Honestly, I think there is only one person that is ever going to know the correct meaning of this song. The title might give a clue though... "the outsider" Is it possible that this song is about somebody else's point of view, somebody who lacks empathy and understanding. I myself have never been suicidal, but I've spent a few years in the Army. I had a soldier that attempted to overdose. This soldier was confronted by his entire chain of command, and the last statement he heard from them was "You didn't want to kill yourself! If you did, you would have done it right!" So he did.
The outsider's point of view is limited to only what he can relate to. This song may not even be about suicide. It may just be about somebody living a destructive lifestyle, not caring about their own welfare. Now that you may be able to relate to and understand a little better, but that wouldn't put you in the shoes of the outsider if it did.
Great response and well put. not to mention that it's spot on to what MJK said about the song meaning before he played it acoustic style (see my post below)....
Great response and well put. not to mention that it's spot on to what MJK said about the song meaning before he played it acoustic style (see my post below)....
on 3/23/2012:
Maynard specifically explained the meaning of this song before they played it during a acoustic session - he said the following: "I had a friend who had some chemical problems. I ended up meeting his brother and his brother was so out of touch with what he was going through....so this song is kinda sung through the perspective of the brother who doesn't understand what his loved one...
on 3/23/2012:
Maynard specifically explained the meaning of this song before they played it during a acoustic session - he said the following: "I had a friend who had some chemical problems. I ended up meeting his brother and his brother was so out of touch with what he was going through....so this song is kinda sung through the perspective of the brother who doesn't understand what his loved one is going through and in a way has no compassion for what he is going through...this song is called the outsider because that brother is standing on the outside of a understanding and doesn't get it. This song is from the perspective of someone who is ignorant and doesn't have the time or patience to understand what their loved one is going through."
Honestly, I think there is only one person that is ever going to know the correct meaning of this song. The title might give a clue though... "the outsider" Is it possible that this song is about somebody else's point of view, somebody who lacks empathy and understanding. I myself have never been suicidal, but I've spent a few years in the Army. I had a soldier that attempted to overdose. This soldier was confronted by his entire chain of command, and the last statement he heard from them was "You didn't want to kill yourself! If you did, you would have done it right!" So he did.
The outsider's point of view is limited to only what he can relate to. This song may not even be about suicide. It may just be about somebody living a destructive lifestyle, not caring about their own welfare. Now that you may be able to relate to and understand a little better, but that wouldn't put you in the shoes of the outsider if it did.
Great response and well put. not to mention that it's spot on to what MJK said about the song meaning before he played it acoustic style (see my post below)....
Great response and well put. not to mention that it's spot on to what MJK said about the song meaning before he played it acoustic style (see my post below)....
on 3/23/2012: Maynard specifically explained the meaning of this song before they played it during a acoustic session - he said the following: "I had a friend who had some chemical problems. I ended up meeting his brother and his brother was so out of touch with what he was going through....so this song is kinda sung through the perspective of the brother who doesn't understand what his loved one...
on 3/23/2012: Maynard specifically explained the meaning of this song before they played it during a acoustic session - he said the following: "I had a friend who had some chemical problems. I ended up meeting his brother and his brother was so out of touch with what he was going through....so this song is kinda sung through the perspective of the brother who doesn't understand what his loved one is going through and in a way has no compassion for what he is going through...this song is called the outsider because that brother is standing on the outside of a understanding and doesn't get it. This song is from the perspective of someone who is ignorant and doesn't have the time or patience to understand what their loved one is going through."