About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
Left Outside lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Red lines painted where the road splits wide You chose your march, left us the other side
Verse 1
They drew the map in permanent ink Said don’t ask why, don’t stop to think Crowds moving right like a rehearsed parade While our names got crossed out, quietly erased Boots on the pavement, drums in their chest We were told silence equals loyalty tests Streetlights flicker, hear the gates lock tight Truth gets nervous when it’s dressed in a flag tonight
Chorus
Red tribe right, leave the left outside Doors slam shut while the chants collide Red tribe right, draw the line real hard If you’re not inside, you’re standing in the yard
Verse 2
Megaphone voices drown out the rain Same three words, different kind of chain They call it order, they call it pride I call it fear wearing suits that smile Cameras blink like they know our names History hums but it never explains I watch friends turn into warning signs All because they won’t walk a straightened line
Bridge 1
If the circle shrinks every time you agree Who’s left standing when it reaches me? I folded my jacket, waited my turn Turns out the fire don’t care who it burns
Verse 3
Now I stand where the sidewalk ends With the ghosts of maybe and almost friends No badge, no chant, no borrowed creed Just a voice that won’t beg to be believed You can build your wall from noise and fear I’ll build my spine standing right here When the echo fades and the drums divide We’ll see who’s left when the truth decides
Chorus
Red tribe right, leave the left outside Doors slam shut while the chants collide Red tribe right, draw the line real hard If you’re not inside, you’re standing in the yard
Bridge 2
If the circle shrinks every time you agree Who’s left standing when it reaches me? I folded my jacket, waited my turn Turns out the fire don’t care who it burns Every border starts as a sentence said Every “us and them” puts blood in the thread Say it louder till it sounds like law Or say it softer till we see the flaw
Chorus
Red tribe right, leave the left outside Doors slam shut while the chants collide Red tribe right, draw the line real hard If you’re not inside, you’re standing in the yard
Chorus
Red tribe right, leave the left outside Doors slam shut while the chants collide Red tribe right, draw the line real hard If you’re not inside, you’re standing in the yard
Outro
They can point us out, they can shut us wide But we name ourselves, not the side they decide
Inside the recording
Red lines painted where the road splits wide You chose your march, left us the other side
Red tribe right, leave the left outside Doors slam shut while the chants collide
They can point us out, they can shut us wide But we name ourselves, not the side they decide
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.