The album was recorded and mixed over the past year at The Lab Studios in Auckland by ‘Engineer of The Year’ Oliver Harmer. Lisa has self-produced the majority of the album, with assistance from the talented Jol Mulholland, Wayne Bell, and Andrew Keoghan (who features on the haunting duet ‘We Are Wolves’).
With playful, clever, and heartfelt lyrics, the combination of a truly beautiful voice to match her unique musical talents (expect piano, guitar, clarinet, omnichord and more), the album is complemented by an array of friends and musicians from bands such as The Ruby Suns, Bannerman, The Checks, Artisan Guns and Tiny Ruins, to name a few.
Lisa is one of New Zealand’s songwriters to watch, already having won the international ‘Pacific Songwriting Competition’ and has recently been nominated for a Silver Scroll award for the catchy single “Leaving”.
The album tackles ordinarily tender topics all from the perspective of a young woman and shimmering rising star who would love to share… Everything That I Have Seen.
Stranger
Lisa Crawley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Many strange faces am I
What makes a stranger so strange
Strangers like you and I
Hello there, you look kind of familiar
I think that we've met
Do you remember
When we used to play
But the stranger has got in the way
I want to know just one thing from you
How do you do
'Cause I see you there
Though you probably don't care
But I want you to know that I do
Hello there, you look kind of familiar
I think that we've met
Do you remember
Back in the day
When we used to play
But the stranger has got in the way
So many times I've looked you in the eyes
But I still don't know what colour they are
What's colour anyway
Is it black white or grey
Well, I think we've got it all wrong anyway
I think we've got it all wrong anyway
I think we've got it all wrong
The lyrics to Lisa Crawley's song Stranger discuss the idea of strangers and the way we perceive and interact with them. The song begins with the artist observing many strange faces passing her by and questioning what makes a stranger so strange. The chorus repeats the line "hello there, you look kind of familiar, I think that we've met, do you remember" which expresses the desire for connection and recognition, but also acknowledges the barrier that strangers create. The line "but the stranger has got in the way" represents the feeling of being unable to connect with someone due to their unfamiliarity or the awkwardness of the situation.
The second verse adds more depth to the concept of strangers as the artist questions what it means to really know someone. She has looked the person in the eyes "many times" but still doesn't know their eye color. This leads to a contemplation on the meaning of color itself and the idea that perhaps we have misunderstood it. The final line "I think we've got it all wrong anyway" expresses uncertainty about our understanding of the world and the people in it.
Overall, the song highlights the way that strangers can create a sense of unease or distance, but also acknowledges the potential for connection and the desire for understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Many strange faces pass me by
Countless unfamiliar people are moving past me
Many strange faces am I
I am also an unfamiliar face to many others
What makes a stranger so strange
What differentiates an unknown person from us?
Strangers like you and I
You and I are just like those unfamiliar faces
Hello there, you look kind of familiar
Greetings to you, your face seems familiar to me
I think that we've met
It's possible that we've crossed paths before
Do you remember
Do you recall our previous interactions?
Back in the day
During some time in the past
When we used to play
When we used to enjoy time together
But the stranger has got in the way
Our current situation is being obstructed by unfamiliarity
I want to know just one thing from you
I have a single inquiry for you
How do you do
How are you currently doing?
'Cause I see you there
Because I have noticed your presence
Though you probably don't care
Despite the likelihood that you are indifferent
But I want you to know that I do
I want to inform you that I actually care
So many times I've looked you in the eyes
I have made eye contact with you on countless occasions
But I still don't know what colour they are
I haven't been able to identify the color of your eyes
What's colour anyway
What is color in any case?
Is it black white or grey
Are those the only colors we can see?
Well, I think we've got it all wrong anyway
I'm of the opinion that our understanding is flawed
I think we've got it all wrong anyway
Once again, I believe our current perspective is inadequate
I think we've got it all wrong
Our current appraisal of color is misguided
Writer(s): Lisa Jayne Crawley Copyright: Centrifuge Music Publishing Pty Ltd.
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@emmacrawley4867
Love it Lisa!
@RoyBaddiley
A beautiful song treated beautifully by a beautiful performer. Even better live . Bravo Lisa
@rocoreb
beautifully shot. very atmospheric. bravo!