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SZA – Inside Man (2016) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
SZA
Inside Man

TRACK

Inside Man

Release date: 25th March 2016

Spotify More on SZA

About This Track

'Inside Man' is an unreleased song that was originally intended for SZA's debut album. She first mentioned it publicly in 2017, and the full track circulated online in 2018. The song finds her caught between self-regard and desire, wrestling with the pull of a relationship that demands more attention than she wants to give it. She oscillates between dismissing the connection as a distraction and admitting to a hunger for closeness, the tension playing out across repeated refrains about being on the outside looking in. The track builds around a central paradox: SZA resents the intrusion on her autonomy, yet she's willing to reshape herself to fit inside someone else's world. There's a catalogue of small surrenders in the lyrics, each one offered with a mixture of resentment and complicity. The pre-chorus cuts against this, with her pushing back against the assumption that her life is simple or that she's knowable at a glance. It's a song about the exhausting work of wanting someone who may not want you back with the same intensity.

"Inside Man" is a track by SZA, released 25th March 2016. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 20 articles about SZA.

About the Artist

SZA

SZA

Lyrics

Inside Man

[Verse]

Think I spent too much time on you

I rack my brain too many times at night

I bet I'm a breath of fresh air for another nigga

You finna make me go take care of another nigga

Who you playin'?

It's other things up on my mind other than a man

It's other shit up on my mind like can and will I see the world on my own?

I see the world on the tip of my tongue

[Pre-Chorus]

I bet it's easy, it gets so easy to take the easy way out

No way out

They said, "Easy, it must be easy to be you"

I say, "How do you figure when you don't know me at all?"

At all, at all, at all

It doesn't matter anyway, oh-ooh

And nowadays, I don't know you and never could tell if it matters anyway

I'm sure you got it all figured out

And you confident in yourself

[Chorus]

Oh well, I'm tired of being on the outside baby

How can I come on the inside baby?

It looks like you're good and you got it all

All figured out all by yourself

Well, I'm tryna be on the inside baby

How can I come on the inside baby?

[Post-Chorus]

I might be thirsty for you

How can you blame me?

Oh, I might be thirsty for you

How can you blame me?

Oh, I might play circus for you

How do you want me?

I conjure up that coochie for you

Voodoo, Houdini

And I might be that hoochie for you

Ever you need me to get in between your guidelines

And I slide right in

You could read in between my guidelines

And you fit right in

[Pre-Chorus]

So easy, it gets so easy to take the easy way out

No way out

They said, "Easy, it must be easy to be you"

I say, "How do you figure when you don't know me at all?"

At all, at all, at all

It doesn't matter anyway, oh-ooh

Nowadays, I don't know

You never can tell if it really mattered anyway

Anyway, anyway

I'm sure you got it all figured out

And you confident in yourself

[Chorus]

Oh well, I'm tired of being on the outside baby

How can I come on the inside baby?

It looks like you're good and you got it all

All figured out all by yourself

Well, I'm tryna be on the inside baby

How can I come on the inside baby?

[Post-Chorus]

I might be thirsty for you

How can you blame me?

Oh, I might be thirsty for you

How can you blame me?

Oh, I might play circus for you

How do you want me?

I might be thirsty for you

How can you blame me?

Oh, I might play circus for you

How do you want me?

I conjure up that coochie for you

Voodoo, Houdini

Lyrics provided by

Track details

Inside Man

2016

Listen

Release year

2016

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SOS

2022

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Credits

Production & Engineering

Writer: KAYTRANADA, SZA
Lyricist: SZA
Producer: KAYTRANADA
Vocals: SZA

READ MORE ABOUT SZA

READ MORE ABOUT SZA

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Steve Lacy has teamed up with SZA on new single 'is it cool?'

Steve Lacy has teamed up with SZA on new single 'is it cool?'

The R&B collaborators link up ahead of his album 'Oh yeah?'.

29 Jun 2026 • 9:30 am

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25 Apr 2026 • 7:54 pm

It feels like SZA could do anything next, as she takes on London's O2 Arena

It feels like SZA could do anything next, as she takes on London's O2 Arena

There’s a pop dungeon where artists live, sometimes for years, where they say, “it’s coming!” about an album that’s in the works (ahem, Rihanna, ahem, Sky Ferreira). SZA did a stint down there after releasing her cult and critical fave debut ‘Ctrl’ in 2017.

21 Jun 2023 • 10:51 am

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The clip follows SZA as she exacts her revenge on her ex-boyfriend.

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SZA is teasing a new video for ‘SOS’ track ‘Kill Bill’

SZA is teasing a new video for ‘SOS’ track ‘Kill Bill’

A 20 second clip appears to be heavily influenced by the Quentin Tarantino film of the same name.

30 Dec 2022 • 1:47 pm