Ever feel like you don’t quite fit in? Turning to music during these times of loneliness can be an incredibly powerful source of solace — and there are many meaningful and enduring songs dedicated to the feeling of not fitting in or being an outcast.
Below, we’ve curated a list of 20 songs about not fitting in. Whether you’re a teenager struggling to understand the world or an adult still trying to find their path and make sense of it all, these angsty and introspective songs will make you feel both seen and understood!
1. “The Outsider” by Marina
“The Outsider” by Marina follows the singer as she expresses her worries, anger, and struggles about feeling like an outsider. Throughout this song, Marina explains that people may know her name and who she is. However, they don’t truly know her — and they may never get to know her, as her shyness keeps her from speaking up or telling people who she truly is.
2. “I Heard You” by Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte’s “I Heard You” also discusses not fitting in! While this song could relate to any listeners who feel as if they’re an outcast, this song does specifically mention high school. Therefore, this is a great song about not fitting in at school.
The singer explains that he feels that he doesn’t fit in, especially when it comes to the girl he likes. This girl, as well as all her friends, are just so different from him.
The band sings the lyrics, “So I’m feeling like I’m not fitting in / I know that I’m not fitting in with you / And your stuck-up friends / I get the point.”
3. “Alien” by Cassadee Pope
“Alien” by Cassadee Pope, which was first released in 2016, follows Pope as she sings about how she doesn’t fit in. However, this song does have a positive twist. After explaining all the ways she doesn’t fit in — as well as discussing how many people struggle when trying to figure out who they want to be — Pope finally just accepts that she is who she is.
She can’t change herself. As a result, this song is a great song about not fitting into society!
Pope also asserts that so many of us feel the way she does. She sings, “What’s the point of fitting in? / ‘Cause at some point, I know we’ve all been / Alien.”
4. “This Girl” by Kylie Minogue
“This Girl” by Kylie Minogue, released in 1997, discusses feeling like an outcast, yet accepting yourself for who you are. Minogue explains that she cannot be anyone else — nor does she want to be. So, she understands that she doesn’t fit in, but she also doesn’t necessarily want to fit in.
She sings, “Here is who I am / And I’m not interested in fitting in / I only want to be, to be this girl.”
5. “Outsider” by Ramones
Ramones released their song “Outsider” on their 1983 album Subterranean Jungle. This punk song opens with the lines, “I am an outsider / Outside of everything.”
The rest of the song follows suit. Throughout the rest of the song, the band explains how they feel as an outsider. They see how everybody else acts, and it disturbs them. But they’re not going to change who they are. Instead, they continue to be the outsiders!
6. “Lost Boy” by Ruth B
“Lost Boy” by Ruth B uses the classic story of Peter Pan to describe an all too relatable story of someone who feels lost — or as if they don’t fit in. The song opens with Ruth B explaining how she used to have no friends or anyone to really rely on. As a result, she was lonely.
But that changed when she met Peter Pan. Through his friendship, everything changed. She sings, “As we soared above the town that never loved me / I realized I finally had a family.”
Thus, this song also follows someone who feels they are not fitting in with their family. It’s also a song that encourages people to escape into books, art, music, and creativity when they feel lonely!
7. “Wanderlust” by Megadeth
Megadeth’s “Wanderlust”, which appears on the rock band’s 1999 album Risk, also discusses not fitting in. This song was inspired by the idea of a cowboy or drifter from old movies who drifted from town to town, alone. This gunfighter was always going up against other gunfighters to establish dominance.
They drive this point home in the chorus when they sing, “I’m an outcast riding into town alone / I got wanderlust branded deeper than the bone.”
8. “Nice Guys Finish Last” by Green Day
“Nice Guys Finish Last” by Green Day follows the band as they realize that nice people never end up on top. Therefore, they feel that only assertive — and rude — people will truly be happy and get what they want.
In this negative outlook on life, the band also talks about feeling like an outcast and not fitting in. They sing the lyrics, “Oh, nice guys finish last / When you are the outcast / Don’t pat yourself on the back, you might break your spine.”
9. “So Am I” by Ava Max
“So Am I” by Ava Max, which appears on the 2019 album Heaven & Hell, tells the story of someone who refuses to let their outsider status keep them down. Ava Max sings that she knows that she’s different — but she’s not going to let it get her down.
Instead of continuing to feel as if she doesn’t fit in, she’s going to embrace her differences. In the chorus, she sings, “Do you ever feel like a misfit? / Everything inside you is dark and twisted / Oh, but it’s okay to be different.”
