Songfacts®:

• Vocalist Jacoby Shaddix explained the inspiration for this moody ballad. He said: "'Periscope' is inspired by the realization that sometimes within a relationship you might not be worth being loved or that the other person may not be worth your love, and the struggle within that - how much effort it takes to make things work."
• The second verse and the chorus are sung by Skylar Grey. Regarding how the Grey collaboration came about, Shaddix told the Q103 radio station:
  
  "We wanted to have a guest female vocal on ['Periscope'], and on the last album, we had Maria Brink from In This Moment on 'Gravity'. I didn't wanna just go in and grab another rock chick. I wanted to work with somebody that was outside the box and different but that I was a fan of. So I've been listening to this girl Skylar Grey for [a few] years now. And she's been on some great tracks — she's been on some Dre stuff, some Eminem stuff, she's been on a Fort Minor track. But she's kind of this indie, alternative, pop type of girl, and she's just got a lot of credibility in that scene, and she's got a great voice, and I'm a big fan."
• The video was directed by The Uprising Creative (Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Big Sean, Lil Jon). They said the inspiration for the clip was "to create a moody, different look for the band using a stylistic light exploration — exploring color through light, projection and dynamic performances of the performers."
• Shaddix said regarding the music clip: "One part that I think is really meaningful in the video is when Skylar and I are in the shot at the same time, yet we're not engaging with each other."
  
  Grey added: "It represents the 'disconnection' with two people, which is very much what the lyrics describe. You are loving someone from a distance, not able to reach them."