And you
Can bring me to my knees
Again

All the times
That I could beg you please
In vain

All the times
That I felt insecure
For you

And I leave
My burdens at the door

But I'm on the outside
I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside you're ugly
You're ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you

All the times
That I felt like this won't end
It's for you

And I taste
What I could never have
It was from you

All those times
That I cry my intentions
Full of pride
But I waste
More time than anyone

But I'm on the outside
I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside you're ugly
You're ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you

All the times
That I've cried
All that's wasted
It's all inside

And I feel all this pain
Stuffed it down
It's back again

And I lie
Here in bed
All alone
I can't mend

But I feel
Tomorrow will be okay

But I'm on the outside
I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside you're ugly
You're ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you


Lyrics submitted by kevin

Outside Lyrics as written by Aaron Lewis

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Outside song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

212 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +7
    General Comment

    and you bring me to my knees again all this time that I could beg you please in vain all the times that I felt insecure for you and I leave burdens at the door

    (This says to me he's with a woman already. However she know how to wrap him around he finger and hurt him at a whim (you bring me to my knees again) and he just wants to please her and the pain of her wods stop (I could beg please please in vain) and he feels he can't (hence insecure for you) and yet he leaves his burdens at the door to be with her (trying to push his weakness to the door and carpet over it).

    (Chorus) I�m on the outside. I�m looking in. I can see through you. See your true colors. 'Cause inside you�re ugly. You�re ugly like me. I can see through you. See to the real you.

    (He's started realising that he's not accepted by her (I�m on the outside). He's looking in on 'their' relationship (I�m looking in.). But he's started to look thro the pretty visage on her (I can see through you.)and see's her how she truly is. On the inside, she's just like him ('Cause inside you�re ugly)and hates herself just like she's made him hate hiself (You�re ugly like me.)and is projecting out on him, and he's realised this now he's since the real her (hence See to the real you) )

    All this time, that I felt like this won�t end. Was for you.

    And I taste, what I could never have. It�s from you.

    All those times, that I tried, My intentions, full of pride And I waste, more time than anyone

    (He was trying despite everything to make things work because he cares and put lots of effort to do so (All this time, that I felt like this won't end. Was for you) and loves her but realises he won't be loved back (And I taste, what I could never have, It's from you) and he tried repeatedly to make her happy and proud (All those times, that I tried, My intentions, full of pride) and it was all thrown back in his face over and over doing so (And I waste, more time than anyone).)

    (Chorus) I�m on the outside I�m looking in I can see through you See your true colors 'Cause inside you�re ugly You�re ugly like me I can see through you See to the real you

    All the times, that I�ve cried All that�s wasted, it�s all inside

    (He's totally in love, but its wasted as she doesn't want/can't accept the love he gives (All that�s wasted, it�s all inside)

    And I feel, all this pain Stuffed it down, it�s back again

    (He's pushed down his pain he had before her (eg with his mum) and suffering to be with her, but its surfacing again because of her)

    And I lie, here in bed All alone, I can�t mend

    (He's defeated and retreating to a 'safe' place (And I lie here in bed) to try to mend but he realises he can't and he's alone (All alone, I can�t mend))

    And I feel, Tomorrow will be okay

    (Trying to be positive)

    But I know..

    (Chorus) That I�m on the outside I�m looking in I can see through you See your true colors Cause inside you�re ugly You�re ugly like me I can see through you See to the real you

    (See above for this).

    Thats my take on it. He's been hurt over and over by this girl and he's not really in control or with her, he's an outsider on the relationship despite doing everything he possibly can, over and over and pushing his own pride and pain to the back to be with her. But she's as damaged as he is and despite all this, come the end of the song he's with her but he knows the real her (and you'd suspect someone singing this is on the verge of ending things between them...).

    mattwildon November 05, 2009   Link
  • +7
    My Interpretation

    This song makes me feel so much pain. I'm in love with someone who doesn't know it and they're all I think about. However there are days when they let me down and finally I get to see them for real instead of how I see them.

    "And you can bring me to my knees... again." [I don't know how many times they've let me down in some way and I just feel like giving up]

    "I'm on the outside and I'm looking in. I can see through you, see your true colors" [When the haze of love finally goes away, I can see how not perfect they are.]

    "Inside your ugly, your ugly like me." [Cause really, what makes someone better than you? Everyone has their faults]

    "And I feel tomorrow will be okay." [After the disappointment and pain, I let it all go by tomorrow morning. I don't want to be angry at them because it will ruin the memory. Tomorrow is another day, and everything will be alright.]

    Brittishon November 29, 2012   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    I had been with the same girl for three years, and she was so manipulative because she was attractive... I rememgber staring at her whenever I heard this song... God I'm glad I left her... Staind Rocks

    Moses2001on May 14, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    This song and the whole damn album helped me through some of the darkest days of my life.

    someoneyoumightknowon May 03, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    this song is so good.the first time i heard it i had 2 stop what i was doing coz there is just summat about it that really hits ya.it is 1 of my greatest songs ever

    iamtheoneon December 14, 2001   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    This song is great, i can totally relate to everyword of this song, i met a nice girl, well she seemed nice when we first met, then i don't know after awhile she just changed, i had feelings for her, and i still do deep down, i remember tasting her kiss for the first time, that is the thing i tasted but i can't have, it was from her, how i long to feel her body and her kiss again, but i doubt i ever will, she's ugly on the inside, i thought she was different. Actually every song that staind has, reminds me of her, like most guys this song say ex-girlfriend all over it. all the pain that they cause is sooo unbearable for us guys, sort of. this song says everything a guy wants to say to an ex-girlfriend.

    hobbes67on September 04, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    hey no fighting, we r meant to give opinions on the songs, not the people who sung it

    thehardyz2001ukon April 28, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song kicks ass!

    skeetsquirrelon May 11, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    hey fred does suck, he ruined the live version of the song, and if Staind really is this amazing band every makes them out to be then they wouldn't have needed Fred's help, they would have made it eventually.

    CouchpotatoHeroon July 20, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    FRED DURST BLOWS!

    Metal wont dieon April 18, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
The song 'Fortnight' by Taylor Swift and Post Malone tells a story about strong feelings, complicated relationships, and secret wishes. It talks about love, betrayal, and wanting someone who doesn't feel the same. The word 'fortnight' shows short-lived happiness and guilty pleasures, leading to sadness. It shows how messy relationships can be and the results of hiding emotions. “I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me,” she kickstarts the song in the first verse with lines suggesting an admission to a hospital for people with mental illnesses. She goes in the verse admitting her lover is the reason why she is like this. In the chorus, she sings about their time in love and reflects on how he has now settled with someone else. “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life,” on the second verse she details her struggles to forget about him and the negative effects of her failure. “Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up / ‘Nother fortnight lost in America,” Post Malone sings in the outro.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.