. So, when we talk about “the other side of paradise,” we’re exploring something different or contrasting with that perfect state.
In the context of the song, it tells the story of a young man who blindly leaves his partner in pursuit of an American dream, only to find it futile and tragic. Here, “the other side” describes a contrasting perspective of the American dream we’re familiar with.
In this article, we’ll explore the song’s lyrics, uncovering its deeper meanings and themes.
Table of Contents
“The Other Side of Paradise” Lyrics Meaning
[Verse 1]
When I was young and stupid, my love
Left to be a rock and roll star
He told me, “Please, don’t worry”
Wise little smile that spoke so safely
He booked a one-way ticket
Out west, that’s where they make it
Six kids stuck in a bedsit
To sunswept poolside riches
In the initial verses of the song, the narrator recounts the story of her partner leaving her to chase the dream of becoming a rock and roll star. The lyrics express, “When I was young and stupid, my love/Left to be a rock and roll star.” Despite the departure, the lover wears a “wise little smile,” radiating confidence and reassurance.
While the lyrics don’t specify whether it’s a train or air ticket, I can tell that it should be an air ticket. This is because in the next stanza, the narrator mentions that her lover wants to be like Hakeem Olajuwon, a renowned 1980s basketball player. This gives us hints that the song’s timeline is set around the 1980s to 1990s.
The term “out west” holds a metaphorical link to the American Dream, reflecting the historical pursuit of opportunities during westward expansion.
Despite debates about the narrator’s gender, I believe the narrator is more likely to be a woman. Traditionally, men are seen as adventurous, seeking opportunities in the city, while women are associated with a preference for a peaceful and stable life. If the narrator were a man, it would make more sense for him to join the lover in the pursuit of a better career.
Moreover, from the lines “Six kids stuck in a bedsit/To sunswept poolside riches,” it’s possible that the narrator means she has six kids with her lover. A bedsit is a one-room apartment typically consisting of a combined bedroom and sitting room with cooking facilities. Six kids stuck in a small room implies harsh economic conditions.
“To sunswept poolside riches” refers to an outdoor pool area bathed in sunlight, usually portraying a luxurious lifestyle. In the song, that’s the paradise the narrator’s love is looking for.
[Verse 2]
He met a girl who wore Versace
Pink feather coats and jumbo jewellery
Gonna be a hoop phenomenon
He’s gonna be Hakeem Olajuwon
He’s got a gold Camaro
He said over the payphone
I try to keep my cool but
My life turns in slow motion
In the second verse, the narrator’s relationship takes a twist when her lover meets a new girlfriend with a penchant for luxurious fashion. Describing the encounter, she sings, “He met a girl who wore Versace/Pink feather coats and jumbo jewelry.” The narrator reveals that her lover aspires to basketball fame, inspired by Hakeem Olajuwon, the legend who led the Rockets to NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.
And now, the lover told the narrator over the payphone that “he’s got a Camaro.” I believe that the narrator’s lover hasn’t achieved success yet, but he has won the heart of a rich woman who provides him with financial support. How do I know that?
Well, beforehand, the narrator mentioned that her lover wants to become a rock and roll star, but now he suddenly tells her that he’s going to be a basketball legend. This means he has faced some setbacks in his music pursuit and suddenly wanted to change his career path, dreaming of venturing into sports.
The narrator tries to stay composed but senses her life slowing down, singing, “I try to keep my cool but/My life turns in slow motion.” Perhaps, she realizes she can’t rely on her fickle lover anymore.
[Chorus]
Bye-bye baby blue
I wish you could see the wicked truth
Caught up in a rush, it’s killing you
Screaming at the sun you blow into
Curled up in a grip when we were us
Fingers in a fist like you might run
I settle for a ghost I never knew
Super paradise I held on to
But I settle for a ghost
In the chorus, the narrator reveals her plan to take revenge. The opening lines “Bye-bye baby blue/I wish you could see the wicked truth/” suggest that she might be bidding farewell to her newborn kid. “Baby blue” can informally describe the postpartum sadness a woman feels after giving birth. Therefore, we can interpret that the narrator means she won’t experience that sorrow again, as we learned from the bridge that she plans to die with her lover.
