Staind – Outside lyrics

This song is explaining and showing the complete mental breakdown of a battered man. He was in a relationship that he thought there was mutual love in, though one sought it and the other sought to burn it down. He tried and tried to show love an affection, just so she could see how love truely works. But everytime he made some sort of progression into gaining that true love, he just wound up back at square one, hurt more than the last time. He worked as hard as he could for as long as he could but wound up leaving her, still with that mental abuse fresh in his head. He sees himself as a failure, ugly in his own appearence, and saying that she herself is the creator of that product, meaning she is just as ugly as she made him.

Two people are in unhappy marriages, and in love with each other. One makes their feelings known to the other, and finds out the other person feels the same way. They both want to consummate the relationship, but the person who brought it into the open is hesitant, for fear of the consequences. The other person waits patiently, and affirms their feelings. It is like being on an emotional rollercoaster, but they don't burden the person with their turmoil. The person being led on gets just enough indication that the feelings are real, and won't end. This person feels insecure because one minute they are close, and then the person creates distance. Time is being wasted by clinging to the hope of something more happening between them. This person feels like an outsider, competing with what the other has, but can't move on because of the depth of love felt. This person cries every day, but doesn't let the other person know it, because they are too proud. The person finally has to move on, realizing they are both "ugly" for wanting to have an affair. This doesn't help the pain, but there is hope that time will heal the wounds.

I think it is about 2 people who care deeply for eachother but can’t be together. One finds out the other has been lying or not being honest about themselves or their feelings, and is devastated because they have been vulnerable and honest the whole time. They are both “ugly” because they aren’t being faithful in their relationships outside of the “relationship “ they have..but one of them is being dishonest to both and took advantage and manipulated the other leaving them broken and sad because they thought eventually they would be together.

When I hear this song I hear someone struggling with addiction. The partner of the addict begging them to quit, through all the pain still being able to see his true colors. Shoving down the pain to try and have good days despite their ongoing problems through it all. The partner feeling like the situation may be hopeless, like it will never end, and feeling perhaps she is just wasting time trying to get the other to quit and get help. On the other hand thinking tomorrow might be okay and holding on to hope for change.

When I listen to it and see its lyrics, I picture a tormented man. He was a very loyal and faithful man who served his leader very well. His leader was a very admired man who appeared to everyone as a man of integrity and forward thinking as well as peace and love. Although he was this way publicly, he was murderer and carried out fiendish tricks to gain fame and fortune. This loyal man thought of it for the greater good as he was indoctrinated by his leader's glory. He was very skilled and carried out many dreadful things for his leader, and he felt very guilty, insecure, sorrowful, evil, and in pain. He did it to keep up his image to his nefarious leader who he wanted to impress so much. He sometimes begged to not be entrusted with these duties. One day, his leader found him no longer useful, and the man was made an outcast from the organization. At first, he felt guilty and useless, but he began to realize that his leader was just as ugly inside as he was. As he thinks over this, he begins to feel happy about how he is finally... Free. He's free from his master's leash. He can think for himself, and he has no obligations to his organization. He has no need to be anxious about how he would prove himself to his leader. Now, he was finally at peace. He found that he was more peaceful than he would've been by proving himself to his leader. This realization of the fact, that he was now free from his leader's tyranny, gave him hope. Although he could never wash away his past, he could now direct his future for himself with no outside force. Hence him saying in the song, "And I lie here in bed, all alone. Can't mend, but I feel tomorrow will be okay." This song is not the sad ending to a hard story. It is the beginning of a new, beautiful story. A story which he has the privilege to write for himself. He is happy because he realizes that he's not forced into evil anymore. He has a freed himself unknowingly from his leader's tyranny, and he's damn happy about it.