"The Outsider" is a song from A Perfect Circle's second album, Thirteenth Step. It was the album's second single, following "Weak and Powerless", and charted on the Billboard's Hot 100, Mainstream Rock, and Modern Rock charts in 2003.
| "The Outsider" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by A Perfect Circle | ||||
| from the album Thirteenth Step | ||||
| Released | March 5, 2004 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, alternative metal | |||
| Length | 4:06 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Howerdel Maynard James Keenan (Executive) | |||
| A Perfect Circle singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editIt uses a 6/8 and 4/4 time signature. Two remixes of "The Outsider" were made for aMOTION. James Iha made the "Frosted Yogurt mix", which uses a much more toned-down, quiet, synthesized sound than the original.[1] Danny Lohner's "Apocalypse Mix" is a darker, heavier version that starts as an ambient doomscape and ends in a way that resembles a music-playback program crashing. The latter version was included in the soundtrack to the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse under the title "Resident Renholder Mix" and also in the Prison Break soundtrack under the title "Apocalypse mix". The "Resident Renholder Mix" of the song was featured in the premiere trailer for Resident Evil: Afterlife.[2] It is also featured in the film during the Alice vs. Albert Wesker battle and the ending credits. Additionally, the song is in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock [3] and the trailer for the movie Safe.[4]
The lyrics to "The Outsider" at face value, are in judgment of a potentially self-destructive or suicidal individual, though Maynard clarified that the song's message was meant to be a criticism of people who do not understand the struggles of people dealing with depression, saying:
"[In] the case of "The Outsider", it's sung from the perspective of a person who doesn't understand at all what their friend is going through, what their loved one is going through, and they think that it's more like a sprained ankle; they can just kind of walk it off."[5]
Track listing
edit- Promo single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Outsider" | 4:06 |
- DVD single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Outsider" (audio) | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Weak and Powerless" (music video) | 3:17 |
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2003–04) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 79 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[7] | 5 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] | 3 |
References
edit- ^ "The Outsider (Frosted Yogurt Mix)". WhoSampled. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Johnny Loftus. "Resident Evil: Apocalypse [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Arthur Gies and Craig Harris (11 September 2010). "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Preview". IGN. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ SAFE Trailer 2012 Jason Statham - Official [HD]. 28 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 7 February 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ Amotion, A Perfect Circle, DVD commentary.
- ^ "A Perfect Circle Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "A Perfect Circle Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "A Perfect Circle Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.