Suddenly, it came to me
A potent dosage of reality
I saw myself in the broad daylight
And it made me think
About life

I'm not the kinda guy
Who nods his head
With closed eyes
I scoff at labels
I defy censuses

And despise group mentality
All along I through
That this was only human
But I know now that
I'm in the minority

I'm lookin' in
Now I think in relation to
My fellow man
And what strives to do we fail to see

There's no compromise
Our evolution
Is our demise
One day you may find
That you are also one of me

A microcosm
Of the human race
Observing those around us
Desiring to belong
Behind the guise of salvation
We suffer along the way
We're lookin' in


Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by bufzar

Lookin' In Lyrics as written by Greg Graffin

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Lookin' In song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

5 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment
    I like how he says that one day maybe you will find you're one of him. Well 17 years after he writes this I find out I am. awesome. And I think by that, lookin' in, he means you see yourself somewhat separated from the world, like you are not just another one of the masses. You see the bigger pictures and you're not just lost in the game.
    stayfluffyon April 09, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Basically, he thought that the majority of people were intelligent and could think for themselves but soon realized how ignorant the masses actually are.
    aebassiston November 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    suprised theres not more responses for this song. One of the more deep sociological songs; greg reveals alot of himself in this song. microcosm of the human race pretty much says it all. looking into someone elses eyes you may as well be looking into another species sometimes..
    pinkfadeon March 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction
    I always heard the 'our evolution is our demise' bit as 'a revolution'. And I think it makes much more sense, too. We, as a people, can never meet each other half-way and reach a compromise. We, instead, seek a revolution to turn the tables and, consequently, ignore everyone else's problems.
    May18on July 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    lookin in means looking in to yourself/your own consciousness,, when youre in the middle of sick society "suddenly, it came to me a potent dosage of reality........i scoff at labels i defy censuses and despise group mentality.............", you got to have your own compass, to guide you along the way, u know what i mean.. i think the writer believes that every human is basically a good person..but everyone seems to get lost along the way,,n the only thing that could guide them is their own consciousness,,their inner..looking in..
    BBCCBBon October 28, 2013   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
System
Mel And Kim
Just listening for the 784,654th time....and it's just perfect in every way. Just incredible. The only reason it was remade was to scoop up a boatload of money from a more modern and accepting audience. But it is a completely different song than the other one that sounds slapped together in a few takes without a thought for the meaning. This song captivates me still, after 50+ years. Takes me to the deep South and the poverty of some who lived thru truly hard times. And the powerful spirit of a poor young girl being abandoned to her future with only a red dress and her wits to keep her alive. She not only stayed alive, she turned her hard beginnings around, became self sufficient, successful and someone with respect for herself. She didn't let the naysayers and judgers stop her. She's the one sitting in the drivers seat at the end. So, not a song about a poor girl, but a song of hope and how you can rise up no matter how far down you started. There is a huge difference between a singer who simply belts out a song that is on a page in front of them, and someone who can convey an entire experience with their voice. Telling not just a story with words, but taking you inside it and making you feel like you are there, with their interpretation.
Album art
Blank Space
Taylor Swift
This song is Swift's response to the negative reputation the media has given her. "I can make the bad guys good for a weekend" - the bad guys are the paparazzi to Swift, but are good to the "player" since association with Swift immediately gives publicity. Any publicity is good publicity and Swift knows this. "You can tell me when it's over" - the tabloids rumor relationships are over before the couple announces it officially. With this song Swift is portraying the way she is portrayed by the media. It is a sarcastic jab at how she views herself and how her "ex-lovers" only wanted to be with her to increase their fame. I applaud the brilliance in writing about how you always write about relationships. It is expected so Swift is giving the media what they want and profiting off the attention.
Album art
Hypnotized
River Tiber
This standout psychedelic track was produced in its entirety by River Tiber, being released to all major digital streaming platforms on December 29, 2020.
Album art
I don't want another sorry
Dax & Trippie Redd
This standalone single marks the first official collaboration between the two rappers. The track was produced by SephGotTheWaves, Stillsanexile & Trademark. It was released on December 29, 2020.
Album art
Still Luv
Kennedy Rd.
This standout song off her eponymously named album was produced by AVB & Itsashleetho and released on December 28, 2020.