The Outsider
a perfect circle (ost обитель зла 4) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Help me if you can
It's just that this is
Not the way I'm wired
So could you please

Help me understand why
You've given in to all these
Reckless dark desires you're
Lying to yourself again
Suicidal imbecile
You're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you precious
Over this, why do you
Wanna throw it away like this
Such a mess, well I don't wanna watch you

Disconnect and self destruct one
Bullet at a time
What's your rush now, everyone will have his day to die

Medicated, drama queen
Picture perfect, numb belligerence
Narcissistic, drama queen, craving fame and all it's decadence

Lying through your teeth again
Suicidal imbecile
You're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you precious
Over this, why do you wanna
Throw it away like this
Such a mess, well I don't wanna watch you

Disconnect and self destruct one
Bullet at a time
What's your rush now, everyone will have his day to die

They were right about you

Lying to my face again
Suicidal imbecile
You're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you precious
Over this, why do you wanna
Throw it away like this
Such a mess, over this, over this

Disconnect and self destruct
One bullet at a time
What's your hurry, everyone will have his day to die




If you choose to pull the trigger, should your drama prove sincere
Do it somewhere far away from here

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "The Outsider" by A Perfect Circle seem to be a message from the singer to someone they know who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and destructive behavior. The lines "Help me if you can/ It's just that this is/ Not the way I'm wired" suggest that the singer is not naturally inclined to understand the mindset of someone who would want to harm themselves. They are asking the person they are addressing to explain why they are giving in to "reckless dark desires" and "lying to [themself] again."


The chorus contains the repeated phrase "What'll it take to get it through to you, precious?" This could be interpreted as the singer trying to break through to the person they are addressing, to make them see reason and stop the destructive behavior. The image of "Disconnect and self-destruct/ One bullet at a time" is a powerful one, suggesting that the person is slowly killing themselves.


The lines "Medicated, drama queen/ Picture perfect, numb belligerence" criticize the person for being addicted to mood-altering drugs and seeking attention and validation through their behavior. The singer accuses them of being "narcissistic" and "craving fame and all its decadence." The repeated phrase "They were right about you" suggests that the singer has heard others speak negatively about the person before and is starting to believe what they have heard.


Overall, the lyrics of "The Outsider" are a bleak and intense portrait of someone struggling with depression and self-destructive behavior. The singer seems to be asking the person to stop and think about their actions before it's too late.


Line by Line Meaning

Help me if you can
The singer is asking for help and support


It's just that this is
The singer is acknowledging that the current situation is difficult


Not the way I'm wired
The singer is not naturally inclined or built to handle this situation


So could you please
The artist is making a polite request for assistance and understanding


Help me understand why
The artist is seeking an explanation for the behavior or actions of the other person


You've given in to all these
The other person is succumbing to negative impulses or desires


Reckless dark desires you're
The other person is acting on harmful and destructive impulses


Lying to yourself again
The other person is not being truthful with themselves


Suicidal imbecile
The other person is being insulting and critical of themselves, suggesting they are foolish and self-destructive


You're pounding on a fault line
The other person is engaging in behavior that is unstable and dangerous, risking everything falling apart


What'll it take to get it through to you precious
The singer is asking what needs to happen to make the other person understand the gravity of the situation


Over this, why do you
The artist is questioning why the other person is giving up on or abandoning the situation


Wanna throw it away like this
The singer is expressing their frustration and disappointment with the other person's choices


Such a mess, well I don't wanna watch you
The singer is fed up with the chaos and turmoil caused by the other person's actions and doesn't want to be a witness to it anymore


Disconnect and self destruct one
The singer is advising the other person to separate themselves from the situation and cause themselves harm slowly and deliberately


Bullet at a time
The artist is using a metaphorical comparison to suggest that each harmful choice the other person makes is akin to shooting oneself slowly over time


What's your rush now, everyone will have his day to die
The artist is pointing out that there is no need to rush towards self-destruction, as death is an inevitable fact of life for everyone


Medicated, drama queen
The singer is describing the other person as reliant on medication and addicted to theatrics


Picture perfect, numb belligerence
The other person is putting on a facade of perfection while being willfully ignorant and combative


Narcissistic, drama queen, craving fame and all it's decadence
The artist is calling out the other person for being self-centered and desperate for attention and material success


Lying through your teeth again
The other person is being untruthful and deceitful


They were right about you
The artist is suggesting that other people were correct in their negative opinions of the other person


Lying to my face again
The singer is expressing their frustration and anger at the other person for not being truthful with them directly


Over this, why do you wanna
The artist is once again questioning why the other person is choosing to give up or destroy the situation


Such a mess, over this, over this
The singer is emphasizing how much of a disaster the situation has become and how the other person is responsible for it


Disconnect and self destruct
The singer is once again exhorting the other person to separate themselves from the situation and harm themselves slowly


What's your hurry, everyone will have his day to die
The singer is repeating the same point that rushing towards self-destruction is unnecessary and pointless


If you choose to pull the trigger, should your drama prove sincere
The artist is warning the other person that if they choose to commit suicide, they should at least do it away from others so as not to traumatize them


Do it somewhere far away from here
The artist is making a last-ditch effort to prevent the other person from ending their life and suggesting they do it far away from the artist and those who care about them




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY HOWERDEL, MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@beckygutierrez7645

Verse 1]
Help me, if you can
It's just that this is not the way I'm wired
So, could you please help me understand why
You've given in to all these reckless dark desires?

