It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
Who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
I know that kind of man, it's hard to hold the hand of anyone
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter
Like any dealer, he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

And then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger

But now another stranger seems
To want you to ignore his dreams
As though they were the burden of some other
Oh, you've seen that man before
His golden arm, dispatching cards
But now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes, he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter

Ah, you hate to watch another tired man
Lay down his hand like he was giving up the holy game of poker
And while he talks his dreams to sleep, you notice there's a highway
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
It's curling just like smoke above his shoulder

You tell him to come in, sit down
But something makes you turn around
The door is open, you can't close your shelter
You try the handle of the road, it opens, do not be afraid
It's you, my love, you who are the stranger
It is you, my love, you who are the stranger

Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
I think it's time to board another
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
To get me to the heart of this or any other matter
Well, he talks like this, you don't know what he's after
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after

Let's meet tomorrow, if you choose
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
That they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform for the sleeping car that's warm
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say, "Okay, the bridge or someplace later"

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter
Like any dealer, he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

And leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger


Lyrics submitted by phaethon

The Stranger Song Lyrics as written by Leonard Cohen

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The Stranger Song song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    I find this song to be absolutely brilliant the way Cohen integrates the symbolism of poker to parrallel men who use women.

    In the first verse he's talking about a man trying to sway a woman saying that it's true I was a player and all players you've met said that they're through playing everytime they wanted to be with you and that it's hard to trust a man like that, because he wants the sky to surrender.

    The first chorus is pretty clear. He's talking about past men again and about their dirty ways of waiting and watching for the moment to take utter advantage of you (when you begin to trust/love) so as to keep his cards face up on the table and attempt to show that he has clean hands.

    The second chorus is just a continuation of the first and a finish of what the "dealers" have done. Talking about how they'll say how you have broke them of all of their bad deeds with your love and kindness and then behind your back they take out their routines and mark off what they've already said and need to say next to get you vulnerable.

    The next segue he focuses on himself again saying now here I am, ignore my dreams for the sky to surrender as if it's someone elses problem. He's an ex-player who you've seen dispatching cards with a golden arm (meaning he was pretty good at it) but now he's rusted (meaning he's done with it) and he wants to instead be a lover.

    And she hates to see this tired man giving up on his dreams, but then she kind of takes notice of some smoke curling deception perhaps, as some sort of foreshadowing. It's obvious that at this point she's wanting to help him but still skeptical.

    So she quickly makes the decision, but it doesn't strike her until she realizes that she can't close him out now, the deal is done and set. And he's telling her to open her heart and don't be afraid, you're just a stranger to love.

    And in the next two verses he's leaving and trying to convince her that he was never a player, and offering for her to come join him in his getaway. She's confused and isn't quite sure anymore whether he does love her and wants her to come, or if he's just taking her for everthing she's got. "When he gets like this you don't know what he's after" She decides that she'll trust him and meet him someplace and jump out on a limb in spite of everything she's experienced.

    Then the last two choruses are the same as the before ones where he was describing to her what all players do to women in the end, and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope.

    Truely amazing lyrics.

    sublimechumpon February 20, 2007   Link

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