See You On The Other Side… [words, audio, story]

I received an email last night from someone dear to me about one of our Toxic Minds songs, “See You On The Other Side.” They were looking for it and didn’t see it on my music site (I’ve since remedied that – audio and lyrics below).

I’m glad she asked about it… I hadn’t thought about it for a while.

Lars (Ellington) and I wrote this song back in January of 2006 – it’s hard to believe that it’s been 6 years! It came out of one of our studio writing sessions where we wrote collaboratively, trading ideas back and forth. I remember the chill that went down my spine when he told me the concept he wanted to write about…

West Virginia Miner's note to his family after being trapped by explosion in January 2006

Miner Martin Toler Jr's note to his family

The inspiration behind this song:

The tragic deaths of the West Virgina coal miners who were trapped in the Sago coal mine by an explosion on 1/2/2006 and the note scrawled by one of them in his final moments to comfort his family… and to say goodbye.
(CNN story here)

Miner Martin Toler Jr. wrote this note – a message that became indelibly etched on everyone’s mind. It read:
“Tell all I see them on the other side… JR … It wasn’t bad just went to sleep… I love you.”

We wrote the song as a tribute to these brave men and the loving families they left behind.

See You On The Other Side by Toxic Minds
Original demo (2006):

Acoustic version (2008):

See You On The Other Side

lyrics and music by Lawrence “Lars” Ellington and Luna Jade

There must be a way to make you see
There’s no end to
Everything we have together
love survives beyond these bonds

Find me in your dreams and you’ll believe
what I’m saying
You can’t choose when you will follow
Keep the faith and faith will find me here

Someday you’ll find your way back home
I’ll wait for you, I won’t let go
(reach out and)
Touch my hand and I will lead you
through the darkness, from the shadows
cast from all your pain and sorrow

Now
Now is but a flame
burning until tomorrow
fading till we’re out of time

Time will heal the pain
til we can be together
See you on the other side

~ ~ ~

Though you feel the emptiness inside
there’s no need to
lose your will to face tomorrow,
I am but a dream away

I will wait until the end of time
please believe me
now is not your time to follow
Keep the faith and faith will find me here

One day you’ll find your way back home
I’ll wait for you, I won’t let go
(reach out and)
Touch my hand and I will lead you
through the darkness, from the shadows
cast away your pain and sorrow

Now
Now is but a flame
burning until tomorrow
fading till we’re out of time

Time will heal the pain
til we can be together
See you on the other side

~ ~ ~

Now
Now is but a flame
burning until tomorrow
fading till we’re out of time

Time will heal the pain
til we can be together
what we have is here and now

Now is but a flame
burning until tomorrow
fading till we’re out of time

Time will heal the pain
til we can be together
See you on the other side

I just got another chill when I saw the date that I first posted this song, January 15, 2006 -
6 months to the day before my father died on 7/15/06.

Adding to the eeriness for me: Late in the evening on 7/14/06, I had posted the words to “If You Must Go”, the song I wrote to my father as I flew to New York to see him for the last time… another song about saying goodbye to someone you love.

Looking back on it now, the timing feels a bit uncomfortable, like unintentional foreshadowing. My father’s health hadn’t yet taken a turn for the worse when we wrote this song. But after I got past my initial discomfort at the realization of the timing, it is the words that I wrote in my post on “See You On The Other Side” that soothe my heart:

“Goodbye is never final.”