The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in t… Read Full Bio ↴The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in the early 60s. Initially they had a squeaky-clean image and were famous for their rich vocal harmonies, rivaling those of The Beach Boys. Between 1964 and 1969, only two Hollies songs failed to reach the UK Top 10. Their most famous member was Graham Nash, who left in 1968 to form the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Two of the core members, drummer Bobby Elliott and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, still perform with The Hollies into the new millennium.

Frequent releases during the mid-60s included many cover versions of popular songs, as well as a few group-penned hits and many songs written especially for them by professional songwriters.

The Hollies were formed in 1962 in Lancashire, England. By 1965,the group had been established as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands. As part of the British Invasion, they enjoyed huge chart success in many countries in the mid-Sixties, releasing a string of classic harmony-pop hits including Bus Stop I'm Alive, a UK No. 1, I Can't Let Go, Stop Stop Stop, Carrie Anne, On A Carousel, Look Through Any Window, and Jennifer Eccles.

In 1972, the hit Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress reached #2 in the US. Their last mega hit was He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, hitting #1 in the UK in 1988 (albeit 19 years after its first release).

The band are noted for their longevity, with their 2006 tour chalking up 45 years. Despite numerous changes in line-up, Tony Hicks & Bobby Elliott have been with the band almost from its inception.

Lead singer Allan Clarke left The Hollies in 1971, though he rejoined the band at later times. He was eventually replaced by Carl Wayne, ex lead singer of The Move, who passed away in 2004. Wayne was replaced by Peter Howarth. The 2007 line up is, Ian Parker on keyboards, Ray Stiles (Ex Mud, remember 'Tiger Feet') on bass guitar and Alan Coates on guitar and vocals by Steve Lauri.

Original bass player Eric Haydock died in January 2018.

The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2010.

Allan Clarke (vocals, 1962-71, 1973-99), Graham Nash (guitar, vocals, 1962-68, 1983), Eric Haydock (bass, 1962-66), Vick Farrell (guitar, 1962), Don Rathbone (drums, 1962-63), Tony Hicks (guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric sitar, vocals, 1963-present), Bobby Elliott (drums, percussion, 1963-present), Bernie Calvert (bass, 1966-81), Terry Sylvester (guitar, vocals, 1969-81), Mikael Rickfors (vocals, 1971-73), Denis Haines (bass, 1981-86), Alan Coates (guitar, 1981-2004), Ray Stiles (bass, vocals, 1986-present), Ian Parker (keyboards, vocals, 1991-present), Carl Wayne (vocals, 2000-04), Peter Howarth (vocals, acoustic guitar, 2004-present), Steve Lauri (guitar, vocals, 2004-present)

Stranger
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Down, down, down town, east side of the river
Bowery boys are living off the street
There stands a stranger all dressed in black
He's looking for someone, he's gonna knife 'em in the back
Hit man, G-man, con man, watch it man, he might be from the CIA
Sneaky Pete's using his feet, getting off the street 'cause
He's got something to hide

Danger, there's a stranger
Intruding in your own backyard
But stranger, there's a danger
Don't come across nobody hard

So tough mixing it rough down in Harlem
There's no honky boys for miles around
But there's that stranger all dressed in white
He's looking for someone
He's gonna show 'em the light, yeah
He's gonna show 'em the light, oh yeah

Don't feel safe using the face of Fifth Avenue
Pin stripe suits ain't no disguise if you're not a man that's true
Hit man, G-man, con man, watch it man, he might be from the CIA
Sneaky Pete's still using his feet, getting off the street 'cause
He's got something to hide

Danger, there's a stranger
Intruding in your own backyard

But stranger, there's a danger
Don't come across nobody hard

Overall Meaning

The song "Stranger" by The Hollies tells the story of a dangerous stranger who is wandering around the city's rough areas looking for someone to harm. The first verse sets the scene in the rough east side of the river where the "Bowery boys" are living off the street. The stranger is dressed in black, and he appears to be looking for someone to harm from his hiding spot. The lyrics also mention the possibility of him being from the CIA, which makes him even more dangerous. The second verse takes us to Harlem, where the stranger appears again, but this time he's dressed in white. He's still in search of someone, and he seems to be planning on getting rough with them, as he's going to "show them the light."

