Stranger in Town

About Stranger in Town

"Stranger in Town" is a hit song by American rock band Toto from their 1984 album Isolation. It was the first single released from that album, reaching the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984. The song was the band's highest-ever charting Mainstream Rock track, eventually peaking at number 7. It was also a Top 40 single in Australia, where it remains the fourth highest charting single by Toto, behind only "Hold the Line", "Rosanna", and "Africa". The song was written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, and features Paich on lead vocals. Though Bobby Kimball is officially credited as a guest musician on the album, having been fired from Toto, "Stranger in Town" was recorded while he was still a member of the group. The music video (filmed in black and white and directed by Steve Barron) and lyrics to the song are based on the film Whistle Down The Wind, about an escaped convict who runs into a group of children that mistake him for Jesus. Actor Brad Dourif plays the convict, and new member Fergie Frederiksen appears as a murder victim. Dourif and Toto would also work on the movie Dune that same year. The band only appears briefly in the music video at the 2 minute 30 second mark of the song. In 1985, the video was nominated at the MTV Music Video Awards for Best Direction. The song was performed live during the 1985 Isolation tour as well as during the first leg of the subsequent Fahrenheit tour in October-November 1986 before being dropped for the second (European) leg of the tour. It then only resurfaced in the band's live set in 2015-16 (on the Toto XIV tour) and again in 2018 (40 Trips around the Sun tour). more »

Year:

2001

4:52

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I remember it was late one night
In the middle of a dream
Woke up in a pool of sweat
Thought I heard a scream
Ran over to the window sill
Stuck my head out for a peek
Dressed in black was a man I didn't recognise
Running down my back street
My heart skipped a beat

[Chorus x2]
You better watch out, there's a stranger in town
You better watch out when he comes around
Don't make a sound

The morning paper and the head-lines read:Danger to the queen
Buckingham Palace better tighten things up
The son of a bitch is mean.
Vendors on the corner just doin' their job
Acting like nothing's new
Scotland Yard's still looking for him
But he doesn't leave
A single clue

[Chorus x2]

You better watch out

Who's this man who fell out of the sky?
What's he done and where's he live?
How can a man who's a criminal be a hero to the kids?
The old couple swear that the Riper's back
They say it's him all right.
The young girl says it's Jesus and he won't be back again
Tonight
I wonder who's right ?

[Chorus]

You better watch out

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

Toto

Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1976. The band's current lineup consists of Joseph Williams (lead vocals), David Paich (keyboards), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Steve Lukather (guitars, vocals), and Simon Phillips (drums). Bass player Nathan East is currently touring with Toto as a guest musician, as Mike Porcaro is too ill to tour. Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B and jazz. more »

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