The track begins with an opening sample of battle rapper Dot, setting up the tension and urgency for the rest of the track, and in-large, the album. It’s followed by a spoken word schizophrenic-like, inner monologue-esque verse from emcee Ritchie with a T, ending with intense labored breathing.
It’s performed over a sample of “Panico a Las 5am,” by Venezuelan experimental musician, Angel Rada.
Outside
Injury Reserve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An OG once told me
Tie a rope around his neck
'Cause you got to give people enough room to hang themself
To feed myself
Is it wealth, or health?
'Cause with wealth, you could lose your health
Smack, I got the food in my belt
Maybe you should think for yourself"
Let me talk to 'em
I been
I been talking to 'em kindly
Walk with it, walk with it, yeah (it's me)
(Talk to 'em)
Walk with it, walk with it, yeah yeah yeah
(Don't let these niggas backpedal)
Oh, yeah yeah yeah
I been, talk to 'em kindly, walk walk w-walking with it blindly
I came in a little too sharp, oh, you ain't like that
You ain't like when I come in all wildly, yeah
Let me, let me tell you somethin'
I been talkin' to 'em kindly cause they wanna toot each others' horns
Pat each others' backs for anything that coming, even slightly
Oh you wanna be in the middle? Huh? You wanna see what we have in common?
Yeah, take a seat, sit right across from me, don't sit behind him
So you can just, you can just stalk him and probably listen
Let's cut all that bullshit
What's the elephant in the room? Let's talk to him, c'mon
Let's talk to him don't hide him, yeah
Well, I walk in circles
You thought it was gonna be a walk in the park with it probably
But are you, you walk in the park
I woulda with all that, shoulda-coulda-woulda
I'm in your neck of the woods with the dogs ready to bark on 'em (probably)
Tryna big-dog me? You came to lil-bro me?
Like I'm thirty-four miles from Raleigh
The all-slash got the white boys talking all wildly
It's about to get up, get to cockin' on 'em
With all that, that white noise you're talking
You up the wall with the caulking
MaCaulay Culkin, you better step with caution around
And get out the yellow tape
And get ready to chalk-in an outline
'Cause they, they, they pads 'bout to start stalkin' on Raleigh
Tip-toe, tip-toe
'Bout to stalk on Raleigh
Get to talking to them probably
"As we walk, as we walk through this valley of death
Listen please listen, listen, listen
Don't want to have two way conversations
Don't want to have two way conversations
But let's put everything on the table
Let's put everything (haha)
We ain't gon' bounce around it
We ain't gon' bounce around shit
Got my skeletons, you've got yours
But let's be honest here
This, this don't end with agree and disagree
That ain't possible
There's just some things
There's just some things that ain't right
We got to be honest with ourselves
Oughta know
I know, I know, you know, I know, I know
And if you don't then there's something wrong up here
In your noggin', in your noggin'
We cannot end this with an agree to disagree
There is no happy medium
That is nothing, that is nothing
Yeah, yeah
The lyrics to "Outside" by Injury Reserve describe their views on society and the importance of speaking up about issues, even if it's uncomfortable. The first few lines talk about a mentor telling the singer to give people enough rope to hang themselves, questioning the value of wealth versus health, and implying that the world needs to think for themselves rather than blindly follow others. As the song progresses, the singer addresses the listener and says they're walking with them through a difficult conversation, and walking into uncharted territory where talking about skeletons in their closet is uncomfortable but necessary. The singer urges honesty and acknowledges that things may not always end in agreement but that it's important to have the conversation anyway.
The song appears to be a commentary on the state of society and the importance of self-awareness and honesty in order to achieve growth and change. The use of the metaphor of walking through a valley of death and confronting one's inner demons suggests an honest and difficult conversation. By discussing the importance of self-reflection, honesty, and active engagement with difficult conversations to break down societal barriers, "Outside" is an insightful reflection of the current cultural climate.
Line by Line Meaning
I make my presence felt
I am a force to be reckoned with
An OG once told me
I once learned from a wise individual
Tie a rope around his neck
Give people enough space to make mistakes and ultimately harm themselves
To feed myself
Take care of oneself
Is it wealth, or health?
Is working towards acquiring riches or overall well-being more important?
'Cause with wealth, you could lose your health
Having money could potentially lead to compromising one's well-being
Smack, I got the food in my belt
I have the sustenance I need at all times
Blowin' brains on your body
Causing significant damage to an individual
Maybe you should think for yourself
Perhaps it's time to form your own thoughts and opinions
As we walk, as we walk through this valley of death
As we journey through the difficult times in our lives
Don't want to have two way conversations
I don't want to engage in meaningless arguments
But let's put everything on the table
Let's be transparent and honest with each other
We ain't gon' bounce around shit
We won't beat around the bush
Got my skeletons, you've got yours
We all have our own personal issues
But let's be honest here
Let's be truthful with ourselves
This, this don't end with agree and disagree
The outcome can't simply be to agree or disagree
That ain't possible
That's impossible
There's just some things
There are certain topics that
There's just some things that ain't right
Are just morally wrong
We got to be honest with ourselves
We need to confront our own truths
And if you don't then there's something wrong up here
If you can't, there's something internally that needs to be resolved
In your noggin', in your noggin'
In your mind
We cannot end this with an agree to disagree
We can't simply brush our differing opinions aside
There is no happy medium
There's no easy compromise
That is nothing, that is nothing
That results in nothing
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Morgan Simpson, Angel Gilberto Rada Requiz, Jordan Groggs, William Corey, Nathaniel Ritchie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leadbraw
One of the best introductions to an album ever made, hands down.
Bruno V
Leadbraw sent me (Hi leadbraw I'm coming to your house)
Leadbraw
@Jaxon Swove 😭
Jaxon Swove
Hi Bruno
Bad Film
Injury Reserve videos have always been great but this is something else. The sharp sense of loneliness and empty space in this huge, weird as hell, cold space somewhere up in the mountains, where people live their lives calmly cooking and setting up fireplaces is the most ABSURDLY contrasting video-concept for such a hype song, and it still works perfectly. It’s beautiful in a way how such a powerful song can be put into perspective when we look at it from a calmer, contemplative viewpoint.
When did you ever imagine a music video where the focus is not on the band performing the song, but on the audience looking at the band (or in this case at Parker rocking the hell out)? To some eyes this might seem like a very mysterious video, but to me this is as honest as a music video can get.
cyrionn
Talk about a relevant comment. 👍
S. Nassir
I thought O Reiley was gonna appear on the vid
Star trek plus nikola tesla equals happiness
maybe its phoenix arizona
Brenna Gentner
You said it perfectly!
fried rice
>When did you ever imagine a music video where the focus is not on the band performing the song, but on the audience looking at the band
Interesting observation. This was a very good music video.