What does The Other Side mean?

Bruno Mars: The Other Side Meaning

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Album cover for The Other Side album cover
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The Other Side Lyrics

Truth of the matter is I'm complicated
You're as straight as they come
You go 'bout your day baby
while I hide from the sun

It's better if you don't understand
Cause you wont know what it's like
Until you try

You know I
I've been...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    amber_gleek_music_gal
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    Aug 28th 2015 !⃝

    I personally thought it was about two gay guys.
    'Truth of the matter is I'm complicated
    You're as straight as they come
    You go 'bout your day baby
    While I hide from the sun'
    Saying you're straight (or appear to be) and I'm gay and hiding from the sun (from the truth)
    'You know I, I'll be waiting on the other side
    And you, all you gotta do is cross the line
    I could wait a whole lifetime
    But you just gotta decide
    You know I
    I'll be waiting on the other, waiting on the other side'
    Saying one day you'll have to come out, and cross the line, I'm waiting on the other side because I'm already out now you come out and we'll be together

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Nov 17th 2011 !⃝

    Alright, sorry but those are all wrong.

    First off, the 'Other Side' does not always mean someone is gay/bi because he's simply 'waiting' for them to come out.

    And second, Bruno himself admitted that they (being B.o.B and Ce-lo Green) originally wrote the song with 'Twilight' in mind. He said it was supposed to be the 'vampire' song in hopes that someone may pick it up for a film, although obviously, they never did (at least not with this song)

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jun 2nd 2014 !⃝

    It's better if you don't understand.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 29th 2020 !⃝

    You should listen to this song on MIchael Jackson’s video clip thriller...it feet’s perfectly...
    To me, this is a re-interpretation of The thriller.... »yes I am a monster, but I’m not Frankenstein, if you knew what I was you’d run and hide »

  5. anonymous
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    May 21st 2019 !⃝

    I honestly think it's about drug use. The "other side" Is the side people are on when their using drugs. "It's better if you don't understand" Could be referencing to him not wanting her to try drugs, and in turn not know what it's like. later in the song he seems to be asking her to try drugs with lines like "all you gotta do is cross the line", " You just gotta decide" And "I could wait a whole life time". I think he's in conflict on weather he wants her to "Cross the line" Or not. Later in the song we hear lyrics like "once you cross the line, you can't change your mind" I believe this is referring to addiction. In the sense of once you start you can't stop, your addicted. The last line I think really drives this point home is "many have tired to go into the night, cross the line and come back alive", I strongly believe this is talking about people dying from drug overdose. They go into the night "Cross the line"(take drugs) and don't come back alive, after dying from an od.

  6. anonymous
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    Dec 17th 2013 !⃝

    "If life is a dream call this insomnia." As in not life.
    Yea this song is about the darker side souls collecting

  7. anonymous
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    Dec 2nd 2012 !⃝

    I feel as though it's talking about the illuminati also because it was one part in there when it talks about not being able to go back, crossing the line, can't change your mind, If we knew what he was we'd probably run. and as far as the other side its probably a clear distinction between good and evil.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 20th 2012 !⃝

    I love bruno mars its definitely about vampires

  9. anonymous
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    Jul 21st 2012 !⃝

    I always thought that this song was like, he was a werewolf (cuz in the song you hear like: AAOOUUUU!!! -_-) And like he tries to tell the girl tat she has nothing to fear about him since they love each other (forbidden love....) and then there's this guy like ''we could live forever blah blah you could die if you wanted'' like he's scared that she'll get killed or smthing.. Plus the guy with the rap part is like the werewolf's friend... I DON'T KNOW! --'

  10. anonymous
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    Jul 16th 2012 !⃝

    When he says that you won't know till you try, it's implying that you won't know what its like to date a vampire. And when they say I can't explain what I feel inside... Is that it's hard for him to explain to a girl what he is. And the it's better if you don't understand is that its better for her to not under stand what it's like. And yah

