Other Side
Thomas Geelens · Pop / Ballad
Reviewed 2026-02-24
The Roast
“"How do you write about the loss of life when you're lost for words?" Well, Thomas, apparently you write this song. And here's the thing — it mostly works. "Forever 23, so much left to see" is the kind of line that hits you in the gut because it's simple and true. This is Thomas at his most genuine, and it shows. But the meta-opening is a problem: starting a tribute song by asking "how do I write this song?" is the lyrical equivalent of a director starting a movie with "this was really hard to make." We know. That's why we're here. Just SING it.”
Sally's not done with you yet.
Drop a URL, screenshot, or file and Sally will give you the honest truth.
The Bright Side
"Save a seat for me, and everybody who will love you for the rest of their lives" is genuinely beautiful. It says everything: I'll carry you, and so will everyone who knew you. That's a line that will make people cry, and it earned every tear.
Hardest Sneer
“You opened a tribute song with a disclaimer about how hard it was to write. The person you lost would've told you to just get on with it.”
Think your work can survive this?
Drop a URL, screenshot, or file and Sally will give you the honest truth.
Issues (5)
"How Do You Write About the Loss of Life" — The Meta Opening That Stalls
Receipt
"How do you write about the loss of life / when you're lost for words / and there is only hurt inside" — Thomas, you're using the first three lines of a TRIBUTE song to talk about how hard it is to write a tribute song. Your friend who died at 23 doesn't need your process notes. They need your words. The self-referential opening delays the emotional impact by at least a verse.
Fix
Start with verse 2's content. "Forever 23, so much left to see" — THAT'S your opening. It's immediate, it's devastating, it grounds us in the loss. Save the "I don't know how to say this" energy for the bridge, if you need it at all.
"And They Say Life's Unfair and Ain't That the Truth" — The Cliché Sandwich
Receipt
"They say life's unfair / and ain't that the truth / but all that good advice / ain't no use to you" — You took a cliché ("life's unfair"), agreed with it ("ain't that the truth"), and then dismissed it ("ain't no use"). Three lines to arrive at: platitudes don't help. Which is itself a platitude. You're chasing your own tail.
Fix
Cut these four lines entirely. "Forever 23, so much left to see, so much left to do, so much more to be" is strong enough on its own. It doesn't need a philosophical footnote.
"I'll Do It the Only Way That I Know How" — More Process Notes
Receipt
"I'll do it the only way that I know how" — And then you sing. Yes, Thomas. You're a singer. We assumed the way you'd do it was by singing. This is another meta line that adds nothing. It's throat-clearing. It's the lyrical equivalent of "so, basically, what I'm trying to say is."
Fix
Delete it. Just go into the chorus. The transition from the pain of verse to the directness of "so goodbye, my friend" is powerful enough without a disclaimer.
"Behind the Light" Lacks Specificity
Receipt
"I'm sure we'll see each other again / behind the light" — What light? The afterlife light? The tunnel light? A specific spiritual belief? "Behind the light" is vague enough to be universal, which is probably the point, but it also means it's vague enough to mean nothing. For a song THIS personal, the spiritual imagery should be equally personal.
Fix
If you believe in something specific, say it. If you're unsure, make THAT the point: "I don't know what's behind the light, but I'll believe it has a seat for you." Uncertainty can be more powerful than vague certainty.
The Second Chorus Is Almost Identical to the First
Receipt
Chorus 1 and chorus 2 are nearly word-for-word the same. In a song about losing someone, the second chorus should carry more weight — you've gone through the full verse 2 revelation about them being "forever 23" and then you respond with... the same goodbye? No escalation, no deepening?
Fix
Change one key line in the second chorus. Instead of "goodbye my friend" the second time, try "I'll see you, friend" — shift from farewell to reunion. It mirrors the emotional journey from grief to acceptance.