Stranger
New Basement Tapes Lyrics
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And that, son, they all said to me
And never fall in love with a stranger
But I can't help it if she falls in love with me
And never fall in love with a stranger
Now, they've gone against my command
And never fall in love with a stranger
But if I can't resist
Find my way outta this
She knows that our love more than any river flows
And I'm done now, all of my intentions are exposed
Not hidden in my clothes
Or in between my toes
I wanna tombstone pearl handle revolver
Don't wanna meet a pale man with a halo in his hair
Never fall in love with a stranger
But sometimes I simply do not care
And if I can't resist
Get my way outta this
She knows that our love more than any river flows
And I'm done now, all of my intentions are exposed
Not hidden in my clothes
Or in between my toes
I done things right, pretty much all of my life
I'm not looking for any sympathy
I can run all I like away from that stranger
But somehow she'll always follow me
The lyrics to "Stranger" by New Basement Tapes explore the idea of falling in love with a stranger despite the warnings and advice from others. The opening lines of the song repeat the warning "never fall in love with a stranger" and suggest that our protagonist is receiving this advice from his father figure. However, the singer admits that he cannot help falling in love with this stranger, even though it goes against his own commands to himself. The pain of falling in love with someone who is a stranger to you is physically felt and etched in their very own hands.
The chorus of the song acknowledges the difficulty of resisting this attraction and includes the line "she knows that our love more than any river flows." The singer is fully exposed and done with hiding their intentions; not in their clothes or in between their toes, but out in the open for all to see. The idea of succumbing to love with a stranger is so overwhelming that the singer wishes for a pearl-handled revolver, rather than facing the prospect of death with pale men with halos in their hair.
The final verse suggests that despite the singer's efforts to run away from this stranger, she will always find him, highlighting the inescapable nature of love.
Overall, the song "Stranger" by New Basement Tapes explores the theme of falling in love with someone you don't know well and the emotional and physical pain that can come with that. It also touches on the difficulty of resisting this type of attraction and the prospect of facing the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Never fall in love with a stranger
It is said that one should avoid loving someone they don't know well.
And that, son, they all said to me
This advice has been told to the singer by many.
And never fall in love with a stranger
It is reiterated that one should not develop feelings for someone unknown.
But I can't help it if she falls in love with me
The singer cannot control the other person's feelings and may end up reciprocating them.
Now, they've gone against my command
The people around the singer have not followed his advice and fallen in love with a stranger.
The pain is written in my hands
The singer has experienced the pain of loving a stranger himself.
But if I can't resist
If he cannot help but fall in love with the stranger,
Find my way outta this
He will try to get over the feelings and move on.
She knows that our love more than any river flows
The singer believes that the love they share is strong and constant.
And I'm done now, all of my intentions are exposed
The singer has revealed his feelings to the stranger and is vulnerable.
Not hidden in my clothes
His feelings are not concealed, but visible.
Or in between my toes
His emotions are not buried or suppressed.
I wanna tombstone pearl handle revolver
The singer wants protection and power to face his situation.
Don't wanna meet a pale man with a halo in his hair
He does not want to face death due to his heartache.
But sometimes I simply do not care
Despite knowing the risks and consequences, he may still fall in love with a stranger.
I done things right, pretty much all of my life
The singer has generally made good choices in life.
I'm not looking for any sympathy
He does not want pity or understanding for his current situation.
I can run all I like away from that stranger
He can try to avoid the stranger and their feelings.
But somehow she'll always follow me
However, his emotions and the consequences of his actions will always stay with him.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB DYLAN, MARCUS MUMFORD, MARCUS OLIVER JOHNSTONE MUMFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind