Michael W. Smith - On The Other Side Lyrics
Lyrics
I'm not how I used to be
When we hung around
Back when it was you and me
Tearin' up this town
We used to live our lives running from change
Now we don't see eye to eye
I am not the same
Chorus:
And you wonder where I've gone
Well, I've found where I belong
I'm on the other side
True-I used to walk your shore
But I'm not there anymore
I'm on the other side
Years fade like the setting sun
Turning us loose
They give us many ways to run
And many roads to choose
Well, I ran into saving grace
Headed for nowhere
Love showed me another place
And brought me there
Why is it hard for you to see
All the changes made in me
Here on the other side
Oh, I could help you understand
And you could join mewhere I am
I am on the other side
Video
On The Other Side
Meaning & Inspiration
Released on November 28, 2017, Michael W. Smith’s "On The Other Side" offers a poignant narrative of spiritual transformation and the often-challenging relational shifts that accompany it. The song immediately draws us into a conversation between an individual who has undergone a profound change and an old friend who struggles to comprehend this new identity. It speaks to the universal experience of personal evolution, yet grounds it deeply in a spiritual context, depicting a journey from an old way of living into a saving grace. The core meaning reveals a person who has found a new purpose and belonging, moving from a life "running from change" to one anchored in something entirely different, even if it means diverging paths from those once cherished.
The song masterfully portrays the chasm that can form between past relationships and a present self transformed by faith. The speaker acknowledges a former life ("not how I used to be," "used to walk your shore") but firmly declares a new allegiance and identity: "I'm on the other side." This "other side" is more than just a different perspective; it signifies a spiritual rebirth, a complete reorientation of life's direction. The lyrics beautifully articulate the concept found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The speaker has shed the old self, with its former desires and destinations, embracing a new existence where Christ is the center. This is further echoed in Romans 6:4, where Paul describes being "buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." The journey described is not a mere shift in opinion but a fundamental change in being.
The second verse illuminates the catalyst for this transformation, stating, "Well, I ran into saving grace / Headed for nowhere / Love showed me another place / And brought me there." This powerful imagery directly points to the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Many of us can relate to feeling "headed for nowhere," adrift in life's currents, only to be intercepted by divine intervention. Ephesians 2:8-9 beautifully captures this: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." The "Love" that showed the speaker another place is unequivocally the sacrificial love of Christ, which rescues, redirects, and redeems. This "other place" is one of true belonging and purpose, a stark contrast to the aimless wandering of the past, aligning with Ephesians 2:19, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of his household."
The song doesn't shy away from the relational friction that can arise from such a dramatic change. The question, "Why is it hard for you to see / All the changes made in me / Here on the other side?" resonates with anyone who has tried to explain their faith journey to those who remain outside of it. This difficulty in understanding is anticipated in Scripture, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 notes, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." Yet, despite the potential for misunderstanding or separation, the song extends an open invitation: "Oh, I could help you understand / And you could join me where I am / I am on the other side." This mirrors the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, a call not just to live out one's faith, but to share its transformative power with others, inviting them to experience the same grace and find their own place on the "other side" with Christ. It's a profound declaration of faith, a testimony to a life wonderfully remade, and an earnest plea for others to discover the same profound peace and purpose found in choosing Christ as their ultimate destination.