Miles was a member of groups "The Influence", which also included Paul Thompson, later drummer with Roxy Music and Vic Malcolm, later vocalist with Geordie and "The John Miles Set," before starting his solo career in 1971. During the 1970s he issued 18 singles and four albums, including "Rebel" (1976), "Stranger In The City" (1977), and "Zaragon" (1978). He had most success with singles; in addition to Music, he also charted with "Highfly" (1975), "Remember Yesterday" (1976), and "Slow Down" (1977). Most of his songs were co-written with his bassist Bob Marshall.
Miles has toured with Tina Turner, often filling in for Bryan Adams when the latter was unavailable to join her on tour for their duet. Miles is also a frequent guest vocalist on albums by The Alan Parsons Project.
In the 1980s he continued to record and tour. In 1983 a new radio station in the south of England, Radio Mercury, used parts from the song "Music" for their link jingles. The actual song itself also received extensive airplay on the station, leading one to speculate this was perhaps part of a deal for the usage in their jingles.
A list of Miles album releases from the 1980s and 1990s is as follows:
Sympathy (1980)
Miles High (1981)
John Miles' Music (1982)
Play On (1983)
Transition (1985)
John Miles Live In Concert (1992)
Anthology (1993)
Upfront (1993)
Master Series (1998)
Tom and Catherine (1999)
Millennium Edition (1999)
Throughout the late 80s and into the 90s John Miles was musical director to Tina Turner on her various tours, and played on several of her albums. He also played Hammond organ on Joe Cocker's album "Night Calls"(1992).
In 2002 he issued the DVD "John Miles - Live In Concert." In 2007, Miles performed in Gelsenkirchen, Germany with German band Pur and sang two songs. One of those songs, "Abenteuerland", Miles sang with Pur in German. The concert is available on the DVD, Pur-Friends-Live-Schalke-2007. In October 2008, Miles began touring once again with Tina Turner until May 2009.
In 2017, Miles was awarded an outstanding contribution to music award at the Progressive Rock awards.
Stranger In The City
John Miles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For days I haven't eaten and I really do feel ill.
If I cry for help, will you hear my call?
If I stumble now, would you let me fall?
Won't you give me a hand?
Try to understand,
I'm a stranger in the city.
Stuck inside these streets it's like a human traffic jam.
If I ask for death, would you give me a gun?
If I took your hand, would you turn and run?
Won't you pity me,
Just try to see,
I'm a stranger in the city.
All my friends were saying that the streets were paved with gold.
I couldn't wait to get there from the stories I'd been told.
There's everything that I could want, it sounded like a dream.
But my money's gone
And I've got no-one.
Friends are nowhere to be seen.
Concrete jungle all around can't hear the birds and bees.
I've walked for miles, I can't believe what happened to the trees.
If I need someone, would you help me to get by?
If I come to you, would you give it a try?
I'm all alone,
So far from home.
I'm a stranger in the city.
The lyrics of John Miles's song "Stranger in the City" paint a desolate picture of the isolation and desperation felt by a newcomer to the big city. The singer finds himself lost in a concrete jungle, surrounded by towering buildings that seem to be waiting to swallow him whole. He hasn't eaten in days and feels sick, but the people around him walk right over him and ignore his plight. The singer is crying out for help, asking for someone to understand his struggle and to extend a hand of kindness to him.
The song speaks to the universal human experience of feeling vulnerable and alone, especially in a new and unfamiliar place. The lyrics touch on themes of urban alienation, the breakdown of community, and the harsh realities of life for those who don't have a safety net. The singer is forced to confront the brutal truth that the city, with all its promises of wealth and opportunity, is not always a welcoming or kind place.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of desperation and fear, but it also speaks to the power of human connection and empathy. The singer is asking the listener to put themselves in his shoes, to see him as a person and not just another face in the crowd. The lines "If I need someone, would you help me to get by? / If I come to you, would you give it a try?" are a call to action, a plea for compassion in a world that can often feel cold and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
Buildings tower round me like they're waiting for the kill.
