Mistaken for Strangers
The National Lyrics
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But you do everything that they ask you to
'Cause you don't mind seeing yourself in a picture
As long as you look faraway, as long as you look removed
Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
When you pass them at night
Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes, glazing under
Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over you
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Another un-innocent, elegant fall
Into the un-magnificent lives of adults
Make up something to believe in your heart of hearts
So you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves
So you swear, you just saw a feathery woman
Carry a blindfolded man through the trees
Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
When you pass them at night
Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes, glazing under
Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over you
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Another un-innocent, elegant fall
Into the un-magnificent lives of adults
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
When you pass them at night
Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes, glazing under
Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over you
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Another un-innocent, elegant fall
Into the un-magnificent lives of adults
The National’s song Mistaken for Strangers seems to touch on a few broad themes, mostly centered around a sense of detachment and isolation. The opening lines, “You have to do it running/But you do everything that they ask you to,” suggest that the subject of the song is someone who is living according to others' expectations, rather than their own desires. This is further emphasized later in the chorus when the subject is “mistaken for strangers by your own friends,” suggesting they feel disconnected even from those closest to them.
The lines, “As long as you look faraway, as long as you look removed” are particularly interesting, as they suggest the subject may be intentionally distancing themselves from others and trying to maintain a sense of detachment. This notion is echoed later in the song when the subject remarks “Oh, you wouldn’t want an angel watching over you/Surprise, surprise, they wouldn’t want to watch,” implying a sense of unworthiness or discomfort with the notion of being observed.
Overall, the song seems to tackle feelings of disconnect and confusion by suggesting that the subject is trying to find a sense of purpose or meaning in their life, but is struggling to find an identity that aligns with their personal desires.
Line by Line Meaning
You have to do it running
You feel like you have to hurry to keep up with the demands of others.
But you do everything that they ask you to
You comply with everyone's wishes to avoid conflict or disappointment.
'Cause you don't mind seeing yourself in a picture
You don't mind presenting a misleading image of yourself to others.
As long as you look faraway, as long as you look removed
As long as the false image of you that you present appears distant or unattainable.
Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters
You dress up and fill yourself with material possessions to present a false image of success.
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
Your friends no longer recognize the person you have become in trying to please everyone.
When you pass them at night
When you encounter them during a time when everyone else is asleep, and you are free to be whoever you want to be.
Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Under the artificial glow of commercial lights that cast everything in a false and superficial sheen.
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes, glazing under
Although physically close, you and your friends no longer truly see each other, having become blinded by superficialities.
Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over you
You don't really want someone looking out for you, because you fear that they will see through your façade.
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Even if someone were looking out for you, they too would grow bored with the superficiality of your life.
Another un-innocent, elegant fall
You are doomed to repeat the cycle of false appearances and subsequent failure.
Into the un-magnificent lives of adults
You are trapped in the unfulfilling lives of those who have prioritized superficial values over personal authenticity.
Make up something to believe in your heart of hearts
You choose to create a personal mythology in order to delude yourself into contentment with your life.
So you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves
You wear your personal myth as a badge of honor, even though it is based on falsehoods.
So you swear, you just saw a feathery woman
You desperately cling to even the possibility of magic in a world that has lost all moisture.
Carry a blindfolded man through the trees
You are so desperate for some sort of otherworldly intervention that you will even fabricate acts of selfless heroism.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AARON BROOKING DESSNER, BRYCE DAVID DESSNER, MATTHEW DONALD BERNINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matthew Garnier
You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
When you pass them at night
Under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes, glazing under
Oh, you wouldn't want an angel watching over you
Surprise, surprise, they wouldn't wanna watch
Another un-innocent, elegant fall
Into the un-magnificent lives of adults
babblingbeck
The 'droning' baritone voices of Paul Banks (Interpol) and Matt Berninger (The National) are reminiscent of Ian Curtis (Joy Division), giving each of these bands a common thread - and I love them all.
johnnykleen
I listen to a TON of music. Everyday. All different bands,styles. The National are one of the greatest bands I have ever heard. Boxer is one of the greatest albums I have ever heard. I cannot believe that many people have never heard of these guys. Thats a shame.
Jon Goro
I’ve been introducing people to Nash for years. Nobody seems to like them. Maybe you gotta be depressed to appreciate
yesimerin
@johnnykleen
Hi, I am 14 years late. But your comment single handedly is the reason I will listen to everything I can by this band. Because of your conviction. So, I'm going in now....
Christina Alcarese
@johnnykleen - sadly, 14 years later, and not much has changed. As a fellow connoisseur of all things music, it's absolutely mind-blowing to me that such an amazingly talented band, has been under the radar for so long.
@yesimerin - what did you think? Did you enjoy your journey into The National?
DalleDayul
This song perfectly encapsulates the drab, melancholic life that every 20-something went through around 2006-2010. The economy sucked, the internet became more prominent, and everybody just wanted to tuck away and fuck the world off
Ed King
Speaking for my sons who are about your age from a dad that grew up in the Joy Division era a couldn’t agree more but as a dad I’m trying to make their world better…and just had to give you the 100th like
Forrest Corral
@Ed King as a 54-year-old, I was on the tail end of Joy Division and Punk's first cut. After 25 years of marriage and three kids now (two in college), I, too, am trying my best to make this place a little better. This song is brilliant
calliope720
Nothing will ever make me feel the way this song makes me feel; nothing will ever feel again like I did when I heard the first chorus of Mistaken for Strangers for the first time in 2007. This song is not only an incredible work of art, it's also my last tether to a life, to a version of me, that is all but gone. When I hear this, I can almost hear her again, almost feel her heart in my chest, a 17-year-old who knew nothing and felt everything and had no idea how much she stood to lose. The National have been with me through every version of me since. They are inextricable from my story.
Vincent Hanna
"Another uninnocent elegant fall into the unmagnificent life of adults" Awesome lyrics, love this band.