Lyric discussion by NAwlinsContrarian 

Cover art for Outsider lyrics by Juliana Hatfield

What she herself wrote, in response to one the the "20 questions" she sold in April 2011 through PledgeMusic to finance her next album: "I was indeed talking about songwriting or in a larger sense, being a creative person and feeling the call of duty to create (write or paint, or whatever it is). This call, for me, has often seemed to take me away from people- the creative urge is often/always stronger than the urge to spend time with or to bond with other humans. Sometimes I have to stop my car when I'm driving and pull over in order to write down some ideas. And all this is what has made me feel like an outsider-- the need for aloneness. I think any artist will tell you that it's kind of a curse but it's also an incredible gift. The chorus is explaining it: I'm looking out of a hotel room window at someone-- maybe a stranger, maybe someone I wish I knew better-- with a sense of longing and wishing things could be some other way but they can't be because I am who I am."

Song Meaning