the stranger song (by leonard cohen)
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 just 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.
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.
............................................
lullaby (by the cure)
on candy stripe legs the spiderman comes
softly through the shadow of the evening sun
stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead
looking for the victim shivering in bed
searching out fear in the gathering gloom
and suddenly a movement in the corner of the room
and there is nothing I can do when I realize with fright
that the spiderman is having me for dinner tonight
quietly he laughs and shaking his head
creeps closer now, closer to the foot of the bed
and softer than shadow and quicker than flies
his arms are around me and his tongue in my eyes
be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy
don't struggle like that or I will only love you more
for it's much too late to get away or turn on the light
the spiderman is having you for dinner tonight
and I feel like I'm being eaten
by a thousand million shivering furry holes
and I know that in the morning
I will wake up in the shivering cold
the spiderman is always hungry
