There are two artists with this name:
1. A British rapper
2. A Finnis… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists with this name:
1. A British rapper
2. A Finnish rock band

1. Mike Skinner (born November 27, 1978), more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a rapper from Birmingham, England. He was born in Barnet in North London and that's where his accent, sometimes called 'Mockney' by the press, comes from. You can hear his actual accent on the start of 'Fake Streets Hats' from his album The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living recorded in 2006. He moved to Birmingham shortly after he was born and is a Birmingham City fan. He has suffered from epilepsy since he was five.

He signed a five album record deal in 2002, and has fulfilled his contract by releasing five albums: Original Pirate Material (2002), All Got Our Runnin's (2003), A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004), The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living (2006), Everything Is Borrowed (2008) and Computers and Blues (2011).

When playing live, Skinner is joined by Kevin Mark Trail on backing vocals, Johnny Drum Machine on drums, Wayne Fibes on guitar and bass, Chris Brown on keyboards and Magic Mike on samplers.

In January 2011, Skinner's management announced that Skinner will no longer perform as The Streets.
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2. The Streets was a band originated from Turku, Finland in the early 1980's. Their most known song is Kestääkö siivet from the album Kestääkö siivet (1980), which is also featured on the soundtrack of Mika Kaurismäki's film Arvottomat (The Worhless) 1982.

The Streets were:

Asmo Kärkkäinen, guitar
Jouni Hemberg, lead vocals
Kari Laihonen, keyboard
Tapio Vesa, bass guitar
Eero Valkonen, drums

The Strongest Person I Know
The Streets Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One of the first things about you I did see
Is that you verse your views quietly
When nature verses truths I get violent feelings
But softly time will reply that's wise

A delicate gesture of why you see
The best route through this being right through here
But met with a cute blind snide of fear

Best to go along with their idea

But, you gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

You gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

After taking the worst route, blatantly
Bang on cue we manage losing way
But in a squirmy backed and screwed up way
They actually managed passing you the blame

With that mad man wrapped with rage
Even then your temper stays exactly the same
And in that manner is the manner you stay
Beautiful person that's happily unchanged

You gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

You gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

In the heat of speech
Your words improve
Right out of reach in my stirred up words
But every time they f**king blurt out drool
I'm noticing they're all learning from you

'Cos even though they know they cursed you
They should've admitted that they were fools
The next time they're wanting to work things through
The very first person they turn to is you

Cos you gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

You gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over
That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

You gently take things slowly
You softly bowl them over

That's the delicate way you've shown me
You're the strongest person I know

Overall Meaning

In "The Strongest Person I Know," The Streets pays homage to someone who is a pillar of strength and resilience in his life. The song's opening lyrics underscore this person's unique trait: their ability to confront opposing viewpoints with grace and patience while remaining true to their beliefs. Mike Skinner, the lead vocalist of The Streets, recognizes that there is a certain wisdom in the silent response of this remarkable figure, whose quiet strength is immeasurable in the face of conflict. The singer in the song has a tendency to react forcefully, and the song elevates this patient and gentle person's approach as he admires their dedication to peace and reconciliation.

The second verse of the song sees the singer acknowledging the silent hero's approach to conflict resolution began by taking the worst route. However, the silent hero remains calm and patient, listening carefully without judging or overreacting. In turn, others begin to take notice, learning and respecting from their model. The singer recognizes this person's ability to stay calm even in the face of extreme adversity and to manage their emotions and temper with grace, always ready to help and re-orient the singer by offering them a more peaceful solution.

Line by Line Meaning

One of the first things about you I did see
The singer noticed a particular trait of the person very early on.

Is that you verse your views quietly
The person is not loud or confrontational about their beliefs and opinions.

When nature verses truths I get violent feelings
The singer feels angry or frustrated when people deny scientific facts.

But softly time will reply that's wise
The truth will eventually reveal itself, and it's better to be patient and wait for that to happen.

A delicate gesture of why you see
The person has a gentle way of explaining things.

The best route through this being right through here
The person knows the best way to handle a situation.

But met with a cute blind snide of fear
Other people react with fear or denial, even when they know the person is right.

Best to go along with their idea
It's easier to agree with others, even when they're wrong.

But, you gently take things slowly
The person remains patient and calm in difficult situations.

You softly bowl them over
The person persuades others with a gentle touch.

That's the delicate way you've shown me
The singer has learned from the person's example of peaceful conflict resolution.

You're the strongest person I know
The person's strength lies in their ability to stay calm and patient.

After taking the worst route, blatantly
Others make poor choices, even when a better option is available.

Bang on cue we manage losing way
People frequently make mistakes and lose their way.

But in a squirmy backed and screwed up way
Others become defensive and flustered when called out for their mistakes.

They actually managed passing you the blame
Others unfairly shift the blame onto the person, even when it's not their fault.

With that mad man wrapped with rage
Other people become angry and irrational, while the person remains calm.

Even then your temper stays exactly the same
The person doesn't let others' anger affect their own emotions.

And in that manner is the manner you stay
The person remains true to themselves, even in difficult situations.

Beautiful person that's happily unchanged
The artist admires the person's consistent and peaceful character.

In the heat of speech
During an argument or emotional conversation.

Your words improve
The person remains eloquent and calm, even when emotions are high.

Right out of reach in my stirred up words
The singer doesn't always have control over their words during an argument.

But every time they f**king blurt out drool
Others become emotional and irrational in their arguments.

I'm noticing they're all learning from you
Others are beginning to learn from the person's example of peaceful conflict resolution.

'Cos even though they know they cursed you
Even when others are in the wrong, they recognize the person's strength and patience.

They should've admitted that they were fools
Others should have been able to see the person's wisdom and acknowledge their own wrongdoings.

The next time they're wanting to work things through
The artist hopes others will turn to the person for help in resolving conflicts.

You gently take things slowly
The person remains patient and calm in difficult situations.