Both Sides Are Even by The Boxer Rebellion

Album: The Cold Still (2011)

License This Song

lyrics

Songfacts®:

This is a track from the international indie alternative rock band The Boxer Rebellion's third studio album, Cold Still. The record was produced and mixed by Ethan Johns (Kings Of Leon, Ryan Adams, Paolo Nutini). The band told Clash Magazine: "This was the first song written for the album and the song that really made us want to work with Ethan Johns. We'd recorded a demo for the this song the same way we'd worked on Union and it felt like we were rehashing old ground. We needed a second opinion."
The band explained the song's meaning to Clash Magazine: "The song is about a relationship tug-of-war - about two people at loggerheads and unable to move forward. It's the age old idea that in a relationship there always needs to be a bit of give and take or each person will end up waving their flag alone. 'Both sides are even, they are even and alone. It's the same thing right or wrong.'"
The song was featured on the February 3, 2011 episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy and was used to open the season premier episode of the HBO series 24/7 Pacquiao Margartio.

Comments: 1

Justin from Roseville, CaEthereal.... I think the song relates on a larger scale, too. Take any disagreement between two people, or two parties of government or organizations... I think it works there, too. Am I wrong, or is that a mellotron used throughout? I love that!

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Watching The DetectivesElvis Costello

Lyrically, Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" was inspired by American detective shows; musically, it was inspired by The Clash.

Pink HousesJohn Mellencamp

John Mellencamp considers "Pink Houses" an "anti-American song," laying bare the struggles of the poor and working class.

O.P.P.Naughty by Nature

The Naughty by Nature hit "O.P.P." doesn't have any curse words, but many oversensitive radio stations played a "clean" version with the word "kitten" edited out, surely the first time that word was censured.

KatmanduBob Seger

Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, was the archetype for faraway mysticism when Bob Seger wrote a song about it in 1975.

Black WaterThe Doobie Brothers

The Doobie Brothers' swampy #1 hit "Black Water" is about the Mississippi River, evoking the rafting adventures Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn.

Shut Up And DanceWalk the Moon

Walk The Moon vocalist Nicholas Petricca got the idea for "Shut Up and Dance" when he and his girlfriend were taking forever to get drinks at a Los Angeles club bar. Petricca was getting frustrated, so his girlfriend told him to "shut up and dance with me!'"