It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
|
who said they were through with dealing
|
Every time you gave them shelter
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I know that kind of man
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It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
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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
|
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 game he knows for shelter.
|
|
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
|
It's 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 you 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
|
When he speaks like this,
|
you don't know what he's after.
|
|
Let's meet tomorrow if you chose
|
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 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.
|
|
-----------------
|
The Stranger Song
|
Leonard Cohen |