Letissier has used numerous personal and stage names, and remarked that he "just ha many names for all the layers". He began his career as Christine and the Queens. For his second studio album, he shortened it to Chris, which was accompanied by a shift to a persona described as "a woman playing with masculine tropes". In October 2021, he was using the name Rahim. This sparked a debate around cultural appropriation due to the name's Arabic origin. He eventually began using a succession of different names such as Sam le pompier (the French title of Fireman Sam) and a full stop before settling on Redcar, sometimes shortened as Red. In August 2022, he updated his pronouns to he/him across social media platforms. In 2023, with the release of fourth album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love, he seemed to have reverted to simply Chris. However, he still occasionally uses his birth name, about which he said: "Héloïse Letissier is my parents' provenance and I love my parents. I sometimes use Héloïse to reconnect me to my childhood, but my inner child name is Manamané."
The stranger
Christine and the Queens Lyrics
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Water
Scales fallen from my eyes I followed the bronco
If they ever ask you tell them that I've said no
From the Maserati
I only kept the headlights
I only figured the fights
From his declaration
I only tasted the tears
From the congregation
Flames have been busting for years
Ten, twenty years from now
Nobody will know how
Is it precisely why
You let the mire flow by?
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
It took hours to loosen their solid embrace
Force fields are flowing strongly with every displace (Water)
From the Maserati
I only kept the headlights
From their promised land
I only figured the fights
From his declaration
I only tasted the tears
From the congregation
Flames have been busting for years
Ten, twenty years from now
Nobody will know how
Is it precisely why
You let the mire flow by?
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
Who is the stranger
Behind the barrels?
Water
For us animals!
In Christine and the Queens's The Stranger, the singer is reflecting on their past actions and decisions. The opening lines, "Scales fallen from my eyes I followed the bronco / If they ever ask you tell them that I've said no," suggest that the singer has had an awakening or realization and is now separating themselves from a certain group or crowd. The next lines, "From the Maserati / I only kept the headlights / From their promised land / I only figured the fights," indicate that the singer has left behind material possessions and the false promises of a certain lifestyle. Similarly, the line "From his declaration / I only tasted the tears" suggests that the singer has seen through someone's manipulations and is now experiencing emotional pain as a result.
The chorus, "Who is the stranger behind the barrels? Water for us animals!" seems to question the authenticity and motives of those in power. The mention of water, a life-sustaining resource, being behind barrels implies that it is being hoarded or controlled by someone for their own gain. The line "For us animals!" could be interpreted as a reference to the lower class or marginalized groups who are often treated as inferior by those in power. Overall, The Stranger seems to be a reflection on the disillusionment with materialism and the systems of power, and a call to question and resist these structures.
Line by Line Meaning
Scales fallen from my eyes I followed the bronco
I finally saw the truth and followed the herd
If they ever ask you tell them that I've said no
If anyone asks, say that I refused to go along with their plan
From the Maserati I only kept the headlights
I only took what was useful and left the rest behind
From their promised land I only figured the fights
I only understood the conflicts that existed in their supposed paradise
From his declaration I only tasted the tears
I only experienced the pain and sorrow that came with his promises
From the congregation flames have been busting for years
The discontent and anger within the group has been building for a long time
Ten, twenty years from now nobody will know how
In the future, no one will remember or understand what happened here
Is it precisely why you let the mire flow by?
Did you ignore the problems because you knew they would be forgotten in the future?
Who is the stranger Behind the barrels? Water For us animals!
Who is controlling our basic needs like water, and are we just helpless animals in their hands?
It took hours to loosen their solid embrace Force fields are flowing strongly with every displace (Water)
It was difficult to break away from their hold, but the power dynamics are constantly changing like flowing water
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Heloise Letissier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind