Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a clever song trend (and I’m also nosey and love seeing everyone’s rings), but this latest TikTok trend is a little off-base.
You’d think that a song singing the lyrics, “On the other hand, there’s a golden band,” would be the perfect backdrop to showcasing your shiny new engagement ring…right? Unless that song happens to be Randy Travis’ 1986 cheatin’ ballad, “On the Other Hand,” about a man fighting back temptation to leave his wife.
The audio featuring Travis’ first single from his debut album, Storms of Life, has blown up on TikTok as girls use the track to show off their proposal pictures and “golden bands.” One of the most viral posts from user @emilybreannn has amassed nearly half a million views, and while her pictures are stunning, many people couldn’t help but point out that the song choice doesn’t necessarily scream, “happy new marriage.”
Users flooded the comment section, calling out the trend and politely letting her know that this is a track that should stay off the wedding playlist:
The lyrics very blatantly spell out a story of a man admiringly looking at his potential mistress, noting that he’s found a new spark to his flame:
In your arms, I feel the passions I thought had died
When I looked into your eyes, I found myself
And when I first kissed your lips, I felt so alive
I’ve got to hand it to you girl, you’re somethin’ else
But ultimately, the reason he can’t lean into the temptations is reminded to him by the gold wedding band on his finger:
But on the other hand, there’s a golden band
To remind me of someone who would not understand
On one hand, I could stay and be your lovin’ man
But the reason I must go is on the other hand
Even with these lyrics spelling out a very obvious cheating song, there was still quite a fair number of people voicing that they “need” to jump in on this trend next, and hundreds of similar videos following the trend, proving that many simply just don’t care. While I’m not sure I’d want my engagement ring to become the poster child for a cheating anthem, many pointed out that not every trend needs to be taken so seriously, and I can respect that. Who am I to ruin the fun?
This just seems to be the latest version of “Broken Window Serenade” and “A Life Where We Work Out,” AKA songs that are absolutely gut-wrenching but somehow end up becoming the soundtrack to happy-go-lucky TikTok trends. While the internet continues to debate whether people should dust up on their lyric literacy and pay more attention to a song’s meaning before using it, I’m just happy to see an old Randy Travis classic making a comeback.
