Alisha's Attic was a British musical group of the 1990s and 2000s. Its two … Read Full Bio ↴Alisha's Attic was a British musical group of the 1990s and 2000s. Its two members were Shelly Poole and Karen Poole, sisters born in Essex. Their father is Brian Poole of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, a 1960s band.
Alisha's Attic were discovered by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics) after they sent him a demo tape recorded at home. Impressed, Mercury Records Managing Director Howard Berman signed the girls. They had been trying to get a record contract for nine years.
If one discounts the sisters' teenage material recorded as Keren & Chelle, Karen and Shelly's recording career began with the single "I Am, I Feel", a hit in the UK, and this was quickly followed by their debut album Alisha Rules the World in November 1996. They went on to release two more albums. Mercury then chose not to take up the option for a fourth album, and the girls went their separate ways in 2003.

Karen has been writing tracks for well-known artists including Lilly Allen, Janet Jackson, Sugababes, Chase and Status, Amy Studt, Kylie Minogue, Avicii, David Guetta, and Jamelia. She is currently writing a musical with Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin – Bridget Jones’ Diary for the West End.

Shelly released a solo album, Hard time for the dreamer, early in 2005. Shelly has also written material for Janet Jackson and appears on Michael Gray's "Borderline". In late 2008, she formed the alternative country band Red Sky July, with Ally McErlaine, and Charity Hair from The Alice Band. She is currently signed to Gary Barlow's publishing company San Remo Live.

Strange
Alisha's Attic Lyrics

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(Poole/Martin/Poole)

Baby, watch the fire, it's making for the bed
And I don't wanna see you laying in the flames
Being burned and bruised on something they said

Well what's the matter
Are your dreams all shattered and torn?
And do you wanna make a poor girl lose it all?

They say she's strange
Strange, strange, strange, strange
Yeah, she's strange
Strange, strange, strange, strange

Thanks to you she's gone, never said goodbye
And don't be sorry, she'll be better off alone
With the burns and the bruises in another sky

Well what's the matter
Are your dreams all shattered and torn?
And do you wanna make a poor girl lose it all?

You've won now, she's gone
Gone, gone, gone, gone
Yeah, she's gone
Gone, gone, gone, gone

Yeah, she's strange
Strange, strange, strange, strange

Yeah, she's strange
Strange, strange, strange, strange

Overall Meaning

The song "Strange" by Alisha's Attic is a hauntingly beautiful tune that is full of raw emotion and pain. The lyrics are about a girl who has been burned and bruised by someone's hurtful words, and who has subsequently left without saying goodbye. The singer addresses the person responsible for her pain, asking him to watch the fire and not allow it to consume anyone else. The girl being discussed is thought to be strange by those who don't understand her, but the singer sees her as beautiful and unique. The chorus repeats the refrain that she is strange, but does so in a way that feels almost like a lament.

The song is full of contrast, suggesting that there is darkness alongside the light. The singer acknowledges that the girl may be strange to some, but she is also capable of great things. The phrase "being burned and bruised on something they said" is particularly poignant, suggesting that the girl's pain may not be physical, but rather emotional. The theme of loss is central to the song, with the singer acknowledging that the girl is better off without the person who caused her pain. The repetition of the phrase "she's gone" in the second half of the song drives this message home even further.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, watch the fire, it's making for the bed
Be careful of the fire, it's moving towards the bed

And I don't wanna see you laying in the flames
I don't want you to get burned

Being burned and bruised on something they said
I don't want you to get hurt because of what others said

Well what's the matter
What's wrong?

Are your dreams all shattered and torn?
Did your dreams get destroyed?

And do you wanna make a poor girl lose it all?
Do you want to ruin everything for this girl?

They say she's strange
Some people think she's weird

Strange, strange, strange, strange
Really weird

Yeah, she's strange
Yes, she's weird

Thanks to you she's gone, never said goodbye
She left because of you, without saying goodbye

And don't be sorry, she'll be better off alone
Don't feel bad, she's better off without you