"On Your Side" is the fourth single by The Last Dinner Party from their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, released November 1, 2023 through Island Records. It serves as the fifth track from the album.
Background[]
'On Your Side' is one of the songs that have been on the bands setlist since the beginning. The Last Dinner Party performed the song on BBC's 6 Music Live Session as part of their New Music Fix Friday on July 7, 2023,[1] and on October 25, 2023, the band posted a video of them shooting the music video to their instagram with the studio version of the song playing throughout teasing it’s official release on November 1, 2023.[2][3]
The song is described by the band as a love song with its hands tied,
It’s about being so devoted to someone that no matter what they do, no matter how much it hurts, how much you know you should leave, you can’t escape".[4]
Lizzie Mayland explained to Apple Music the reason they put this and "Beautiful Boy", the two slow songs, together came from playing them live. Taking a slow moment in the set after people are already primed to pay attention rather than dancing.[5]
Abigail further explained the meaning of the song in the same interview by saying:[5]
- “The song is about a relationship breaking down and it’s nice to have that represented musically. It’s a very traditional structure, song-verse-chorus, and it’s not challenging or weird. It’s nice that the ending feels like this very beautiful decay. It’s sort of rotting, but it sounds very beautiful, but it is this death and gasping. I really like how that illustrates what the song’s about.”
- ―Abigail Morris for Apple Music
Composition[]
The outro of the song came from an improvised moment in the studio, the band explained: "James Ford had a synthesiser that warped and delayed and played with the fabric of whatever you put into it, so Aurora Nishevci and Abigail Morris sat in the studio after lunch and improvised some piano and vocal lines, letting the sounds build on top of each other until that final gasp. It turned into this wrenching shimmering section that sounds like the end of a poisonous relationship; dissolving, fragmenting, painful but also ultimately freeing."[4]
Lyrics[]
I know I’m better off not looking back
Forgive me father, won’t you take it back?
That we were lovers
Bodies touching
On park benches
Stray dogs watching
It disgusts me now
I wish I didn’t want you
Wish I could do without
This blood on my face
Where your teeth sunk in
Bite me again
When it’s 4am
And your heart is breaking
I will hold your hands
To stop them from shaking
If it takes all night
I will be on your side
Back to the olive mount you lead me to
The wind was blinding so I clung to you
And you smiled so sweetly
As you threw me
Down the rocks into the seaweed
You thought that I could fly
When you’re lying here
I believe you love me
You can hold my hair back
When you kiss me
If you stay all night
I will be on your side
When it’s 4am
And your heart is breaking
I will hold your hands
To stop them from shaking
If it takes all night
I will be on your side
Music video[]
The music video was released alongside the single on November 1, 2023, and was directed by Cal McIntyre.[6]
"Where Is My Mind" interpolation[]
The interpolation was created for their live session for BBC Radio 1's Future Artist as part of their "Maida Vale Mashup", where they have artists create their own "super song". The mashup was an idea by Georgia Davies that she had a long time ago where she always thought 'On Your Side' sounded a lot like Pixies' song "Where Is My Mind".[7]
They first introduced the interpolation on their October 18 show in London on their UK Tour. They continued to perform the song live a few times and it was received well by their fans.[7]
Lyrics[]
Ooh-ooh-oh
Ooh-ooh-oh
I know I’m better off not looking back (Ooh-ooh-oh)
Forgive me father, won’t you take it back? (Ooh-ooh-oh)
That we were lovers
Bodies touching
On park benches
Stray dogs watching
It disgusts me now
I wish I didn’t want you
Wish I could do without
This blood on my face
Where your teeth sunk in
Bite me again
When it’s 4am
And your heart is breaking
I will hold your hands
To stop them from shaking
(Ooh-ooh)
If it takes all night
I will be on your side
(Ooh-ooh)
With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it
Your head will collapse, and there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind? (Ooh-ooh-oh)
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Way out in the water, see it swimmin'
Where is my mind?
When it’s 4am
And your heart is breaking
I will hold your hands
To stop them from shaking
(Ooh-ooh)
If it takes all night
I will be on your side
When you’re lying here
I believe you love me
You can hold my hair back
When you kiss me
If you stay all night
I will be on your side
When it’s 4am
And your heart is breaking
I will hold your hands
To stop them from shaking
If it takes all night
I will be on your side
Where is my mind? (Ooh-ooh)
Where is my mind? (Ooh-ooh)
Where is my mind?
Critical reception[]
Videos[]
Credits[]
The Last Dinner Party[]
- Abigail Morris - Vocals
- Georgia Davies - Bass
- Emily Roberts - Lead Guitar
- Aurora Nishevci - Scored, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ
- Lizzie Mayland - Guitar, Additional Vocals
Additional personnel[]
- James Ford - Production, Drums
- Jimmy Robertson - Engineer
- Serafina Steer - Harp
- Elsa Bradley - Tubular Bells
- Alan Moulder - Mixed
- Chris Gehringer - Mastering
References[]
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001p2k4
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy1JkBqNRe4/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- ↑
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-last-dinner-party-announce-debut-album-prelude-to-ecstasy-release-new-single-on-your-side-listen-preorder-3528044
- ↑ 5.0 5.1
- ↑ https://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/the_last_dinner_party_announce_debut_album_share_video_for_new_song_on_your
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://x.com/lastdinnerparty/status/1729624594024169672?s=46&t=TGML588DkXBbqj7ms0CMpQ
[]
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Tracklist
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Acoustics and Covers
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Other Eras
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| Prelude to Ecstasy ❦ Second studio album | |||||
Live
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Extras
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| Poems | Heather | ||||
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| Scrapped songs | Godzilla | ||||
| Other | In Store Signings ❦ Short Film | ||||
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