The lines “Caught up in a rush, it’s killing you/Screaming at the sun you blow into” might refer to the emotional state of the narrator after hearing the news from her lover that he’s now with another girl. That news has left her speechless and hurting, making her scream at the sun in frustration.
The line “Fingers in a fist like you might run” suggests her anger, perhaps wanting to confront her lover. She had dreams of a “super paradise” he promised, but now she’s “settling for a ghost,” accepting the possibility of becoming one. This ties into the upcoming stanza where she reveals her readiness to die with her lover.
[Verse 3]
Where I was from in NOLA, no one
Left to be a rock and roll star
He’d stay and treat his lady
Give everything to his new baby
I miss him, don’t you blame me?
That boy went stone cold crazy
Caught up in camera lust, he’s
Chasing that pappy pipe dream
In verse 3, the narrator is expressing her expectations of a good husband. She sings, “Where I was from in NOLA, no one/Left to be a rock and roll star/He’d stay and treat his lady/Give everything to his new baby.”
The narrator refers to New Orleans (NOLA), suggesting that in her hometown, few people pursued a career as a rock and roll star. This implies that such a path wasn’t realistic in that environment and was likely to fail. She also expresses the hope that her partner could choose to stay in their hometown and prioritize taking care of the family.
Despite knowing her lover’s flaws, the narrator admits to missing him, singing, “I miss him, don’t you blame me?” She suggests that it’s natural to miss a partner and asks her listeners not to judge her for it.
However, there’s also an acknowledgment that her man has become indifferent to his family, described as going “stone cold crazy.”
The lines “Caught up in camera lust, he’s/Chasing that pappy pipe dream” suggest that her man got caught up in the allure of fame and attention, which is a pipe dream. Here, “pappy” is used as a disapproving adjective, meaning something entertaining without value.
[Bridge]
(Ooh, ooh)
I know you don’t, but I—
I know you don’t, but I still try
My thunder shook him down
My thunder came and shook him down
That girl is gone, but I—
That girl is gone, but I still try
I think it’s over now
The bullet hit, but maybe not
I feel so fucking numb
It hits my head and I feel numb
My body’s looking wrong
My body’s looking wrong
My body’s looking wrong
In the bridge, the narrator finally confronts her lover and his new girlfriend. She’s not yet ready to kill her lover. Despite knowing he’s no longer in love with her, she attempts to mend their relationship. She sings, “I know you don’t, but I—/ I know you don’t, but I still try.” Obviously, her lover doesn’t want to reconcile, so in a fit of fury and anger, she loses control and possibly opens fire at him. She sings, “My thunder shook him down/My thunder came and shook him down/That girl is gone, but I still try/I think it’s over now.” His girlfriend is so scared that she escapes.
As the song nears its end, the narrator also chooses to end her life with a bullet. She vividly describes shooting herself and the sensation of death in the lines, “The bullet hit, but maybe not/I feel so fucking numb/It hits my head and I feel numb/My body’s looking wrong.”
Deeper Meaning Behind “The Other Side of Paradise”
“The Other Side of Paradise” by Glass Animals critiques the American dream, often seen as a paradise in most people’s eyes. However, this song aims to expose the other side—the darker aspect of this so-called “paradise.”
In the story, we have a young man anticipating the American dream. Ironically, it appears that he’s not actually pursuing his passion. It seems that he merely wants a luxurious lifestyle and to become famous in front of the camera. Otherwise, he wouldn’t switch his aspiration from being a rock and roll star to a basketball player, abandoning his partner in his hometown and choosing to hook up with a new, rich girlfriend. So, he’s only after stardom.
The lyrics cleverly use a woman from a small town to highlight how unrealistic the American dream is. In the lyrics, the woman, acting as a narrator, emphasizes the responsibilities of a husband over any pipe dream. All she expects is her man to be responsible and look after the family. So, she doesn’t believe a happy life necessarily involves fame and material success.
In fact, most of us are destined to be ordinary. As Alain De Botton said in his book “Status Anxiety,” it doesn’t really matter to be ordinary. Ordinary people can also enjoy happy lives with their families.
Sadly, the song ends in tragedy, with the woman choosing to die with her lover. Perhaps, Glass Animals wants to use this ending to urge us to care more for the feelings of our partners and family and put less effort into pursuing our American dreams, which in 99% of cases end up being futile.
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.