Meaning of Both Sides Now by Josh Groban (Ft. Sara Bareilles)
“Both Sides Now” is a song that talks about looking at life, love, and the world from different perspectives.
Duality: The song constantly contrasts positive and negative aspects of clouds, love, and life. This theme is consistent, emphasizing that everything has two sides or perspectives.
Innocence vs. Experience: The lyrics shift from a naive and idealistic view of clouds, love, and life to a more experienced and realistic perspective. This journey from innocence to experience is a common theme in literature and art.
Perception and Reality: The song suggests that our perceptions (like seeing “ice cream castles in the air”) can often be illusions. What we perceive isn’t always the full truth or reality.
Vulnerability in Love: There’s a deep exploration of love’s complexities. The initial joy and fairy-tale perception of love shifts to the understanding that love can also bring pain and requires vulnerability (“And if you care, don’t let them know”).
Change and Growth: As time progresses, people and situations change (“old friends are acting strange”). But with this change, there’s also growth, as hinted by the line “Well something’s lost, but something’s gained.”
Acceptance: Even with the realization of life’s complexities and uncertainties, there’s an underlying tone of acceptance. Understanding that life is full of “illusions” and unpredictable events, but accepting and continuing to move forward anyway.
Search for Understanding: Throughout the song, there’s a yearning to understand — to grasp the true nature of clouds, love, and life. This theme is encapsulated in the repeated line, “I really don’t know [clouds/love/life] at all.”
In essence, “Both Sides Now” is a contemplative exploration of life’s dualities, the journey from innocence to experience, and the human desire to understand and make sense of our experiences.
When was “Both Sides Now” released?
On 20th November, 2020, “Both Sides Now” were released. It’s part of Groban’s ninth album, “Harmony”.
