Pastor Shirley has recorded over forty albums since the 60s exploring her gift and spreading messages of faith. She has participated in over 16 compilations and three gospel musicals, Mama I Want to Sing, Sing: Mama 2, and Born to Sing: Mama 3. Her credits also include a series of commercials for MCI Communications and several awards for her recordings. She has been awarded 11 Grammy Awards, 13 Stellar Awards, 18 Doves, 3 RIAA gold certifications, an Essence Award, McDonald's Golden Circle Lifetime Achievement Award, NAACP Achievement Award, SESAC Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Pastor Shirley has made several notable appearances including the televised Live from Disney World Night of Joy, the Gospel According to VH-1, a White House performance for George Bush, and a speech on the Evolution of Gospel Music to the US Treasury Department.
She has blessed so many around the world and will remain an example.
Stranger On the Road
Shirley Caesar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to find my way
I don't know nobody
and I don't know where to go
I'm out here all alone
I don't want to roam
I'm just a stranger
A long Way from home
Stranger on the road
The road seems long
Stranger on the road
Trying to get home
I'm just a stranger
A long Way from home
In Shirley Caesar's song "Stranger On the Road," the lyrics convey a sense of lostness and uncertainty. The singer is a stranger in an unfamiliar place, without any connections or knowledge of where to go. The repetition of the phrase "a long way from home" emphasizes the feeling of being disconnected and distant from what is familiar and comfortable.
The image of a "stranger on the road" also creates a sense of on-the-go transience. The singer is moving, attempting to navigate a path, but there is a sense of aimlessness and uncertainty. This could also be a metaphor for a larger journey of self-discovery or finding one's place in the world. The repetition of the phrase "trying to get home" suggests a desire for stability and belonging.
Overall, the lyrics of "Stranger On the Road" explore themes of displacement, movement, and the search for a sense of home and belonging. The song creates an emotional landscape that speaks to the universal experience of feeling lost and uncertain, while also conveying a sense of hope and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a stranger
I am a person who is unfamiliar with this place.
Trying to find my way
I am attempting to navigate and locate my destination.
I don't know nobody
I am not acquainted with anyone in this area.
and I don't know where to go
I am uncertain of the correct direction to travel to reach my intended location.
I'm out here all alone
I am without companionship or assistance.
I don't want to roam
I would prefer to stay in one place rather than wander aimlessly.
A long Way from home
I am far from my place of origin.
Stranger on the road
I am a person who is traveling on this path but is unknown to those around me.
The road seems long
The distance to be covered to reach my destination appears to be significant.
Trying to get home
My ultimate goal is to reach my place of origin.
Contributed by Jason K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@veronicajones887
this is one of my most favorite songs. I listened to my mother's 45 records in the 70s... I was a kid. I tried to sing just like Shirley Caesar. today I'm known for my ability to sung. this was one of my first songs I ever learned to sing... I love it. I've taught it to my daughters and we now sing it as a trio... the harmony still in tact.
@imjustlooking888
I got the same 45 record too.
@UWRONG4DAT
Oh my I'm loving it! Can you post the whole album?? All their songs is unbelievable especially "it's getting late" !
@typrsn1
Patrick, I do not post entire albums.
@rosecheek-stephens9336
This was my grandmother's favorite song!!! Every time I hear this I can just hear her singing it in the kitchen of our home. :-)
@terrimcclain446
This was one of mt Grandmothers favorite Shirley Caesar albums. Listening to it brought back a lot of good memories!
@typrsn1
Glad this is nostalgic for you.
@nikkiaw1000
AMAZING!!!!!!! How do you put this voice into words. Just don't.
@bobbyhosey7180
My mom used to wake me up every work day and put on Rev. Ceaser and I been waking up by the songs and I will start singing them in school and caught the ear of my teacher and she says, I've noticed you like gospel, yes I say my mom plays the songs before she heads out to work and I love the song, don't drive your mother away I listen to those songs still today my mother passed 3 years ago and I still think of her when I play them dedicated to my mother to whom I miss, I will see her again, my sister just passed and her and my mother has the same name My Mother is Ruby B. And My Sister is Ruby A. Hosey and My Dad ya'll RIP. Praise God.! 😇🙏
@4knewt505
Ok. My aunties used to sing this on the fly at my granny's house. They would be in the kitchen and I would here this melodious alto and tenor tones. They can really sing! Poor me, I'm just a rusty alto.