Meaning of "On The Outside" by Roch Voisine

The lyrics of "On The Outside" delve into themes of distance, missed opportunities, and longing for a lost love. The woman in the song is portrayed as troubled and isolated, symbolized by the imagery of a river and a castle. The river represents her emotional turmoil, while the castle represents the walls she has built around herself. The narrator acknowledges that he has only ever heard her voice from a distance, unable to truly connect with her. He admits he was not strong enough to reach and touch her, indicating a lack of effort or courage on his part to bridge the gap between them.

The chorus of the song conveys the narrator's feelings of drowning and falling whenever he attempts to get closer to the woman. This suggests that his attempts to break through her barriers have been met with fear and failure. He feels trapped on the outside, unable to truly know and be with the woman he loves.

The lyrics also express a sense of nostalgia and regret. The narrator describes the woman's frozen image in a picture, symbolizing her unchanging state and their past connection. He finds warmth in the memory of her smile, but he hides his longing as he remains on the outside. The mention of being "farther than forever" and "nearer not together" emphasizes the sense of distance and lost opportunities. The narrator wishes he could go back in time when they were together, suggesting a desire to reclaim their lost love.

Overall, the lyrics of "On The Outside" depict the pain and longing of an unrequited love. The narrator's inability to break through the woman's emotional barriers and his regret for missed opportunities create a poignant and relatable narrative of love and loss.