AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.
Still a Stranger
AFI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That every time it's never ending, there is a kiss to change us all
It's in the dark, it's in your photo that keeps on falling from the wall
Tell me it's better way up there, I need you, I need you
I need you to tell me
Does it feel the same
After healing fame
Does it make it worse?
They mispronounce the hurt
I feel so strange. I'm still a stranger
Is there the misunderstanding that there's a hit of healing light?
Tell me the cuts finally stop showing before we kiss, again, the night
Here in the dark, tripping your picture I keep rehanging on the wall
I need you better way up there. I need you. I need you better
Does it feel the same
After healing fame
And all the strange, strange, strange behavior?
Does it make it worse?
They mispronounce the hurt
I feel so strange. I'm still a stranger
Does it feel the same?
Would I feel like you?
Because I still feel strange
Are you a stranger too? (I'm still a stranger)
I wish it mattered more (I'm still a stranger)
But I never will be you
I always feel so fucking strange
Are you a stranger too?
I'm still a stranger
I'm still a stranger (Are you a stranger?)
Does it feel the same
After healing fame
And all the strange, strange, strange behavior?
Does it make it worse?
They mispronounce the hurt
I feel so strange, I'm still a stranger
I'm still a stranger
I'm still a stranger
The lyrics of AFI's song "Still a Stranger" delve into themes of isolation, misunderstanding, and the struggle to find connection and belonging. The song opens with a sense of longing for understanding and a desire for reassurance that there is something better waiting beyond the darkness. The mention of a kiss that can change everything touches on the transformative power of love or connection in challenging times.
As the lyrics progress, the singer questions whether the process of healing and achieving fame truly changes the fundamental feelings of strangeness and disconnect within oneself. The repetition of "strange, strange, strange behavior" suggests a recurring inner turmoil and a struggle to fit in or find stability in one's identity.
The chorus interrogates whether the sense of alienation and unfamiliarity ever dissipates, even after experiencing moments of triumph or recognition. The imagery of cuts that won't stop showing and the act of continually rehanging a picture on the wall symbolize a cycle of pain and attempts to cope or find solace in familiarity.
The final verses bring a sense of resignation and acceptance of the constant feeling of being a stranger, despite the desire for connection and understanding. The repeated question "Are you a stranger too?" reflects a yearning to find someone who can relate to this emotional dissonance and shared sense of otherness. Ultimately, the lyrics convey a complex and poignant exploration of inner turmoil, the quest for self-acceptance, and the ongoing search for connection in a world that can often feel alienating.
Line by Line Meaning
There is misunderstanding that there's a bliss beneath it all
The idea that there is happiness hidden underneath all the problems is not true
That every time it's never ending, there is a kiss to change us all
The belief that each moment will last forever and a simple gesture can fix everything
It's in the dark, it's in your photo that keeps on falling from the wall
The pain and memories that haunt you in the shadows, represented by a falling photo
Tell me it's better way up there, I need you, I need you
Asking for reassurance that things are better in a hypothetical place and seeking comfort
I need you to tell me
Desperately needing someone to explain and support you
Does it feel the same
Wondering if the experience is unchanged
After healing fame
After reaching a level of success or recognition
And all the strange, strange, strange behavior?
Questioning the unusual actions and reactions that come with fame
Does it make it worse?
Asking if the situation becomes more difficult
They mispronounce the hurt
Others misunderstand the pain you're going through
I feel so strange. I'm still a stranger
Feeling out of place and disconnected, still not fully understanding yourself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adam Carson, Davey Havok, Hunter Burgan, Jade Puget
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind