Stranger In Paradise
George Forrest & Robert Wright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m a stranger in Paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise
If I stand starry eyed,
That's a danger in Paradise
For mortals who stand beside
An angel like you
And I ascended
Out of the common place
Into the rarest somewhere in space
I hang suspended
Until I know
There′s a chance that you care
Won't you answer this fervent prayer?
Of a stranger in paradise
Don't send me in dark despair
From all that I hunger for
But open your angel′s arms
To this stranger in paradise
And tell him that he need be
A stranger no more
The song "Stranger in Paradise," written by George Forrest and Robert Wright, was originally created for the 1953 musical "Kismet." The lyrics are sung by the character Caliph, who has fallen in love with a woman named Marsinah, who he has never met. The lyrics are expressive, as Caliph is a stranger in a land he has never been to, and a stranger to the woman he has fallen in love with.
The opening lines of the song, "Take my hand, I'm a stranger in Paradise, all lost in a wonderland, a stranger in paradise" suggest that the singer is lost in a new world, and the woman he is singing to is his hope for companionship and familiarity. The lines "If I stand starry eyed, that's a danger in Paradise, for mortals who stand beside an angel like you" indicate that the singer realizes he is entranced by the woman and this could be a problem.
The verses detailing the singer's ascension into the angel's world, hanging suspended, and the need for an answer to his prayer, highlight his desperate need for the woman's love. The song ends with the plea to not let him be a stranger in Paradise, and to open her angel's arms to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my hand,
Let me lead you along this unknown path
I'm a stranger in Paradise
I'm unfamiliar with this perfect place of yours
All lost in a wonderland
I'm completely enchanted and bewildered by everything I see
A stranger in paradise
I feel like an outsider in this heavenly paradise
If I stand starry eyed,
If I become too infatuated with all that is around me,
That's a danger in Paradise
It could be dangerous for a mere mortal to be so enamored in this paradise
For mortals who stand beside
For mere humans who stand next to
An angel like you
Someone as angelic as you
I saw your face,
When I first laid my eyes on you
And I ascended
I rose to a level high above the ordinary
Out of the common place
Away from the mundane and ordinary
Into the rarest somewhere in space
Into an elusive and indescribable place in the universe
I hang suspended
I'm left in this weightless and suspended state
Until I know
Until I ascertain and am sure
There's a chance that you care
That there's a possibility of you having any concern for me
Won't you answer this fervent prayer?
Please respond to this passionate request of mine
Of a stranger in paradise
Coming from someone who feels alienated from this heavenly place
Don't send me in dark despair
Please don't leave me in a state of gloom and melancholy
From all that I hunger for
From all the things that I long for and crave
But open your angel's arms
Please embrace me with your compassionate and comforting arms
To this stranger in paradise
To this lonely outsider in your idyllic world
And tell him that he need be
And reassure him that he doesn't need to remain
A stranger no more
A solitary visitor to this blissful paradise
Writer(s): Forrest George, Wright Robert Craig
Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.