  11. anonymous
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    Mar 29th 2012 !⃝

    As much as I adore Bruno it seems as he could possibly be emplying towards illuminati...:(.The only thing that loses me is when Cee Lo Green States:"We could live forever,who could ask for more?You could die if you wanted,but baby what for?"
    Vampire related?
    What turns me off of the whole vampire therory is when B.o.B states:"Many have tried,to go into the night and cross over the line and come back alive.But thats the price you paying when you living on the other side."What people try becoming vampires then becoming humans again?Then again,why would you refer to illuminati as "The Other Side"Although I'm sure plenty have joined the illuminati then tried to get off,so that makes scence kinda.
    In my oppinion I'm just confused,I could only hope he is talking about vampires but the song is pointing towards both ways.I guess plausable for either theroy.......?

  12. anonymous
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    Dec 13th 2011 !⃝

    =) =) =) This is about vampires,set on a the 'twilight saga'. Bruno Mars obviously likes the films (I agree, they are the best). The vampires in twilight hide from the sun as the have dimond skin that can be seen only in sunlight. In the song it says:
    "You go b'out your day,baby,
    while I hide from the sun"
    Why would he say that if its not about vampires,its exactly identicle to it. =) =)


    DRUGS!!! Phf!!

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 15th 2011 !⃝

    for me is a kind of message that he died and he's waiting for her :S or something like that... so he's asking to her that she dont need to kill herself 'cause he will stay waiting for ever in the other side, so, for that reason he says that "it's better if you dont understand"...that they are living a dream...like dead O.O... that part where he says that he is a monster, for me, it could be like a ghost... XD I dunno... LOL

  14. anonymous
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    Nov 11th 2011 !⃝

    I've always been curious about the meaning of lyrics. From the Stones to The Doors, it was all about the meaning, even when there might not have been one.
    I saw the clip of Twilight with this song, and that certainly reinforces the idea it's about vampires. However, sexual orientation and drug use could also be used to explain parts of the song as well.
    I offer an alternative which actually encompasses parts of all of these ideas. My interpretation of "The Other Side" is death. He's singing for someone who has died (the other side), and perhaps he died to hide his sexual orientation, which probably included drug use, and perhaps a factor in his death - maybe by suicide.
    If he had a secret sexual orientation which may have included drug use, that could explain "I'm complicated", and his friends were "straight as they come", i.e not gay or bi, and not doing the same drugs. "I'm a monster" reference could be his unleashed drug induced sexual fantasies, but "I'm no Frankenstein" could refer to the fact that while he may have harboured unusual interests, he wasn't dangerous or threatening.
    "Once you cross the line, you can't change your mind" could refer to death - once you're dead, there's no coming back.
    Some other analysts have written "Wonderland"refers to drugs, but that only works if used in reference to Janis Joplin's "White Rabbit", but certainly Disney didn't have that in mind when they made their famous ride.
    Of course this is all written from a male perspective only because Bruno is male. However, he could be a voice for someone else, as is often the case in lyrics, and he could be expressing the feelings of a woman or child.

  15. anonymous
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    Nov 1st 2011 !⃝

    Illuminati.

  16. anonymous
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    Oct 24th 2011 !⃝

    "He's trying to get the girl he loves/likes to try drugs with him."

    It is exactly that!

    "You go 'bout your day baby
    While I hide from the sun
    It's better if you don't understand
    Cause you won't know what it's like until you try."

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  17. anonymous
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    Sep 20th 2011 !⃝

    Either its about being a drug addict or more likely...

    Vampires. At the start of the song you can almost hear werewolves. Vampires hide from the sun. His a monster, but not frankinstine. Death seems not to be a small concept for them. Live forever.

  18. anonymous
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    Sep 17th 2011 !⃝

    i reckon vampires hide from the sun. immortality. Better if you dont understand sure got us questioning but defintely vampires!

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