Stranger to Himself Lyrics
A spy in his own camp,
And his money was his health,
All thrown to the dust by his very own hand.
Beyond the draining of the sand,
But greener was the other side of the hill,
Richer was the other man's land.
We loved him, loved him like no others could,
And she loved him, loved him like a lover should.
You never can replace it.
You know you are the master of your art,
You'll realise that when you think it fit.
No laughter from these dances.
Yet you're bound to remember this one day,
Hazards are risks, and risks are chances.
Till it's all over, all over and there's no-one there,
'Cause you daren't discover, daren't discover that we really care.
I have no idea what this song is about but it's a nice tight set of lyrics. A stranger to himself suggests someone not quite at ease or content. But the lyrics also suggest someone successful, also someone who's been around a bit and growing old in what he does. Success maybe has made him lonely, aloof. Despite this he inspires love in those around him. They maybe feel it keenly while he keeps it at arms length. The singer warns to take care of an aching heart but that might be from the viewpoint of his friends, transferring their feelings to his own, yet also telling him what he misses in not giving love. He though stands back, calculates, uses his arts (of success) when he sees fit. He made the most of risk and turned it to opportunity. But time is turning the words of the singer (his friend) into truth. A life without sharing love become jaded and the successful man hiding from feeling like some frightened hare.
But I would love to know what or who the song is based on because it's too tight not to have a subject.
This song was written in 1969 by Sandy Denny for Dave Swarbrick, then on the periphery of Fairport Convention having done some session work for them. Soon after he became a fully fledged member of the band. He and Sandy Denny were good friends, and some time lovers. It's a beautiful song, more pertinent now they're both gone. RIP Sandy Denny 1978. RIP Dave Swarbrick 2016