The Stranger

Billy Joel

About The Stranger

"The Stranger" is a song by rock artist Billy Joel from his 1977 album of the same name, The Stranger. The song was released as a single in Japan where it became very popular and peaked at #2 on the Oricon chart, selling more than 471,000 copies, charting as well in Australia, New Zealand and France. It was the last single from the album in Japan, while the US and UK saw "She's Always a Woman", released the previous year, as the last single from the album. The single is featured on Joel's greatest hits album, Greatest Hits - Volume I & II. An untitled two-minute instrumental "hidden track" reprise of this song is featured at the end of The Stranger, after "Everybody Has a Dream". Billy Joel originally wanted the melody to be played by some kind of wind instrument, but after Joel demonstrated the melody by whistling it, producer Phil Ramone convinced Joel to scrap the idea of a wind instrument and whistle instead. 


Year:
1977
5:10
199 
#1

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Well, we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out
And show ourselves when everyone has gone
Some are satin, some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of a stranger
But we'd love to try them on

Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover
See the stranger in yourself

Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south every now and then
You've done it
Why can't someone else
You should know by now
You've been there yourself

Once I used to believe
I was such a great romancer
Then I came home to a woman
That I could not recognize
When I pressed her for a reason
She refused to even answer
It was then I felt the stranger
Kick me right between the eyes

Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover
See the stranger in yourself

Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south every now and then
You've done it
Why can't someone else
You should know by now
You've been there yourself

You may never understand
How the stranger is inspired
But he isn't always evil
And he is not always wrong
Though you drown in good intentions
You will never quench the fire
You'll give in to your desire
When the stranger comes along

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Billy Joel

William Martin "Billy" Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man," in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to the RIAA. He also has the third best-selling album in the United States with his Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2. more »

16 fans

Written by: Billy Joel

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Origin
"The Stranger" is the title track from Billy Joel's fifth studio album.
Release Information
The song was released in 1977, along with the rest of the album.
Album Success
The "Stranger" album is considered as Joel's commercial breakthrough and remains his best-selling non-compilation album to date.
Song Theme
The song deals with themes of introspection and personal identity. Joel sings about the hidden parts of us all that we hide from the world and even from ourselves.
Song Composition
"The Stranger" begins with a mysterious whistling introduction followed by melancholic piano chords, which gives the song its unique sound.
Chart Performance
Despite being well-known and highly regarded, it was never released as a single and thus did not chart.
Accolades
Rolling Stone magazine rated "The Stranger" as one of the top 500 greatest albums of all time.
Live Performances
After playing the song live once in 1980, Billy Joel did not play "The Stranger" again until 2008.
Song Cover
It was covered by artists such as O.A.R. and Tom Odell signifying its cultural impact.
Unique Whistling Sound
The whistling in the song was done by Phil Ramone, the producer of the album.
Influences
The melody and some of the lyrics to the song “Anthony's Song” (Movin' Out) were inspired by Billy Joel's experiences in Los Angeles, where he spent six months doing production of The Stranger.

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