The Stranger Song

Intro: D 
 
       D                /c       D        A 
It‘s true that all the men you knew were dealers 
                                 E 
Who said they were through with dealing 
                           F#m 
Every time you gave them shelter 
         E 
Well I know that kind of man 
              F#m 
It‘s hard to hold the hand of anyone 
        E                               F#m 
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender 
        E                               F#m 
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender 
 
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind 
You‘ll find he did not leave you very much 
No, 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 
Just some holy 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, your warmth and your 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 
 
Ah but now another stranger seems 
To want you to ignore his dreams 
As though they were the burden of some other 
O you‘ve seen that man before 
His golden arm dispatching cards 
But now it‘s rusted from the elbow to the finger 
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter 
Yes he wants to trade the song he sings for shelter 
 
Well you hate to watch 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 
And now suddenly you look a little older 
Yeah suddenly you feel a little older 
 
Well you tell him to come in sit down 
But something makes you turn around 
The door is open you cannot 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 is 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 
Well he talks like this you don‘t know what he‘s after 
Yes 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 on more shelter 
And it comes to you, he never even was that stranger 
And you say okay the bridge or someplace later 
 
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind 
You‘ll find he did not leave you very much 
No, 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 
Yeah was just some Joseph looking for a manger 
 
And leaning on your window sill 
He‘ll say one day you caused his will 
To weaken with your love, your warmth and your 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 
I told you when I came I was a stranger