Eleni Mandell, a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, California, often cite… Read Full Bio ↴Eleni Mandell, a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, California, often cites Tom Waits and X as her biggest influences. Mandell self-released her Jon Brion-produced debut album Wishbone in 1998. Thrill followed in 2000 on Zedtone Records - the label that has released all of her subsequent full-length albums: Snakebite, the all-country album Country for True Lovers, Afternoon, Miracle of Five, and Artificial Fire. I Can See the Future is her first release on Yep Roc. Mandell also has several releases on the Minneapolis based Heart of a Champion record label: vinyl pressings of Snakebite and Country for True Lovers, two 7" singles, and a limited edition jazz vocal CD EP titled Maybe, Yes. Mandell's songs have appeared in several movies and television shows (including Six Feet Under), and she received much acclaim for her cover of the song "I Love Paris", which was used in a fast food commercial starring Paris Hilton. Mandell also sings, plays guitar, and writes for the L.A. pop supergroup The Grabs. She is also one-third of The Living Sisters.

Now We Are Strangers
Eleni Mandell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I always knew some day I'll hardly recognize your face
You barely recognize my name
Now we're strangers!
Uh, uh, uh,
And just like that you'd see
It wasn't meant to be
Not even close to me
Now we're strangers!

Uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh
Cause if I think hard we might remember
All the ways we lovely...
But after just a bit of liquor
The memory lose, the fog grows thicker.
It's funny how I have to try
To see you in my mind
Life can be so unkind
Now we're strangers
Uh, uh, uh

There was a time before we met
I tried and tried, one can't forget
The first that you smiled to me
And suddenly we were...
I don't where, I don't know when
We'll call each other friend
But I won't miss you,

until then now we're strangers!
Uh, uh, uh

Overall Meaning

The song "Now We Are Strangers" by Eleni Mandell is a poignant reflection on the end of a relationship. The lyrics portray the estrangement between two people who were once close, but are now strangers to each other. The opening line of the song sets the tone for the entire piece - "I always knew some day I'll hardly recognize your face". This speaks to the inevitability of change and the reality that people do grow apart over time. What was once familiar and comfortable becomes foreign and distant. Eleni then goes on to say "You barely recognize my name, now we're strangers". This line reinforces the idea that the people involved in the relationship have become completely alienated from each other. They are no longer on the same page and have completely different lives.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Now we're strangers" - this serves to drive home the message of the song. The repetition of this one phrase emphasizes the disconnect between the two people and the hopelessness of the situation. Eleni laments the passing of what was probably a beautiful relationship by saying "if I think hard we might remember all the ways we lovely... but after just a bit of liquor the memory lose, the fog grows thicker." This lyric highlights the fragility of memories and how they can be distorted or erased over time. Eleni ends the song by saying she doesn't know where or when they will cross paths again, but until then they will remain strangers.

Line by Line Meaning

I always knew some day I'll hardly recognize your face
I expected that one day I wouldn't recognize your face anymore

You barely recognize my name
You hardly remember my name

Now we're strangers!
We are now strangers

And just like that you'd see
It only took a moment to realize

It wasn't meant to be
Our relationship was not meant to work out

Not even close to me
We were not even close to being right for each other

Cause if I think hard we might remember
If I concentrate, we could recall

All the ways we lovely...
All the lovely things we used to do

But after just a bit of liquor
However, after drinking a little bit of alcohol

The memory lose, the fog grows thicker.
Our memories become hazy and unclear

It's funny how I have to try
It's funny how hard I have to try