The chorus warns of the danger that the stranger brings to your own backyard, and it advises listeners not to mess with anybody hard. The lyrics describe how even the face of Fifth Avenue and a pin-striped suit cannot disguise who you truly are. In the end, the song is a warning to be careful of strangers and to avoid trouble in areas where it's easy to find.

Overall, "Stranger" is a reflection of the perilous times during which the song was written. In the late 1960s, New York City was not the safe environment that it is today. The lyrics spoke to the fears of many people who were distrustful of those they didn't know and were careful about where they went. The song is also a commentary on the dangers of relying on appearances when it comes to judging people. The Hollies wanted to emphasize that you can't judge someone based on how they look, even if they're wearing a pin-striped suit.

Line by Line Meaning

Down, down, down town, east side of the river
The song is describing the city life in the not so good parts of town. It starts off by setting the scene of downtown on the east side of the river.

Bowery boys are living off the street
The Bowery Boys were known as a notorious street gang in New York City. The song is saying there are people on the street scraping by to survive.

There stands a stranger all dressed in black
The song is introducing a stranger dressed in all black. The color black is associated with danger and mystery.

He's looking for someone, he's gonna knife 'em in the back
The stranger is portrayed as a dangerous person who is looking for someone to attack. His intentions are nefarious and he is willing to attack from behind, which is cowardly.

Hit man, G-man, con man, watch it man, he might be from the CIA
The song is listing off different types of dangerous people such as hitmen, government agents (G-man), and conmen. It's warning listeners to beware of the stranger who might be working for the CIA, which is a surprising twist.

Sneaky Pete's using his feet, getting off the street 'cause He's got something to hide
Sneaky Pete is another person in the song who is trying to escape the danger in the city. He is hiding something and is using his feet to get away from the stranger and the life on the street.

Danger, there's a stranger Intruding in your own backyard
The song repeats the word danger and warns that the stranger is now closer, possibly in the listener's own backyard which was once a place of safety and comfort.

But stranger, there's a danger Don't come across nobody hard
The song advises to avoid any confrontation with the stranger who is dangerous. Even if one is tough, it's better to stay out of harm's way or risk getting hurt.

So tough mixing it rough down in Harlem
The song now shifts to focus on a different area, Harlem, and the people living there. It's described as a tough place to live where people have to fight to survive.

There's no honky boys for miles around
The song is using a derogatory term for white people, but it's saying they are not present in the Harlem area. This could imply that the stranger who is dressed in white stands out even more as someone who doesn't belong there.

But there's that stranger all dressed in white
The song is now describing another stranger who is dressed in white, in contrast to the first stranger who was dressed in black. The color white is often associated with innocence, which could be ironic since the stranger is possibly dangerous.

He's looking for someone He's gonna show 'em the light, yeah He's gonna show 'em the light, oh yeah
The stranger in white is also looking for someone, but instead of attacking them, he is going to show them something, possibly a new way of thinking or living. The repetition of 'he's gonna show 'em the light' emphasizes his intentions.

Don't feel safe using the face of Fifth Avenue
The song is referencing Fifth Avenue which is a prestigious area in New York City. Even in such a wealthy area, the song is saying that one shouldn't feel safe or protected.

Pin stripe suits ain't no disguise if you're not a man that's true
The song is saying that even someone wearing an elegantly tailored pinstripe suit can't hide who they truly are. It's implying that there are people who aren't trustworthy despite their appearance.

Hit man, G-man, con man, watch it man, he might be from the CIA
The song repeats this line twice to emphasize the warning about dangerous people who may be working for the CIA.

Sneaky Pete's still using his feet, getting off the street 'cause He's got something to hide
Sneaky Pete is still running away from the danger, hinting that whatever he's trying to hide is something that the stranger would go to great lengths to obtain or find out.

Danger, there's a stranger Intruding in your own backyard
The song repeats this line again, emphasizing that the danger is even closer than before and there is no escaping it.

But stranger, there's a danger Don't come across nobody hard
The song repeats this line again, underscoring the message to avoid conflict with the stranger at all costs.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN CLARKE, TONY HICKS, TERRY SYLVESTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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