Strangers
White Lies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I pressed my ear to your chest and heard something personal
A whisper that knew my name
Is this how your heart treats all strangers,
With love and affection?
Then I feel cold and empty

I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make something happen
No stone unturned

I held your hand while you were sleeping
The whole night you gripped to mine
A grip that begged me to stay
Is this how your limbs treat all strangers,
With love and affection?
Then I feel weak and empty

I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make something happen
No stone unturned

Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
But there's nothing stranger than to love someone

I heard the water beat on your skin a shower of discipline
As heavy as iron
And I imagined the hand that gripped mine
Now gripping the gaps in the tile
Just holding on tight

I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've gotta make something happen
No stone unturned

Strangers don't hide




The morning hunts you down
But there's nothing stranger than to love someone.

Overall Meaning

The White Lies song "Strangers" is a powerful exploration of the complexities and contradictions of human connection. The singer describes a series of intimate moments with someone they barely know, each one brimming with tenderness and vulnerability. When they press their ear to the other person's chest, they hear a "whisper that knew [their] name" - a sign of how deeply this stranger understands and empathizes with them. Similarly, when they hold the other person's hand, they feel a grip that "begged [them] to stay," as if this stranger is clinging to them for dear life.


But despite these moments of deep connection, the singer also feels a sense of coldness and emptiness. They can't help wondering whether this is just how the other person treats all strangers - with love and affection, as if trying to create instant intimacy with anyone who crosses their path. And by the end of the song, the singer has come to a haunting realization that "there's nothing stranger than to love someone" - that the very act of reaching out to another person, even in the midst of tenderness and intimacy, is fraught with strangeness and uncertainty.


Overall, "Strangers" is a poignant and intense exploration of the paradoxes of human connection. The song captures both the deep yearning for intimacy and the fear and uncertainty that can accompany it. Through its haunting lyrics and soaring melodies, it leaves an indelible impression on the listener.


Line by Line Meaning

I pressed my ear to your chest and heard something personal
I listened very closely to your physical heart, and I heard a whispering voice that seemed to know me intimately.


A whisper that knew my name
This voice that I heard was familiar with me by name, as if it knew me well.


Is this how your heart treats all strangers, With love and affection?
I wonder if this is how your heart treats everyone it encounters, with kindness and tenderness, regardless of whether you know them or not?


Then I feel cold and empty
But despite the warm and comforting presence of your heart, I can't help but feel lonely and distant inside.


I've got a sense of urgency, I've gotta make this happen, No stone unturned
I feel a great need to act quickly and decisively in order to pursue this relationship and ensure its success, leaving no possibility unexplored.


I held your hand while you were sleeping, The whole night you gripped to mine
You were asleep, but I spent the whole night holding your hand, and you clung tightly to mine throughout that time.


A grip that begged me to stay
Your grip on my hand was so strong and pleading, as if you wanted me to stay with you forever.


Is this how your limbs treat all strangers, With love and affection?
I wonder if all of your body parts respond to strangers with such compassion and fondness as your hand did to mine.


Then I feel weak and empty
Despite the strength of your physical embrace, I still feel emotionally drained and lacking in purpose.


Strangers don't hide, The morning hunts you down, But there's nothing stranger than to love someone
Although encountering strangers can be intimidating, and the harsh light of morning can be daunting, nothing is more mysterious and foreign than the experience of loving another person.


I heard the water beat on your skin a shower of discipline, As heavy as iron
I heard the sound of water splashing on your skin in the shower, and it sounded almost austere and punishing, like the weight of metal.


And I imagined the hand that gripped mine, Now gripping the gaps in the tile, Just holding on tight
I pictured your hand, which had held mine so tightly, now gripping the cracks between the bathroom tiles, still maintaining a supremely firm grasp.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HARRY MCVEIGH, CHARLES CAVE, JACK BROWN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@hopper__

[Verse 1]
I pressed my ear to your chest
And heard something personal
A whisper that knew my name
Is this how your heart treats all strangers?
With love and affection?
Then I feel cold and empty

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Verse 2]
I held your hand while you were sleeping
The whole night you gripped to mine
A grip that begged me to stay
Is this how your limbs treat all strangers?
With love and affection?
Then I feel weak and empty

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Chorus]
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone

[Verse 3]
I heard the water beat at your skin
A shower of discipline
As heavy as iron
And I imagined the hand that gripped mine
Now gripping the gaps in the tiles
Just holding on tight

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Chorus]
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone

[Outro]
Strangers don't hide
Strangers don't hide



All comments from YouTube:

@XMistressLolaX

I commend them for having the balls to cross boundaries that most bands wouldn't dare to... I think the video is the perfect fit for the song... we all have secrets that keep us from truly connecting to other people

@gothgeek77

i love all of the coded meaning behind their videos , a free minded creative person should easy appreciate this and other of their videos

@hotchpotchenglish

A masterpiece of a song

@lucerovillegasb.6937

Loa fetiches de muchas personas en el mundo, gran canción que a pesar de los años suena de ptmr, amooo!!!

@rickbloke17CR

The video might be disturbing to some. In my opinion: it is very easy to judge something we don't understand or fancy. The song: SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love Harry's voice (not to mention is is very good looking). The lyrics are so touching and the music is really awesome.

@SerenadedAbyss

People have really weird fetishes and now the my favorite song on the album has a new light shed upon it. White Lies, you have done something amazing. I'm officially in love with your surprisingly still dark songs.

@hopper__

[Verse 1]
I pressed my ear to your chest
And heard something personal
A whisper that knew my name
Is this how your heart treats all strangers?
With love and affection?
Then I feel cold and empty

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Verse 2]
I held your hand while you were sleeping
The whole night you gripped to mine
A grip that begged me to stay
Is this how your limbs treat all strangers?
With love and affection?
Then I feel weak and empty

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Chorus]
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone

[Verse 3]
I heard the water beat at your skin
A shower of discipline
As heavy as iron
And I imagined the hand that gripped mine
Now gripping the gaps in the tiles
Just holding on tight

[Pre-Chorus]
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make this happen
No stone unturned
I've got a sense of urgency
I've got to make something happen
No stone unturned

[Chorus]
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone
Strangers don't hide
The morning hunts you down
And there's nothing stranger
Than to love someone

[Outro]
Strangers don't hide
Strangers don't hide

@XMistressLolaX

The more I watch this video, the more I love and appreciate it. I love the fact that the entire video looks like it was shot with a webcam, including the shots of the band. It just goes to show how disconnected from people we have become and yet we're fooled into thinking the exact opposite. It doesn't matter how many times u talk to someone on Facebook or Skype or whatever, unless u can actually be in the presence of that person, touch them, feel their energy, they will always be a stranger.

@nataliesmyth100

Fucking brilliant. So genius, how can people not appreciate this? They are showing what people do for love and affection, and actually unlike majority of music videos, it fits with the lyrics, perfectly.

@Skjoldbro

They just keep making better and better music, plus when you watch the movie a few times; it is just perfect for the song

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