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The Stranger Song Lyrics by Beck

Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen

2009

It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
Who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
And then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
But now another stranger seems
To want you to ignore his dreams
As though they were the burden of some other
Oh you've seen that man before
His golden arm dispatching cards
But now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
Ah you hate to see another tired man lay down his hand
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
You notice there's a highway
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
It is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
You tell him to come in, sit down
But something makes you turn around
The door is open you can't close your shelter
You try the handle of the road
It opens, do not be afraid
It's you, my love, you, who are the stranger
It's you, my love, you, who are the stranger
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
I think it's time to board another
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
To get me to the heart of this or any other matter
When he talks like this, you don't know what he's after
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
That they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform
For the sleeping car that's warm
You realize he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say ok, the bridge or someplace later
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
Credits

About “The Stranger Song” by Beck

Read the complete lyrics to "The Stranger Song" by Beck from the album "Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen" in 2009. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"The Stranger Song" is performed by Beck. from the album "Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen" in 2009 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Stranger Song", explore more songs by Beck using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Stranger Song" is credited to Beck. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Stranger Song" appears on "Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen" in 2009.

Visit the Beck artist page at /artist/beck for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.