Strangers When We Meet
David Bowie Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

All our friends
Now seem so thin and frail
Slinky secrets
Hotter than the sun

No peachy frairs
No trendy rechauffe
I'm with you
So I can't go on

All my violence raining tears upon the sheets
I'm bewildered, for we're strangers when we meet

Blank screen tv
Preening ourselves in the snow
Forget my name
But I'm over you

Blended sunrise
And it's a dying world
Humming Rheingold
We scavenge up our clothes

All my violence, raging tears upon the sheets
I'm resentful, for we're strangers when we meet

Cold tired fingers
Tapping out your memories
Halfway sadness
Dazzled by the new

Your embrace
It was all that I feared
That whirling room
We trade by vendu

Steely resolve is falling from me
My poor soul, poor bruised passivity
All your regrets ran rough-shod over me
I'm so glad that we're strangers when we meet

I'm so thankful, cause we're strangers when we meet.
I'm in clover, for we're strangers when we meet.
Heel head over, cause we're strangers when we meet.





Strangers when we meet. (x9)

Overall Meaning

In "Strangers When We Meet," David Bowie poetically captures the complex emotions of a doomed relationship. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of the sheer isolation he feels from seeing his old group of friends now looking frail and thin like strangers. This is contrasted with the slinky secrets and hotter than the sun passion he and his lover once shared. The absence of any peachy frairs or trendy ideas emphasizes his own sense of alienation from the world whilst being with his partner becomes a comforting haven he cannot turn his back upon.


The second verse hints at the passage of time's toll on the relationship with a blank screen TV serving as a metaphor for emptiness and lack of connection, while the memory of his lover's name dissipates, leaving him free from the past. He imagines a blended sunrise as a dying world crumbles around him, and he's scavenging for clothes as they travel an uncertain road. The chorus surfaces again, this time with Bowie summing up his conflicted feelings. He's bewildered by his violent passion, his raging tears dripping "upon the sheets." He's saddened by his resentment as he wallows in self-pity when he thinks about how they have become strangers. This dreary world is his vortex.


In the third verse, Bowie taps out his lover's memories and even acknowledges their halfway sadness as they are both dazzled by the new. There are clues to a love tryst long past gone, replaced by a complicated dance around each other that leads to the predictable unresolved rendezvous. The final lines bring it into focus - his steely resolve is gone. As twisted and emotionally wrought as the relationship is, he still looks back with a sense of longing. And yet, he ultimately concludes, "I'm so glad that we're strangers when we meet." It's a complex and moving tribute to a love that cannot endure and the melancholy beauty of lost opportunities.


Line by Line Meaning

All our friends Now seem so thin and frail
David Bowie feels disconnected from his old friends and realizes that they have lost their former vibrancy and energy.


Slinky secrets Hotter than the sun
The secrets that David Bowie shares with the person he is addressing are sensual and exciting. These secrets are so enticing that they are hotter than the sun, implying that they are passionately intense.


No peachy frairs No trendy rechauffe
David Bowie is making it evident that he does not believe in living his life as per trendy societal norms. He does not see any place for artificial, shallow fashion statements or superficial lifestyle choices.


I'm with you So I can't go on
David Bowie finds comfort and solace in the person he is addressing. Their presence in his life makes it challenging to keep the facade of disinterest or nonchalance that he has maintained. He cannot move on from them due to the strong connection that they share.


All my violence raining tears upon the sheets I'm bewildered, for we're strangers when we meet
David Bowie is overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions that he experiences around the person he is addressing. These emotions often translate into aggressive and energetic outbursts and leave him disoriented. Regardless of the passion they share, he realizes that they are still strangers who haven't known each other for long enough.


Blank screen tv Preening ourselves in the snow Forget my name But I'm over you
David Bowie realizes that the over-stimulation of ever-present technology leads to numbness of real sensations. The white, pure snow could not be more different from the artificiality of a blank screen TV. Despite not receiving the person's full attention, he has found closure after getting over his past association with them. He doesn't want to forget it but moving on from pain is necessary for his soul.


Blended sunrise And it's a dying world Humming Rheingold We scavenge up our clothes
The combination of colours during sunrise is short-lived, and it reminds David Bowie of how temporary life is. They are scavenging their clothes probably after an intimate encounter, and this is metaphorical scavenging of the last remains of happiness from a dying world. Rheingold was Germany's economic support system, and humming it now probably implies a change in economic circumstances.


All my violence, raging tears upon the sheets I'm resentful, for we're strangers when we meet
David Bowie feels frustration and resentment towards the person he is addressing because of the brief nature of their relationship. He wishes they could know him more intimately despite the moments of passion they shared.


Cold tired fingers Tapping out your memories Halfway sadness Dazzled by the new
David Bowie feels the anguish of remembering someone that he's now distanced from. He experiences a sense of regret and sadness that is not wholly overpowering. His mind is always taunted by this sadness but is also amazed by every new experience he has without them.


Your embrace It was all that I feared That whirling room We trade by vendu
David Bowie was afraid that he would get caught up in the whirlwind of passion if he were to get involved with the person he is addressing. Their connection was more transactional than emotional or physical, and that was worrisome for him, as he possibly saw them more than just this


Steely resolve is falling from me My poor soul, poor bruised passivity All your regrets ran rough-shod over me I'm so glad that we're strangers when we meet
David Bowie's resolve is faltering, and he is conflicted over the association he has had with the person. This relationship has left him vulnerable, traumatized, and emotionally bruised. The person has abandoned him with their regrets, which have impacted his soul, but David is relieved this was merely an all-consuming yet short-lived relationship.


I'm so thankful, cause we're strangers when we meet. I'm in clover, for we're strangers when we meet. Heel head over, cause we're strangers when we meet. Strangers when we meet. (x9)
David Bowie has found peace and satisfaction in the fact that he can still cherish the memories associated with their brief meetings, but he does not have to cope with the complications of a deeper level of bonding. This soothing thought reflects in his lyrics, in which he repeat,s the same phrase several times. It almost suggests that he wants to imprint those words in his mind to come to terms with that fact completely.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID BOWIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

DrJKintobor


on I Can't Give Everything Away

I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...

Peter Bonney


on Diamond Dogs

If you like free music and you have google chrome, try this free app .SonicHits .

More Versions