Which Side Are You On?

I wrote this song over the course of the past 3 weeks. Katryna suggested the title and the idea that in a round world, there are no sides. She also suggested the image of the sun creating a silver lining, and how what that really means is that on the other side of the cloud, the sun is completely visible. Elle wrote the line "shake a kula," which is cool because a kula is the word for community in the world of Anusara yoga, which is the tradition I am pursuing as a student. We will be debuting this song on Friday at our Iron Horse show.

Ask me if I smoke? I don’t
Not in my back yard you won’t
Keep to your own side of the tracks
Early morning on the bus
Keep on just ignoring us
Wishing we’d stay hunkered in the back
Stinking freaks out on the street
Messing with your chill we meet
Aren’t you glad that you’re not her
Shake a kula mix it up
Toss us in a giant cup
Turn it in the gyre and stir stir stir

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.
Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.

Up in Northern Pakistan
They’re building schools and making plans
And teaching girls their knowledge to increase
Pass it forward, pass it on,
In reaches of Afghanistan
Pennies fill the jar for peace
Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jew
Zoroaster, Sikh, Hindu
Each knows how to love a newborn baby
Each knows how to greet the sun
Weep when the beloved’s gone
Fall upon the ground crying, Save me, save me

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.
Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.

(Insert wicked cool guitar solo by Dave C. here.)


You tell her she can’t understand
Nothing went as you had planned
Slam the door and slam it again
Get into your car and go
M. Ward’s on the radio
Windshield wipers can’t beat the rain
Driving home you see a cloud
Makes the sun a giant shroud
Makes you understand the phrase: silver lining
Though it’s dark as far as sight
Dark can’t terminate the light
Somewhere on the other side the sun is shining

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.
Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
The world tells you to figure it out,
She says, Haven’t you noticed? I’m round.

Nerissa Nields & Katryna Nields
Oct. 19, 2009
©2009 Peter Quince Publishing, ASCAP
All Rights Reserved