Stranger In Paradise
Richard Kiley and Doretta Morrow Lyrics
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And why is the nightingale singing at noon on the mulberry bough?
For some most mysterious reason this isn′t the garden I know.
No, it's paradise now, that was only a garden a moment ago.
Take my hand,
I′m a stranger in paradise
All lost in a wonderland
A stranger in paradise.
That's a danger in paradise
For mortals who stand beside
An angel like you.
I saw your face,
And I ascended
Out of the common place
Into the rare.
Somewhere in space
I hang suspended
Until I know
There's a chance that you care.
Won′t you answer the 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
So the stranger in paradise
And tell him that he need be
A stranger no more.
I saw your face
And I ascended
Out of the common place
Into the rare
Somewhere in space
I hang suspended
Until I know
There′s a chance that you care
Won't you answer the 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 me that I need be
A stranger no more!
The song "Stranger in Paradise" is a love ballad sung by a man who has found himself in a heavenly garden with his beloved. The song asks us to consider the poetic and the natural world by asking why the leaves on the mulberry tree are suddenly speaking differently and why the nightingale is singing at noon. The garden we are introduced to is transformed into paradise as he sings about his beloved, who is like an angel from heaven. He is lost in wonderland and is a stranger in paradise who is dazzled by the beauty and the otherworldly nature of his surroundings.
The song's lyrics illustrate how the man is transformed by his love for his "angel" and how he has become a stranger in paradise until he knows if his love is requited. He is asking his beloved to answer his fervent prayer and to open her angel's arms to him so that he may become a stranger no more. In this love song, we are reminded of the transformative power of love and how it can make one feel as if they are living in paradise.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh why do the leaves on the mulberry tree whisper differently now?
I can't comprehend why the leaves on the tree are rustling in such an unfamiliar way.
And why is the nightingale singing at noon on the mulberry bough?
I'm perplexed as to why the bird is chirping at an uncharacteristic time of day.
For some most mysterious reason this isn’t the garden I know.
This place has transformed into something amazing and unrecognisable, as though it is paradise now.
No, it’s paradise now, that was only a garden a moment ago.
The beauty of this place has left me awestruck as it has turned into a paradise, which I failed to notice just a moment ago.
Take my hand, I’m a stranger in paradise
I feel so overwhelmed to be in this magnificent place that I feel like an outsider who needs someone to hold my hand.
All lost in a wonderland, A stranger in paradise.
I'm completely lost in the unimaginable beauty that exists all around me, feeling like a complete stranger out of place.
If I stand starry-eyed, That's a danger in paradise
Being spellbound by this heavenly sight can be perilous, leading me astray from reality.
For mortals who stand beside, An angel like you.
Being around a divine being like you can be overwhelming and takes away the ability of anyone around to think rationally.
I saw your face, And I ascended, Out of the common place, Into the rare.
The sight of your face has uplifted my soul and made me feel like I am experiencing something truly special.
Somewhere in space, I hang suspended, Until I know, There’s a chance that you care.
I'm living in a surreal moment, holding onto it until I can find out if you feel the same way I do.
Won't you answer the fervent prayer, Of a stranger in paradise?
Please respond to my desperate plea, for I am but a stranger yearning to find place in this utopia.
Don't send me in dark despair, From all that I hunger for.
Please don't make me leave this magical place and be consumed by the darkness that exists outside paradise.
But open your angel's arms, So the stranger in paradise, And tell him that he need be, A stranger no more.
Us, coming together in this magical paradise, will allow me to feel at home and not like an outsider in a strange land.
To this stranger in paradise, And tell me that I need be, A stranger no more!
Give me that assurance that I belong in this paradise with you, and I will no longer feel like some stranger.
Writer(s): Robert Wright, George Forrest
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rnhealer6044
This song is so beautiful, no one has ever sung it more beautifully than Doretta Morrow and Richard Kiley. And yes, this performance is perfect.
@robvegaspoker
Oh my. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and this performance is sheer perfection. Wow.
@TonyPartington
Hi Robert. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I agree with you, absolute perfection. For a baritone, Richard Kiley handles the tenor tessitura quite well I think. And what can I say about Doretta Morrow. I absolutely love her voice. And she is quite wonderful in this and even more stellar in "And This Is My Beloved." Check out her recording of "You'll Be Seeing Me" from THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO. I remastered it and I think it's one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Thanks again for your kind comment. Ciao! - Tony
@skiff315
I search quite regular on Youtube for additions of the golden voice of Doretta, gone so young, she lays to rest in the UK
@lynngregory393
Thank you for this. I have never heard such passion and beauty from a duet before.
@TonyPartington
Hi Lynn. Yes, this duet; the music (from Borodin), the words, and the beautiful voices of Doretta Morrow and Richard Kiley combine to transport the listener from the mere earthly realm to that of, well, Paradise. I'm so glad you enjoy this. If you've a moment, listen to my posting of Doretta Morrow singing "You'll Be Seeing Me" from the made for TV musical THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO. Absolutely ravishing. Ciao! - Tony
@billbrimmer1739
There is something magical with the original performances of a beautiful song. Doretta Morrow and Richard Kiley are fabulous in this Original Broadway Cast recording from “Kismet.”
@TonyPartington
I agree Bill. Magical is a perfect description. Both Doretta Morrow and Richard Kiley are superb in this gorgeous song. So glad you enjoyed.
@tombrown1898
Tony, thank you. Many years ago, I had a moment under the Mulberry tree. It wasn't in a garden, but in a small restaurant that hadn't changed much since 1930. I was 37 then, and the lady and I had been there on our first date, three months before. I knew I liked her and found her attractive, but on this night while two old men played "Night and Day" on piano and clarinet, I looked at her in the candlelight and she was so beautiful I feared she would vanish if I kept looking. She's been dead now for two decades, but hearing this brings back that moment. Thank you.
@TonyPartington
Tom, thank you for your lovely comment. I'm glad this beautiful song brings fond and precious memories. All the very best my friend. Ciao! - Tony