[Pre-Chorus]
You're lying to yourself again, suicidal imbecile
Think about it, you're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you, precious?
I'm over this, why do you wanna throw it away like this?
Such a mess, why would I wanna watch you?

[Chorus]
Disconnect and self-destruct
One bullet at a time
What's your rush, now?
Everyone will have his day to die

[Verse 2]
Medicated drama queen
Picture perfect, numb belligerence
Narcissistic drama queen
Craving fame and all its decadence

[Pre-Chorus]
Lying through your teeth again, suicidal imbecile
Think about it, you're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you, precious?
I'm over this, why do you wanna throw it away like this?
Such a mess, why would I wanna watch you?

[Chorus]
Disconnect and self destruct
One bullet at a time
What's your rush, now?
Everyone will have his day to die

[Bridge]
They were right about you
They were right about you

[Pre-Chorus]
Lying to my face again, suicidal imbecile
Think about, you're pounding on a fault line
What'll it take to get it through to you, precious?
I'm over this, why do you wanna throw it away like this?
Such a mess, over this, over this!

[Outro]
Disconnect and self destruct
One bullet at a time
What's your hurry?
Everyone will have his day to die

If you choose to pull the trigger
Should your drama prove sincere
Do it somewhere far away from here!



@jamesmackiii8418

I just heard this song for the first time a week ago, and can confidently say it's one of the best songs I've ever heard. Not only does it sound perfect to my ears on all spectrums, but I couldn't relate more to the lyrics. Two of my best friends (and most people I knew in high school to some extent) went down the road of Xans and RCs back starting around 2013, obviously with depression relevant as it usually is with drugs like this, shitty drugs people sell for a slight profit but also do themselves, and they almost killed themselves in my own presence (both involving being KOd on their back while puking ((one at my HS graduation bonfire one on a random day))); on multiple occasions even. Even as great friends there was nothing I can do to make them feel like life is worth living if you get down to it.

But, the reason why I feel I could use a therapist in life is because I think my Mom is the same way. She lost her father due to liver cancer when she was 19 in 1988, her fantastic and beautiful sister died of cancer in July 2021 after being diagnosed in December 2020, her wonderful brother is currently having heart problems at an age where he still needs to work, and her mother has come down with complete dementia to go along with heart problems in the year 2021: in the past year she aometimes doesn't recognize who my mom; her daughter, is, much less me. My mother also had her gallbladder explode 12 years ago when I was 12 followed by her spleen exploding when I was 13, 11 years ago. On top of her chronic pain from slipped disks and arthritis. She is one of the nicest, strongest people I know and In no way does she deserve this suffering.

This is the main reason I no longer believe in god after being raised a Catholic and question my mother whenever she prays as her life has been so tragic it makes even me cry nearly every day. I wish I could comfort her.

I had to get this off my chest I really really need a therapist

On top of all this the biggest thing I feel is that I can apply the song to myself. Yes, my life has had extreme difficulties that have broken me down, but so does almost everyone else's, and millions have had it worse, so why would I be a depressed bitch killing myself every day by hating my life and not progressing myself as I should due to distractions and complications that most people experience, and let it defeat me rather than help me grow as a person. Basically when I hear him speaking the chorus I an feel it as being me talking to myself in a way that is motivating



All comments from YouTube:

@ritalpha17

I told my 10 year old son about this band and he said a perfect circle is hard to make and therefore they must be a good band....kids are so enlightened

@audievickers132

You should tell him about Giotto when he gets a little older.

@joehuffman5042

You have a very intelligent child my friend.

@jessicahinojosa5390

Because there is no such thing as a perfect circle... What a bright kid

@shaners5848

Your kid didn't say that🙄

@saadmanalam7283

I'm sure he also thinks that you'd have to be an absolute Tool to be able to come up with such legendary music.

46 More Replies...

@Brotelho2

"What's your rush now? Everyone will have his day to die"
That lyric alone got me through a lot of depression.

@johnrhoads2735

Me too

@yvonnevanderlinden6750

Me too! The whole lyrics really hit my mind and made me think. I often think of this phrase "what's your rush now, everyone has his day to die". Thank you Maynard!

@icyflann7178

Best line in the song

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