Born: 8 September 1921
Swansea, Wales, UK
Died: 11 April 2001 (aged 79)
Shamley Green, Surrey, England, UK
Spouse(s) Myra Atherton
Albums: Sacred Songs (1962) UK #16; Secombe's Personal Choice (1967) UK #6; If I Ruled the World (1971) UK #17; Bless This House: 20 Songs Of Joy (1978) UK #8[5]; Captain Beaky and His Band
Stranger In Paradise
Harry Secombe Lyrics
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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 lyrics of Harry Secombe's song "Stranger in Paradise" tell the story of a man who is lost in a wonderful place where he meets an angelic figure. The man knows that he is a stranger in this paradise, and he is in danger because he is overwhelmed by everything around him. The man is entranced by the angel's beauty and feels as though he has left the mundane world and entered an exotic and rare place. The man hangs suspended in this paradise, waiting for a sign that the angel has seen him and cares for him. He pleads with the angel not to leave him in darkness and despair but to open her arms to him and show him that he is no longer a stranger in paradise.
The song's message is about the transformative power of love and the idea that one can be lifted out of the ordinary world and into a new and wonderful existence through a romantic connection with another. The man in the song is desiring to be seen, recognized, and loved, and he is willing to give himself entirely to his lover, even if it means becoming a stranger in paradise.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my hand,
Please join me on this journey.
I'm a stranger in Paradise
I am foreign to this land, but it intrigues me.
All lost in a wonderland
I am captivated by the immense beauty of this place.
A stranger in paradise
I am an outsider who is in awe of the place I've found myself in.
If I stand starry eyed,
If I am too entranced,
That's a danger in Paradise
It puts me in a precarious position.
For mortals who stand beside
For those who are human and stand in my presence,
An angel like you
Someone as extraordinary as you.
I saw your face,
I caught a glimpse of your countenance,
And I ascended
I elevated spiritually.
Out of the common place
I transcended from the conventionality of human experience.
Into the rarest somewhere in space
I entered a realm so extraordinary that it was beyond that of what any human has experienced.
I hang suspended
I float weightlessly and without direction.
Until I know
Until I am certain,
There's a chance that you care
That you have regard for me in some way.
Won't you answer this fervent prayer?
Could you grant me this ardent request?
Of a stranger in paradise
Asking for something as an outsider in an unattainable land.
Don't send me in dark despair
Please do not leave me feeling desolate and hopeless.
From all that I hunger for
From everything that I aspire to achieve.
But open your angel's arms
But give me an embrace filled with an otherworldly love.
To this stranger in paradise
To a foreigner caught in awe by the beauty around them.
And tell him that he need be
And convey to him that he no longer needs to live.
A stranger no more
An outsider here in this paradise.
Writer(s): FORREST GEORGE, WRIGHT ROBERT CRAIG
Contributed by Sadie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.