Stranger
Ben Caplan Lyrics

When I was a child my mother
The singer is reminiscing about when he was a child and his mother would tuck him into bed and impart some wisdom

Would tuck me into bed
His mother would physically put him in bed

And each night as she kissed me
Before the singer went to bed, his mother would kiss him goodnight

These are the words that she said
Every night his mother would say something important to the artist

She said don't go to bed with strangers
His mother's advice was to not sleep with people he didn't know

Don't play with the dead
His mother's advice was to avoid things that could lead to trouble

Always keep your wits sharp
His mother's advice was to be careful and aware of his surroundings

Like the axe inside the shed
One of the weapons to defend oneself is a sharp axe, which his mother kept handy in the shed

When I was just a schoolboy
Now the artist is remembering when he was a little older and something else his father told him

My father, he spoke unto me
His father gave him some advice

He said, Voichick, my son
His father addressed him in a loving way

Don't trust anyone
His father warned him about the dangers in the world

And remember that nothing is free
Life isn't free and one needs to work hard to succeed

And the world is full of strangers
There are many people in the world, some of whom are not familiar and could be dangerous

The world is full of dread
The world can be a scary place

The world is full of charm and wits
The world has many good things to enjoy

And millions of tears you will shed
The world has many hardships and people will suffer

Well, when I was a young man
The singer is now remembering something his professor said to him

My professor at university
His professor taught him something important

Said advice is corrupting
The professor believed that advice can be harmful

Don't ever be trusting
The professor advised being cautious and not to trust others easily

Don't show your emotion
Showing emotions makes you vulnerable

Human suffering is an ocean
There is a lot of pain and suffering in the world

And it's dark at the bottom of the sea
The depths of human suffering can be overwhelming and depressing

And there's no such thing as a stranger
The professor believes that everyone is the same and should be treated equally

They're equally backwards and wrong
All people are flawed and make mistakes

Shapened axes, not wits
The way to survive is to be strong and use weapons

Bones are broken by sticks
Violence is commonplace and can be painful and deadly

And you never be free till you're strong
To survive in the world, one must be strong or they will always be at the mercy of others

Well, young men grow older
The singer is now older and reflecting on life

And the world, it gets colder
As the singer got older, he realized that the world is not as friendly as he once believed

Though it never was warm to begin
The world was always harsh and unforgiving

Don't let down your guard
You cannot be too cautious

For the reaper works hard
Death is inevitable and everyone must eventually die

And he will not take pause till you're dead
Death never stops its work until everyone perishes

Now I'm old and I'm rusty
The artist is now very old and feels old and worn out

My troubles like sand on a beach
The singer's problems are many and seem never-ending

They can't be calculated
His problems cannot be quantified or analyzed

I always have waited
He has waited all his life for something that has never come

For something just out of reach
Whatever he was waiting for is still unattainable

And I to myself am a stranger
The artist no longer feels connected to himself or others

My heart is an island of lead
The singer's heart is heavy with pain and misery

My world is resounding
The world seems to be echoing with despair and sadness

With miseries abounding
There is much suffering in the world

There's only one thing to be said
There's only one conclusion to draw from his experiences

I'll say Yay diridiri day diridiri day
The artist repeats the refrain he used throughout the song

Yay diridiri day daydaday
The refrain is a nonsensical phrase

Yiridaydayday yirididaydayday
The refrain does not have any meaning

Dayday dayday dayday
The refrain is simply a way to fill out the song