She was offered the lead role, but refused as she thought at past 20 years of age she could not play credibly a 16-year-old (and could hardly play credibly a 'LITTLE' girl). She also had to go back to the Netherlands.
A Spanish girl called Lisa played the lead role in the final version.
Tori Amos recorded that song in 2001
Strange Little Girl
The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day you see a strange little girl feeling blue
She'd run to the town one day
Leaving home and the country fair
Just beware
When you're there
Strange little girl
She didn't know how to live in a town that was rough
It didn't take long before she knew she had enough
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she's feeling old
And she found
All things cold
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she's feeling old
'Cause she found
All things cold
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
The Stranglers' song "Strange Little Girl" is a melancholic ballad about a lost and lonely outsider who struggles to adapt to life in the city. The song appears to be addressing the character directly with lines such as "One day you see a strange little girl look at you" and "Strange little girl, where are you going?". The lyrics evoke feelings of sadness and isolation as the girl runs away from her home and the country fair in search of something new, only to realize that the city is not the answer. She is unable to cope with the harshness of the urban landscape and finds herself feeling old and cold, disconnected from the people around her.
The track's understated, yet impactful instrumentation serves to capture the song's melancholic mood. The repetitive piano riff and the gentle drumbeat drive the song forward, with the occasional, sparse guitar solo punctuating the melody. The musical arrangement and tempo are reminiscent of a music box, suggesting a childlike innocence lost but not forgotten. The use of the word "strange" implies the girl's lack of belonging in the city, as if she was an anomalous figure, and the question "Do you know where you could be going?" indicates her lost and bewildered state of mind.
Overall, "Strange Little Girl" is a poignant reflection on the struggles of adapting to a new environment, the loss of childhood innocence, and the yearning for a place to belong.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you see a strange little girl look at you
You unexpectedly encounter a peculiar, small female observing you
One day you see a strange little girl feeling blue
You catch sight of a curious, diminutive female exhibiting sadness
She'd run to the town one day
On a particular day, she fled to the urban area
Leaving home and the country fair
She abandoned her residence and the rural festival
Just beware
Be cautious
When you're there
While in that location
Strange little girl
That peculiar, small female
She didn't know how to live in a town that was rough
She lacked knowledge on how to survive in an unsophisticated city
It didn't take long before she knew she had enough
Before long, she realized she'd had her fill
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She strolled back to her abode enveloped in her secluded thoughts
She survived but she's feeling old
She endured but now is feeling weary
And she found
She discovered
All things cold
A depressing, cold atmosphere
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Oh, peculiar, small female, where are you embarking to?
Do you know where you could be going?
Are you aware of your destination?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Oh, peculiar, small female, where are you embarking to?
Do you know where you could be going?
Are you aware of your destination?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Oh, peculiar, small female, where are you embarking to?
Do you know where you could be going?
Are you aware of your destination?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JEAN JACQUES BURNEL, BRIAN JOHN DUFFY, DAVID GREENFIELD, HUGH ALAN CORNWELL, HANS AXEL WAERMLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-nr2fp2zs5v
One day you see a strange little girl look at you
One day you see a strange little girl feeling blue
She'd run to the town one day
Leaving home and the country fair
Just beware
When you're there
Strange little girl
She didn't know how to live in a town that was rough
It didn't take long before she knew she had enough
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she's feeling old
And she found
All things cold
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Strange little girl, where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she's feeling old
'Cause…
@darkelf2674
Why they don't get more credit for the musical genius's they are is beyond me! Classic track
@andrewmatthews6861
Dark Elf the elite don't care for this band that's why👿outrageous 👹
@andrewjohnstone963
They didnt kiss the media's ass the media cant see past their own asses
One of very few bands to emerge from the punk phenomenon 75 77 with any real talent 👌
@annakeye
@Andrew Johnstone Funny how they got so tied into the punk movement considering they predated the start of it by a couple of years. Still, they were nothing if not savvy when it came to exploiting it. e.g. Strange Little Girl but 'Peaches' and videos of 'Nice and Sleazy' alienated a lot of women who were punk leaning and in fact, if they'd dressed like 'The Police' and dyed their hair blonde, they'd have been considered part of the New Wave, I'd have thought. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that some of their albums were extremely good and songs like Golden Brown will never fade from the airwaves.
@rebeccareyes8978
One of my fave songs, my dad was playing this song once, so i asked him to tell me what it was called. A few months later and i still love it!!
@fionacrossland9275
Feb 1982 I'd just emerged from a psychiatric hospital in Newcastle/Tyne part of the way through a fine art degree and I was homeless staying with a friend. This hauntingly beautiful song puts me right back there, the melody and music even more than the lyrics. I haven't emerged unscathed by any means but I have survived- just!!!
@stephenspark776
@fionacrossland9275 For so many of us, survival IS the achievement. Keep going...
@johnyasmin13
RIP DAVE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MUSIC AND TALENT THAT YOU SHARED WITH US ALL THROUGH YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY AND FOR GRACING OUR STAGES OVER THE YEARS. YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN 🎸🎹🎤👤
@davidforshaw4810
👍🎶🔑
@philbell2054
A timeless classic..hauntingly beautiful piece of music....