10. “Fleur de Lys” by Phoenix
“Fleur de Lys” by Phoenix tells a lot of different stories within one song. The song, therefore, follows a budding romance, as well as a rebellion against nobles and the rich.
As these stories play out, the band mentions their status as an outsider. They sing, “Terrorizing your neighbor / I’m a Siberian tiger / I’ll always be an outsider / Don’t neglect me Fleur de Lys.”
11. “Smash” by The Offspring
“Smash” by The Offspring follows the singer as he realizes that he’s sick and tired of trying to fit in. This doesn’t make him happy, as he’s acting as if he’s someone he’s not. Therefore, he finally realizes that he’s done with trying to fit in. He’ll accept that he simply does not fit in!
This message is seen in the lyrics to the song. The band sings, “Smash is the way you feel all alone / Like an outcast, you’re out on your own.”
12. “Bring It On Down” by Oasis
Oasis’ song “Bring It On Down”, which appears on the band’s 1994 album Definitely Maybe, also touches on themes of not fitting in. For the most part, the song follows someone who feels lost, angry, and as if they are an outcast in society.
The lyrics in the chorus help explain just how this person feels. The band sings, “You’re the outcast / You’re the underclass / But you don’t care, because you’re living fast.”
13. “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga is perhaps one of the best — or at the very least one of the most popular — songs about realizing you don’t fit into society’s standards, yet then not caring. Lady Gaga sings that you should be happy with how you were born. You should love yourself — even if that means you don’t fit in!
Lady Gaga sings the memorable lyrics, “Don’t hide yourself in regret / Just love yourself, and you’re set / I’m on the right track, baby / I was born this way.”
14. “Brave” by Sara Bareilles
“Brave” by Sara Bareilles is another great song about being happy with yourself — even if you don’t fit in. At the beginning of the song, Bareilles mentions outcasts. She sings, “You can be the outcast / Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love / Or you can start speaking up / Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do.”
As the song progresses, she says we should all be “Brave” to be who we want to be. Therefore, we should also feel the courage to speak our minds and stand up for what we believe in!
15. “I Don’t Want to Know” by Sigrid
Sigrid’s 2018 song “I Don’t Want to Know” follows a young person who finds themselves experiencing heartbreak. The person they liked has ended up liking someone else. As a result of this, the singer feels heartbroken and lost, as she thought they would end up together.
This makes her feel like an outcast and as if she’s not fitting in. She sings, “My everyday reminder / Walking by your house / That I’m the outsider in your crowd.”
16. “He Was My Brother” by Simon & Garfunkel
“He Was My Brother” by Simon & Garfunkel, released on the duo’s 1964 album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., tells the story of a young African American man who found himself an outsider in the South during the Civil Rights movement.
The duo sings about this man and the heartbreaking end he experienced. Based on the true story of three activists who were lynched by a Ku Klux Klan mob, this song is one of the more serious aspects of what can happen when people are seen as outsiders.
The duo sings, “Freedom rider / They cursed my brother to his face / Go home, outsider / This town’s gonna be your buryin’ place.”
17. “Young” by Kenny Chesney
“Young” by Kenny Chesney is an ode to youthful ways. Chesney sings about his youth and all the things he did, including the people he hung out with and the situations he got into. Through his memories, he also talks about not fitting in.
He sings, “Listen to our music just a little too loud / We were hanging in there with the outcast crowd / Heading to the rapids with some discount beer / It was a long train trestle but we had no fear.”
18. “Hardly” by Future
“Hardly” by Future is one of the best rap songs about not fitting in. Future explains some of the difficulties he’s been through throughout his life. However, he also explains how he deals with these issues, and how he copes with it all.
Through this discussion, he talks about not fitting in. He raps, “I turned the whole world up, now they wanna treat me like an outcast or somethin’.”
19. “TG4M” by Zara Larsson
“TG4M” by Zara Larsson, which means “Too Good For Me”, details a romantic relationship. Larsson feels that her partner is too good for her. However, she refuses to change for him, as she wants to love and accept herself for who she is.
As she talks about all of these emotions she has in this situation, she also discusses not fitting in. She sings, “And I know I don’t fit in, but I want, but I want you anyway.”
20. “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran
“Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran, which also features Khalid, is the last song on our list! In this song, Sheeran and Khalid sing about always staying true to yourself. Don’t get caught up in all of the beautiful people and their materialistic ways.
Instead, be who you want to be! This point can be seen in the song’s lyrics, as the duo sings, “We don’t fit in well ’cause we are just ourselves.”