I feel trapped by the overwhelming and ominous presence of the buildings that surround me.
For days I haven't eaten and I really do feel ill.
I am physically and emotionally depleted after experiencing hunger and neglect for an extended period of time.
If I cry for help, will you hear my call?
I am desperate for assistance and asking if anyone is willing to heed my plea for help.
If I stumble now, would you let me fall?
I am worried that those around me would not provide support, even if I were to stumble or fall.
Won't you give me a hand?
I am asking for someone to offer help or support.
Try to understand, I'm a stranger in the city.
I am appealing for empathy and understanding as someone who is unfamiliar with this environment.
Stuck inside these streets it's like a human traffic jam.
I feel overwhelmed and suffocated by the crowds of people and lack of personal space in this city.
People walk right over me now, they don't give a damn.
I am feeling ignored and neglected by those around me, who are too preoccupied with their own lives to assist me.
If I ask for death, would you give me a gun?
I am expressing feelings of hopelessness and questioning whether anyone would be willing to assist me in ending my life.
If I took your hand, would you turn and run?
I am worried that even those who offer me initial help will eventually abandon me or turn against me.
Won't you pity me, just try to see, I'm a stranger in the city.
I am asking for others to take notice of my plight and feel compassion for me as someone who is unfamiliar with this environment.
All my friends were saying that the streets were paved with gold.
I was promised great things by others, but those promises have not been fulfilled and my expectations have been shattered.
I couldn't wait to get there from the stories I'd been told.
I was excited to come to this city based on the tales I had heard from others.
There's everything that I could want, it sounded like a dream.
I believed that this city would have everything I desired and more, based on the descriptions of it I had received.
But my money's gone and I've got no-one. Friends are nowhere to be seen.
I have been let down financially and emotionally, with nobody to turn to for assistance or support.
Concrete jungle all around can't hear the birds and bees.
I am feeling disconnected from nature and the natural world as I am surrounded by man-made buildings and sounds.
I've walked for miles, I can't believe what happened to the trees.
I am amazed and disappointed by the lack of greenery and nature in the city after walking a long distance.
If I need someone, would you help me to get by?
I am asking if there is anyone who would be willing to assist me if I require help or support to survive in this city.
If I come to you, would you give it a try?
I am asking if someone is willing to make an effort to help me in my time of need.
I'm all alone, so far from home. I'm a stranger in the city.
I am feeling lost and disconnected from everything familiar as someone who is far away from home and doesn't belong in this city.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN (GB 1) MILES, ROBERT MARSHALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kevingill648
Always loved this song from the first time I heard it in the 70s, great album too!
@thesmogmankills
WOW SUCH A CLASSIC SONG guitar is incredible...remember wearing this album out when it came out i played it over and over and over everyday 1000 thumbs up for posting this song
@foieiro
muito bom,relembra minha adolecencia,saudades.
@felipepantojaobando3734
la musica mas hermosa que a llegado a mis oidos y que me trae los mas grandes recuerdos de mi juventud que me dieron la mayor de las alegrias..... mi MADRID mi linda ESPAÑA.
@semperfidelis34
This song is nice memories for the old ones, and a good lesson for what is great music, for the youngs
@HAPPYTHELEAF
There were days when I had not eaten in the city of London but I survived and Miles' music sustained me then....
@foieiro
me lembra do programa sabado som que eu e amigos viamos toda semana.muito bom.
@mmcpr34
Underated singer & song. This album Stranger in the City featured as my second Musical review on Amazon in July 2009, I put it as my third favourite after Manhattan Skyline & Remember Yesterday, In hindsight, hearing this again & the edit remix by Pilooski - I could be as my second favourite and almost good as Slow Down! Great Guitar playing by - the world's best John Miles!! Matloub Husayn Ali Khan.
@alanowens3
I wore this album out, back in the day.
@carlospires7949
A MELHOR MUSICA DO MUNDO