'This Side Of Heaven' by Max McNown – Lyrics & Meaning

Max McNown may be among country folk's brightest newcomers, but he is far from green, having satiated fans with an outpouring of heartfelt hits since he burst onto the scene with last year's 'A Lot More Free'.

In 2025 alone, he has dropped the album Night Diving, released a heap of successful singles like ‘Call Me If You Miss Me’ and ‘St. Helen's Alpenglow', and still, the tunes just keep on coming.

Ahead of the July 18 release of Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), an expanded version of his aforementioned January release, the young artist is back with yet another soon-to-be success.

'This Side of Heaven' is a swoon-worthy ballad about finding the kind of love that could make angels weep. The delicate tune joins a fleet of sentimental serenades from the artist who brings to the table nothing but heart.

'This Side of Heaven' comes to life in a rush of smooth rhythms and steely strings, washing the song in the pillowy, sob rock of the early 2000s. Think John Mayer and Amos Lee. Maybe even Rob Thomas.

The tune is mostly carried on that simple equation – a gentle beat here, an inconsequential riff there, the occasional impassioned strum – but it makes for magic come the chorus. McNown's vocals are allowed to shine against the delicate composition.

"Mother said life ain’t paradise
But there’ll be battles worth fighting for
And there’ll be love to find before you die
And I know when you know that you know for sure"

'This Side of Heaven' is, as many songs are, about love. In the romantic number, McNown sings about the high stakes of finding that person who's worth fighting for, who's worth choosing again and again every single day.

He admits that while he is still young and lacking those crucial years of experience – in the bridge, he sings: "And I don’t got a whole lot of years behind me..." – he knows that there is no use risking a love so pure.

In the chorus, he croons, "When it’s you and I / There’s nothing I’m missing / You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven..."

"A lot of settling for second best
Leaving my hopes on the hardwood floor
And now with you I find a place that I can rest
And wake up a better man than I was before"

In his few, short years, he seems to have become a master of settling for second-rate romances that have left his hopes dashes and his heart in shambles. Now, though, he has a relationship that leaves him better than the way he was found.

He attests that, while still here on Earth, this love is as close to heaven as it gets.

"And those days and nights ain’t no kind of living
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
When it’s you and I
There’s nothing I’m missing
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven"

Mother said life ain’t paradise
But there’ll be battles worth fighting for
And there’ll be love to find before you die
And I know when you know that you know for sure

And I don’t got a whole lot of years behind me
But I don’t want one more second of lonely, baby

‘Cause those days and nights ain’t no kind of living
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
When it’s you and I
There’s nothing I’m missing
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven

Ooh mmm

A lot of settling for second best
Leaving my hopes on the hardwood floor
And now with you I find a place that I can rest
And wake up a better man than I was before

And I don’t got a whole lot of years behind me
And I can’t take one more second of lonely, baby

And those days and nights ain’t no kind of living
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
When it’s you and I
There’s nothing I’m missing
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven

Come on now

Baby, those days and nights I thought I was living
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
When it’s you and I
There’s nothing I’m missing
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
Yeah you’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven
You’re as good as it gets on this side of heaven

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