This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Stranger than kindness
Bottled light from hotels
Spilling everything
Wet hand from the volcano
Sobers your skin
Stranger than Kindness
You caress yourself
And grind my soft cold bones below
Your map of desire
Burned in your flesh
Even a fool can come
A strange lit stair
And find a rope hanging there
Stranger than kindness
Keys rain like heaven's hair
There is no home there is no bread
We sit at the gate and scratch
The gaunt fruit of passion
Dies in the light
Stranger than kindness
Your sleeping hands journey
They loiter
Stranger than kindness
You hold me so carelessly close
Tell me I'm dirty
I'm a stranger
I'm a stranger
I'm a stranger to kindness
Bottled light from hotels
Spilling everything
Wet hand from the volcano
Sobers your skin
Stranger than Kindness
You caress yourself
And grind my soft cold bones below
Your map of desire
Burned in your flesh
Even a fool can come
A strange lit stair
And find a rope hanging there
Stranger than kindness
Keys rain like heaven's hair
There is no home there is no bread
We sit at the gate and scratch
The gaunt fruit of passion
Dies in the light
Stranger than kindness
Your sleeping hands journey
They loiter
Stranger than kindness
You hold me so carelessly close
Tell me I'm dirty
I'm a stranger
I'm a stranger
I'm a stranger to kindness
Lyrics submitted by tyak
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song is about sex, obviously, but it's being regarded as a bizarre act of affection.
Lines like "maps of desire BURNED into flesh" and "tell me I'm dirty" make me feel as though this song isn't about glorifying intercourse, but almost questioning it, and remaining slightly ominous of its consequences.
This song feels inhuman, as well, like we really aren't ourselves when we're tempted with lust, like we're nothing but animals when it all comes down to it.
I think a step closer would reveal it's about prostitution... Lets just call a spade a spade... here is why I think so...
"The gaunt fruit of passion Dies in the light Stranger than kindness
Your sleeping hands journey They loiter Stranger than kindness You hold me so carelessly close Tell me I'm dirty I'm a stranger I'm a stranger I'm a stranger to kindness "
If that isn't the epitome of the relationship of a prostitute and her john I do not know what is>>>
and with that said I think this stanza is very telling.....
You caress yourself And grind my soft cold bones below Your map of desire Burned in your flesh Even a fool can come A strange lit stair And find a rope hanging there Stranger than kindness
This prostitute is so down and out she wishes she were dead!
& Since this song is about sex, wouldn't "even a fool can CUM" make more sense than "even a fool can COME?"
Well, the maybe 'come' into the map that is desired is BURNED within the darkness that is a desire for another person. <br /> <br />
@tyak I see what you're saying, but I think it is meant to be "come" because it is saying anyone can "come" have sex, affection, etc. But that's just how I see it.
It's about sex, the song suggests that sex is 'stranger than kindness'
kindness is strange because its other people doing nice things for you for no personal gain what so ever which if you have trouble trusting others can seem like a very strange action
sex is strange like kindness its again people giving themselves up to others she cant imagine someone would offer their body to her hence making the experience strange like kindness
Ambience of this song is second to non, post punk junkie world view. Dark, miserable, comforting, aesthetically ideal. This song represents a genre and subculture like no other. \n\nStranger than kindness\n- why would anyone give you something?\nWet hand from the volcano\n- child birth as an act of giving.\n\nYour map of desire\nBurned in your flesh\n- the criss-cross scars of an addicts arm\n\nA strange lit stair\nAnd find a rope hanging there\n- like a moth drawn to the light, leads to a tourniquet for your arm. Alludes to the proximity to death\n\nKeys rain like heaven\'s hair\n- foils, needless, it\'s unclear to me.\n\nWe sit at the gate and scratch\n- like dogs or beggars, scratching from heroin withdrawal.\n\nThe gaunt fruit of passion\nDies in the light\n- disgust, ugliness, impotence, degeneration.\n\nYou hold me so carelessly close\nTell me I\'m dirty\nI\'m a stranger\nI\'m a stranger to kindness\n- epitomizes the relationship between junkies